Lake Winnipeg

[walleye 4 me]

We were using the silve/blue in the smaller size. that and a spoon was all I used. if we marked a fish it would almost always hit the LT. If it wouldnt, I dropped a spoon and a minnow head down and more often than not it would be a tiny eye or sauger.

Heading up in a couple weeks for the first time. Which live target baits have worked best. Never used the bait before. Looks like you can get them locally at Joes.

Thanks!

[lungdeflator]

Good reports! Heading up tomorrow can't wait!

[JBMasterAngler]

What does the coca cola do to make the minnow more appealing? I've never heard of something like that before.

[walleye 4 me]

I dont think it makes it any more or less appealing. Just another way to preserve the bait. If you froze the minnows in water it would be solid and hard to get them out. Coke does not freeze solid like water. it is easy to break out the minnows individually from the coke. Small ziplok with a dozen or so minnows and just enough coke to cover them. lay them flat on a cookie sheet to freeze.

What does the coca cola do to make the minnow more appealing? I've never heard of something like that before.

[adamr]

Just got back. Fishing was incredible salties from pro-am sucked would last about 2 jigs I'm defiantly bringing frozen from home next time. Snowed about 10-12 inches while there . Tracks only for sure.

[MNSlaunch]

Made my first ever trip to LW this last weekend and it did not let me down. Was able to ice my personal best walleye, a 28.75" fish that bottomed out an 11 pound scale. She was bulging at the seems all over! We stayed at the casino and drove snowmobiles from the parking lot to our spots on the south shore of the lake.

Friday we had the best luck fishing in about 11-12 FOW with the transducer at the bottom of the ice. Fish were hitting pretty aggressive with many smaller fish caught and a half dozen bigger girls in that 25"-27" range. Saturday was slow going in the same general areas. We tried up shallower but only marked fish that weren't biters. My buddy Zach and I decided to head out to deeper waters. We set up a little base camp in about 14 FOW with the transducer at the bottom of the ice. Small difference in depth but it was a couple miles farther out from shore, and there was no one within miles of us. We popped a series of holes along a pressure ridge in a circle leading back to the shack. It wasn't terribly cold outside but the wind had a bite, so we would work the circle hole hopping and make our way back to the shack to warm the hands up once they got wet from a fish or two.

All of my fish above 25" came on a Rapala Rippin' Rap in size #6. Helsinki Shad was ON FIRE. White anything caught fish and also blue/silver put some top side. The #6 Rippin' Rap was the perfect size for both the aggressive and finicky fish.

I had a 20" extension and that was just barely enough for me to sneak through when fishing along the pressure ridge. I could only get within about 15 yards of it before she'd bottom out. Our buddies had a 16" extension and just snuck by in the areas that were not near pressure ridges but had to key out spots with less drifted/packed snow. Snowmobiles or tracked vehicles are necessary. Lake travel is fairly rough from the hard drifts so be ready for the chiropractor when you get home. These hot temps I'm sure softened things up a bit. If we keep these temps up those fish will be moving right up in no time.

I can't believe this was my first time up, it will certainly not be my last. I actually already booked a hotel room for next year at the South beach Casino in Scanterbury during checkout so I have no excuse.

[gatorhunter]

I dont think it makes it any more or less appealing. Just another way to preserve the bait. If you froze the minnows in water it would be solid and hard to get them out. Coke does not freeze solid like water. it is easy to break out the minnows individually from the coke. Small ziplok with a dozen or so minnows and just enough coke to cover them. lay them flat on a cookie sheet to freeze.

/quote]If those minnows are from the U.S. then you're transporting live bait into Canada. That is illegal.

[Fred_Bear]

So those minnows frozen in coke are live, huh? All makes sense now...

Seriously though are you actually saying frozen minnows are going to be considered "live bait"?

[walleye 4 me]

the minnow frozen in coke were obviously not alive. Maybe he missed my previous reports stating that I stopped at Pro-Am in winnipeg which is where I got my minnows. Thank you for your concern. MNS, great report and pictures!

[Fred_Bear]

MNS, great report and pictures!

X2!!

Looks like an awesome trip! Thanks for sharing.

[lungdeflator]

Great pics you did better than we did!!

We went last Thursday-Saturday. I went up with a wheeler on the premise that that snow was hard packed on the lake. Unfortunately it snowed 8-10" the Wednesday before so travel was close to impossible on wheels. Luckily there was a fishing derby on Saturday that they were prepping for and there was a plowed trail out to about 11-12' below the ice. We only fished 3.5hrs thursday, all day Friday, and 2.5hrs Saturday. Caught 15 fish total with 4 over 4lbs. Biggest was 5.7lbs. Fish came on a variety of baits, rattlers, blades, and spoons tipped with salties. Still pretty neat for our first time up, and will definately be going back next year.

[gatorhunter]

I read your post and interpreted incorrectly. That's because ppl from south of the 49th have brought minnows soaked in antifreeze which made them look dead. Once in Manitoba the minnows were put in a pail of water and started swimming around. Sobered up I guess.

To keep your minnows on hook just use a small piece of powerbait or other soft rubber type of material and put it on the hook after you place the bait on it.

[walleye 4 me]

Great tip for keeping bait on a barbless hook. I am going to try that!

I read your post and interpreted incorrectly. That's because ppl from south of the 49th have brought minnows soaked in antifreeze which made them look dead. Once in Manitoba the minnows were put in a pail of water and started swimming around. Sobered up I guess.

To keep your minnows on hook just use a small piece of powerbait or other soft rubber type of material and put it on the hook after you place the bait on it.

[adamr]

Any recent reports?

[walleye 4 me]

fished saturday and sunday. 2 guys caught about 45 fish. half over 20" with a couple 27's and 28's. Spoons caught a few more fish but the bigger ones came on live targets. didnt move around as much as we wanted on sunday because of stuff breaking down on us. It wasnt fast action but we caught some nice fish. got on at prudence creek and tried near the mouth but couldnt find much. NE of the creek was better in about 12'. it is still winter up there. TONS of snow and -26° sunday morning.