Welcome to Week XXIV of 'Fishing Parkland Shorelines'. Like most of us I am a novice fisherman, loving to fish, but far from an expert, In the following weeks I'll attempt to give those anglers who love to fish but just don't have access a boat a look at some of the options in the Yorkton area where you can fish from shore, and hopefully catch some fish for a good summer fry.''
So this week I am going to take things back to some early season fishing.
Yes I recognize the snow is about to fly and stay and that fishing will come to an end until the ice thickens and those with huts and augers venture out to ice fish, but this week is about marking the calendar for spring.
There are locales out there which offer good spring fishing as fish move through the river systems to spawning spots. These spots may not be the places to go as spring wears on, so get there early and give them a try.
The first spot to think about early is the fish ladders at Kamsack. Ladders are apparatus placed in rivers to help fish make their way through spots, and one of the ladders exist where the Assiniboine and Whitesand Rivers join up near the Kamsack Golf Course just off Highway #5.
We hit the spot late this spring, and if you recall the high water levels, found the rivers flooding out over the course.
But this is a spot to check out early.
Being right at Kamsack is a bonus too since early spring can mean some chilly fishing, and the town has restaurants which can help take the chill off with a cup of coffee and a warm lunch.
When you think about attacking the fishing holes in the year ahead I might suggest you think about adding a couple of Larry Dahlberg Series lures to your tackle box.
Sold through www.river2seausa.com the Dahlberg lures offer a rare combination of life-like looks and actions which mimic the baits the hooks are meant to represent.
The Dahlberg Clackin' Crayfish is the first of the hooks I'd recommend.
"There are lots of lures that look like a crayfish when they're sitting still, but they don't "do crayfish" when you move them. Until now, that is! In addition to looking exactly like a real crayfish in every detail, the Dahlberg Clackin' Crayfish's amazing hinged lip appears to actually grab water and pull the critter forward, exactly like a real crayfish," states the company website.
Well folks the Clackin' Crayfish looks real.
And with the proper rod and line action this thing skitters across the floor of the lake like the real thing.
Dalhberg's Diver Frog is another example of outstanding realism in an artificial lure. The frog frankly even 'feels' like the real thing.
This is another lure where the fisherman can perfectly mimic a frog hoping over the top of the water, or diving and going for a swim, the legs kicking as it goes.
"In the shallows, you can swim it down into the bottom, shake it a little, let it rise an inch, nose it back, kick up some dust to get their attention, then let it slow rise all the way back to the surface. I will amaze when you see it in action," details the company website.
"Oh yes, its unique "overhead" diving collar with built in weedguard and "hook up" design allows it to skip over vegetation with the best of 'em.
"The Dahlberg Diver Frog can slide over junk, pop and rest in a hole, do any combination of popping and swimming along edges or nose in to the bottom like a frog trying to hide in the mud."
That sounds like pretty 'heady' performance from any lure, but the Diver Frog delivers. I was sold watching a video on the lure on the website, and can tell you it lives up to the hype once in-hand.
Can you say wow?
Well try these lures and you will.
The two give you the options to fish off the floor with the crayfish, or to utilize the cover of lilypads and tree overhangs with the frog knowing such places are often a hideout for predatory fish.
But back to another early season place to check out; 'Lopitsky Crossing'.
The bridge is on the grid road east of Canora (Whitesand Drive in the town where you turn).
This is one of those picturesque river spots (the Whitesand) where a low spot often holds fish back before moving through to the Canora Dam, the great barrier which basically stops fishing further down the Whitesand.
This is one of those places where you have to watch for fishermen sign, crude paths knocked down through the weeds and light bush along the shore.
Following these trails will take you to spots where you can cast into the river. Early on the water is going to be moving pretty good, with it moderating as water levels lower. The timing of such things will of course be reliant on the amount of spring run-off, and just how quickly the snow cover melts.
So put a mark on the calendar around the start of fishing season in early May of 2013, and a little note to check out these spots. You are likely to be pleased with the result.
