Pelican Lake On Blast (But for the right reasons)

Finding Success During April Absurdity.

It's the last Sunday in March here in Manitoba. Frozen lakes are dotted with anglers looking for one last pike or walleye before time is up. Then the clock strikes midnight, fishing season is over. Or is it? For a small group of rabid anglers March madness turns into April absurdity. While the general fishing season is closed, stocked trout waters within Manitoba are just hitting their prime and us trout nuts are just getting into the best fishing of the year.

I'm writing this blog specifically to help anglers who are interested in, or are new to fishing Manitoba's stocked trout lakes. Social media posts on such pages as Ice Fishing Manitoba and Manitoba Monster Trout are littered with how and where questions any time someone shares an image. Most anglers who have taken the time to gather knowledge are hesitant to share info with some good reasons. Rainbow, brown, brook and tiger trout can be delicate fish that are susceptible to harm when handled improperly, and stocked trout lakes can certainly be over fished. But, I also want to help others at least get a chance to experience the excitement of catching a trout. So I'll share five tips that will steer a newb towards catching trophy stocked trout.

1-Know where the fish are and aren't.

This seems pretty strait forward, but "Where did you catch those fish?" is the most common question on social media shares. Researching what lakes hold trout is really easy and strait forward. Manitoba Sustainable Development publishes lake specific annual stocking lists.

Manitoba Sustainable Development Annual Stocking List

This resource allows you to search by region and species. Look for lakes that have been stocked three times in the last fives years from the date of your search. These lakes will hold both the highest numbers and largest fish. A lake that was stocked once ten years ago most likely wouldn’t have any trout left in it, and would be a waste of your time. But a lake that has been stocked every year or two over a long period potentially could be a gold mine.

While I can’t speak of the lakes in eastern Manitoba, most of the stocked trout lakes in the western portion of the province are easily found and accessed by highways or grid roads.

2-Using walleye and pike gear won't do you any favors.

Trout aren't walleye or pike, and the gear you use should reflect that. Again, this is a common reoccurring theme I see on the water. In my experience rods should be on the lighter side actions wise with a bit more flex. Trout roll and shake hard, often taking darting runs at break neck speeds. The added flex in a lighter rod will help you keep tension on a rolling and shaking trout, while at the same time offering cushion for lighter line. I'll scrap cheap combo reels for higher quality summer reels. The drag systems are much smoother and more reliable for when that darting run occurs.

Using light line will help with line shy fish, something I firmly believe happens with mature trout. Having said that the low visibility that fluorocarbon line offers has done a great job of allowing one to up the weight of the line without reducing the odds of a strike. My current personal favorite trout ice fishing outfit is a Fenwick Elitetech 36 medium with a Pflueger Trion 25B. I've spooled this up with twelve pound power pro braid that I tie a ten foot pline fluorocarbon leader in six to ten pound test. Having said that, monofillament in the six to eight pound range would work nearly as well in most situations where the water isn't crystal clear.

3-Understanding how trout use the water column.

There's a myth that trout are deep water fish, and to catch them you have to fish deep. While there are situations where can be true (such as clear water fisheries in the duck mountains during the summer and fall), most trout by nature are found in water depths between 0 to 15 feet. I like to call this the "Magic 15". The reason for this is simple, trout are apex predators and this area in the water column is where their food, such as minnows, nymphs and small aquatic invertebrates are found. Knowing and applying this info during your initial fishing/scouting on a new to you trout lake will eliminate the majority of the water and dramatically reduce the amount of lake one has to cover when searching for active fish.

4-Search the Magic 15.

Now you roughly know where to find the majority of the trout in the lake, it's time to fine tune your approach. While tip number three is very general, tip number four will change from day to day and even within a given day.

I've found the majority of active fish will be found in a narrow part of the magic 15. Looking for structure is the first part. An obvious place to start is a simple point. I like to auger holes in four, eight and twelve feet of water. I then place a dead line in the four foot range. This is where the Jaw Jacker or Auto Fisherman has changed the game. It allows one to deadline with a trout appropriate set up, and dramatically increases the hook up percentage over dead-lining with a bobber or using a tip up due to the quick mechanical hook set. It also reduces the number of trout that get gut hooked, something that's very detrimental to catch and release fisheries. From there I actively fish the eight foot range, jigging my offering. I'll keep both presentations about a foot off the bottom. Then I'll fine tune both my presentations by moving one if action picks up at a particular depth. If I get no action at either I'll then move my active rig of dead stick into the 12 foot depth. But at that depth I'll set my offerings three or four feet off the bottom. This is because it seems trout will suspend at the deeper depths. No bites in an hour generally means there's no active fish in the location, and I'll pick up, move and start all over again in a different spots until I find fish.

5-Match the "hatch".

This is a fly fishing term, but I certainly applies with ice fishing as well. Like previously stated, trout are apex predators and will eat a variety of foods. Matching the look and/or smell of these foods is important. But, check lake specific regulations on what can be used for bait and lures. Natural bait is a good option where allowed. Frozen minnows and even pieces of shrimp placed on a simple jig head offer the look and/or smell that trout relate as food. This presentation is as simple as it gets, but incredibly effective.

Things get a bit more complicated when natural bait isn't allowed. This is where it would be a good idea to switch over to small hair and tube jigs either with a bit of scent added to them, some berkely power paste, or scented marshmallows. The last two work great on the dead line set ups. My time fishing for steelhead out west has taught me that trout relate to their nose far more than most will give them credit for, and adding scent is a huge advantage. There's a multitude of trout specific scent products out there that work great.

Even with scent added, tube and hair jigs should match the color and size of what the trout are eating. Jigs one or two inches in size work great, with larger sizes working when trout are hyper aggressive. Colors can vary from lake to lake, but a stand by for me personally is white, then olive green, then chartreuse. The first two colors match either minnows, leaches or even fresh water shrimp which are all primary food sources for trout and chartreuse is a great option to get a trouts attention when nothing else seems to be working. Having said that, don't hesitate to try other colors, doing so has induced strikes when my standbys have failed and saved a day or two for me. Finally, smaller lures such a spoons and even rattle baits have their place when the jig bite is cool. There's no harm in giving them a shot. Work them aggressively to try and induce an aggressive instinctual strike.

There you have it, the five most important tips I can give someone who wants to start chasing trout in Manitoba. Hope to see you out on the ice this coming April.