Lake Winnipeg in a wheelhouse, Tagged walleye movements, Firetiger prop

My buddy Nick Lindner and I rented a 21′ Yetti Fish House thru Kris Gaune on Lake Winnipeg (Manitoba) and caught a pile of big greenback walleyes on rattlebaits! I’ve been fortunate enough to fish on “Big Windy” numerous times, but this is the first time I’ve ever slept on the ice.

Why don’t you hear about more people staying the night on Lake Winnipeg?

Well first, Gaune Fishin is one of only a couple outfitters that were issued permits from the Manitoba government to allow them to “sell overnight accommodation” on Lake Winnipeg.

So why don’t more people pull up their own wheelhouses?

Because Lake Winnipeg (aka “Big Windy”) is known for eating up gear thx to its brutal ice-travel conditions. And even when the going is smooth, a north wind can change that in a second when it blows across the 40- to 50-mile south basin.

Buuuuut Gaune Fishin has a ski system for the wheels of his fish houses to let ’em glide on top of the snowpack, and multiple track vehicles to do the dirty work. He usually ends up rescuing several folks a day who get their own rigs buried – easy to see why. 🦸🏻‍♂️

Okay, now for you visual learners…here goes nothing everything. 👊 Hope you dig it!

It was such an incredible experience and I seriously cannot wait to do it again! And a big thx to Kris Gaune for working his tail off. I WILL be back.

Thx SO much for taking time out of your day to watch these videos! Pls drop a comment over on YouTube to let me know what you liked, loved, or hated hahaha…I really do read them all and reply to as many as possible.

Btw all of the gear I used (specific sizes, weights, you name it) is linked in the video’s description on YouTube.

Brad Lila’s 46.25-incher he caught on Jan 22 has tied the current catch-and-release state record. 😳 Sounds like it took roughly 40 minutes to get ‘er topside!

> Brad Lila: “It was so satisfying seeing her swim away. I am so very appreciative of the state of MN for supporting a catch and release (record fish) program. It’s great to know that she’s out there passing along those incredible genes and that someone else may have a chance of landing her someday.”

Side note: Did you know that Mille Lacs’ northern pike season is open until Mar 31 this year? There’s still time to go soak some big baits!

Also, MN’s catch-and-release program is currently in place for 4 species (muskies, northern pike, lake sturgeon and flathead catfish. But the DNR proposed to add 18 species to the program over the next few years…

> “Because adding so many fish at once to this grouping might create workload problems for the DNR, 6 species a year over 3 years….”

Which would have walleye rolling out with the last group in 2026. Lot more info here.

I always love reading about tagged fish and their journeys. This fish recapture report from Lake Diefenbaker was shared by Saskatchewan Sportfish Research Group on FB. Meet “walleye 6192” haha.

It’s approx 60 miles to swim from capture location 1, to 2, to 3 in order…and you know that thing didn’t swim in a straight line and probably had multiple “spirit journeys” between recaptures….

> June 16, 2019 tagged and released in Rusty’s Marina, Palliser Regional Park as part of the Riverhurst Walleye Classic tournament. Length = 41cm (16.4″).

> July 17, 2021 recaptured by an angler across from Mistusinne…long way from Riverhurst! Length = 47.5cm (19″).

> March 18, 2023 recaptured by an ice angler near the Riverhurst ferry crossing. Quickly photographed and released [was too cold outside to take measurements, wanted to get the fish back in the water as quickly as possible].

> So walleye 6192 has been swimming around for 1,372 days since we tagged it…roaming far and wide over Lake Diefenbaker. It has been caught and released 3 times during that period during both open water and ice angling seasons, and in tournament and regular angling contexts. This fish sure is going above and beyond in terms of contributing to the recreational fishery!

Do your thing, 6192! 😅

…but this might be taking it too far. DH Custom Baits is wondering what size split-rings he should go with. 😂

Nothing surprises me with DH Custom Baits anymore…I mean the dude’s truck badge is even fishy:

And of course his baits are even fishy-er:

Here’s how Devin Davis gets his NoDak on 🤣👊 AND catching too! #SunsOutGunsOut

1. MN: Volunteers push for tougher laws…

…after anglers leave tons of trash, waste on ice.

> President of the Upper Red Lake Area Association says she helped pick up 23 tons of waste this winter alone on and around the popular fishing lake.”

> The bill would make it illegal to leave any trash at all on the surface of state waters and instead be confined to a container. It would also create a group to consider funding more conservation officers and ice and shelter safety programs. The bill has garnered bipartisan support.

> There are current litter and sewage laws, but they’re hard to enforce, in part, because people have to be caught in the act.

2. MN: “Night with the fishing pros” fundraiser Fri, Mar 24.

At Leblanc’s Rice Creek in Little Falls.

> “There’s only 300 tickets being sold for this rare opportunity to meet over 20 pro-anglers, guides, and sports media personalities [Al Lindner, Gary Roach, Perry Good, Marv Koep…just to name a few]. There will be auction items provided by the pros including their favorite lures, autographed items, guided trips and more!”

3. ND: Devils Lake jumbos are getting bigger-er.

> Jason Mitchell: “There were many years where a big majority of the really big perch out of the Devils Lake basin came out of Irvine or Alice. This past winter, I have seen more 14″+ perch out of the Main Lake and East Bay than I have in years. Great to see the perch numbers up and great to see some of the big fish again on the main basins. Big jumbos are special.”

4. The new 2024 Yetti Fish House layouts look 🔥!

They have three new single-axle 17′ layouts and one new 21′. Quick glance at a couple of the new designs:

Loving the solid bunks up in the front V of the house. Seems like the perfect spot for my 4-yr-old daughter to claim as her own napping/basking/sleeping area when I’m not ready to stop jigging lol.

5. MN: Tom Boley is speaking at the St. Cloud Scheels, Mar 25.

Costs $25 to attend his “Walleye Anywhere Anytime” seminar, but you’ll also get a $25 Scheels gift card when you show up.

6. WI: Fox/Wolf River “Sturgeon Guard” is back.

A longtime program dating back to the ’80s where volunteers would literally “stand guard” along the banks – as lake sturgeon head upstream to their spawning sites – to stop fish from being illegally harvested in the Wolf River.

The program was canceled in 2020-2021 due to the virus that shall not be named. Then in 2022 the DNR officially pulled the plug on it…but they “left open the possibility the program could be restarted if an outside entity stepped forward to run it.” 👊 Enter Don Mielke. More info here.

7. SK: 30th-annual Vanity Cup happening Sep 1 – Oct 1.

Troy Robinson and Terry Magel took home the $100K [!!!] 1st-place prize last year:

8. MN: “Walleye Wackers” pre-season meeting Tues, Apr 4.

Starts at 5:30pm at The Side Track. “Walleye Wackers” is the local walleye league in the Brainerd Lakes Area.

Spring shore fishing for walleyes.

There’s something seriously special about getting it done from the bank, and even better…you don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment to do it. 🎯 This YouTube video that Jason Mitchell dropped last year – smacking a pile of Devils Lake, ND walleyes from shore – got me SO pumped to get after it this spring!

Fellas lit it up 💥 with those new Northland Mimic Minnow (pre-rigged swimbaits) colors. Jason said he typically likes the 1/4- and 3/8-oz sizes on 8- or 10-lb braided mainline with a 10-lb fluorocarbon leader.

“It was so tough, I did the T-word today…. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I trolled. Drastic times call for drastic measures.”

– That’s John “I want to catch them casting” Hoyer talking about leading after day 1 of the Spring Valley NWT on the Illinois River.

The day 2 weigh-in just kicked off at 3:30pm cst. Weights are tight and someone is going home with a brand new boat. 🤑 Can hit the leaderboard here or maybe catch the end of the livestream weigh-in. Full details soon.

Colin aka @streamsideoutfitters is cleaning up on the walleye! 😏 His client Steve landed this giant 13.9-lber that was north of 31 inches. Sheesh!

Oh, and Colin keeps her crisped-up on the outside too. 🔥

National Professional Anglers Assoc. 

MN-FISH