1.
Sand and Little Sand Lakes (ONTARIO)
Eight- and nine-pound walleye are fairly common—with an
11-pounder usually taking top honours—at the Gary Roach
Pro/Am. Held each August at Minaki, Ontario, on the vast Winnipeg
River system, the tournament encompasses several different rivers
and lakes lying between Norman Dam and Whitedog Dam, most notably
Sand and Little Sand Lakes. Now in its tenth year, the Gary
Roach Pro/Am offers amateurs an opportunity to spend two days
fishing with North America’s top professional anglers,
with separate prizes awarded in both amateur and pro categories.
Trolling with crankbaits—like
the #9 Shad Rap or the Reef Runner Deep Diver—in 30 to
60 feet of water seems to be the most productive technique for
the big fish, although there’s also some excellent action
to be had while vertical jigging on mid-lake structure. Tournament
announcer Al Parenteau hints that some of the best weights come
from the railway bridge only 10 minutes from the launch site
at Paradise Cove on the Winnipeg River. While there may be other
lakes in this area that offer bigger walleye, few can match
these waters for average size.
2.
Winnipeg River (MANITOBA)
The first-ever Canadian Walleye Championship was held this past
October on the Winnipeg River near Pine Falls, Manitoba, and
by all accounts it’s destined to become one of the country’s
premier events. While the two-day tourney was extremely well
run and the prize money was generous, it was the size of the
walleye that generated the most interest. Dozens of fish weighing
more than 10 pounds were recorded, with a 6.5-pound average
winning the event (this with an entry limit of just eight fish,
only four of which could exceed 22 inches).
The tournament occupied the river
between Powerview Dam and the end of Traverse Bay on Lake Winnipeg,
a seven-mile stretch famous for its run of big fall walleye.
Here the most popular presentation is a Shad Rap trolled over
the sand flats near the mouth of Traverse Bay. The tournament
winners, meanwhile, caught their winning weight by vertical
jigging a jig-and-minnow combination along the edge of the river
channel. Pros report these Winnipeg river ’eyes to be some
of the hardest fighting fish they’ve ever encountered.
And since all hooks in Manitoba must be barbless, it takes a
skilled angler to bring these big walleye to the boat.
3.
Last Mountain Lake (SASKATCHEWAN)
Total winning weights in the Last Mountain Fall Classic, held
each September on Saskatchewan’s Last Mountain Lake, are
typically more than 50 pounds for 10 fish. That’s not surprising
since this beautiful prairie reservoir produces a large number
of 10-pound-plus walleye. Part of the Saskatchewan Walleye Trail,
the Fall Classic is one of the oldest and most respected tournaments
in Canada. Fishing is limited to the north end of the lake,
where structure is somewhat limited. As a result, the three
major points (Foxes’, Swanson’s and Two-Tree) see
the bulk of angling pressure.
On the water, the pros use a wide
variety of techniques from bottom bouncers and spinner rigs
to jigs and live-bait rigs, although a lively leech presented
on a slowly trolled rig has been the presentation of choice
for the past few years. Even though fall fish are typically
aggressive and looking for larger presentations, the heavy angling
pressure on the limited structure seems to turn off the fish—at
least for the tournament weekend—necessitating a slow,
natural presentation. The majority of catches come in less than
15 feet of water and some of the best fish are taken from less
than five feet.
4.
North Saskatchewan River (SASKATCHEWAN)
The North Saskatchewan River near Nipawan, Saskatchewan, has
a reputation for producing huge walleye, including the largest
ever weighed-in at a Canadian tournament—a 16.05-pound
monster caught during the 1999 Vanity Cup. And during pre-fishing
for the Vanity Cup, not only have several 17-pound-plus walleye
been caught over the years, but the Saskatchewan walleye record
has fallen three times. Don’t be fooled into thinking the
fishing is easy here, however: 43 teams didn’t register
a single pound at the 2000 tournament.
Billed as the richest walleye
tourney in Canada, the Vanity Cup takes place in late September
on the 12-mile stretch of river between the Francois-Finlay
Dam and Tobin Lake. The majority of fish are caught in 10 to
20 feet of water on the inside of river bends, right on the
edge of the river channel. Some of the best areas include White
Rock, Grassy Island and Eagle’s Nest, although fish are
found throughout the entire 12-mile stretch. While many excellent
pre-fish catches are reported on crankbaits, bottom bouncers
and spinner rigs tipped with a nightcrawler, most fish weighed
during the tourney are typically taken on leeches fished on
a live-bait rig.
5.
Lesser Slave Lake (ALBERTA)
| TOURNEY
CONTACTS |
1.
Gary Roach Pro/Am (Sand and Little Sand Lakes, Ontario)
Paradise Cove Resort, P.O. Box 38, Minaki, Ontario
P0X 1J0; (807) 224-1107
2. Canadian Walleye Championship
(Winnipeg River, Manitoba)
Kim Wilson, Box 797, Pine Falls, Manitoba R0E 1M0;
(204) 367-8442
3. Last Mountain Fall Classic
(Last Mountain Lake, Saskatchewan)
Robert Schulz, Box 310, Strasbourg, Saskatchewan
S0G 4V0; (306) 725-4977
4. Vanity Cup (North Saskatchewan
River, Saskatchewan)
Vanity Cup, Box 849, Nipawan, Saskatchewan S0E 1E0;
(306) 862-9801
5.
Golden Walleye Classic (Lesser Slave Lake, Alberta)
High Prairie and District Chamber of Commerce, P.O.
Box 519, High Prairie, Alberta T0G 1E0; (780) 523-3505 |
|
Lesser Slave
Lake, near High Prairie, Alberta, is home to the Golden Walleye
Classic. In its heyday, the Golden offered more than $110,000
in prizes and played host to 360 two-angler teams from across
North America, making it the largest and richest walleye tournament
in the world. These days, though, the 12-year-old tournament
is much smaller and less lucrative, but the incredible fishing
certainly hasn’t diminished. In fact, it’s not uncommon
for two skilled anglers to catch-and-release more than 100 fish
in a single day. And while not all of these fish will be large,
it’s possible to put together a five-pound average over
two days.
Walleye can be found just about
anywhere on the lake during the event, which is held in August.
The pros will fish in weed-filled water as shallow as four feet,
all the way down to the bottom of steep drop-offs in 30-plus
feet. Since the fish are aggressive at all depths here, fast
trolling bottom bouncers and spinner rigs tipped with nightcrawlers
have been the key for most of the winning teams over the years.
Large #5 to #7 Colorado blades in orange and chartreuse are
favoured, and it’s not uncommon to see boats trolling at
speeds approaching two miles an hour. Some of the local hot
spots include Cutbank, Andrews, Driftpile, Big Grassy and Little
Grassy, although the areas to fish are endless. 
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