View Full Version : Best Bet Close to Calgary
iliketrout
06-08-2008, 10:28 AM
So I'm taking my buddy fishing for the first time next weekend. We live in Calgary and I'm looking for a drive of less than 2 hours ideally.
Would anyone be willing to share what they think would be the best bet to land a few fish to get him interested? I don't have that much experience out here either so I don't yet have any go-to spots.
I've never been to McGregor but a buddy at work swears by it so I'm thinking of heading there. We don't have a boat (yet!)
Thanks guys!
Does it matter what you fish for?
I love McGregor for pike. Never had luck at the North end, though, always fished under the bridge. If you're out around McGregor you could also try Badger for pike. Was out at Keho a few weeks ago, no one had any luck but there were lots of people trying, so I'm not sure if it's a hotspot or just people being sheep :)
Also, just past Longview is Chain Lakes. Could give it a shot for trout, but they're pretty small. Never had luck for whitefish there but in the winter, not sure how open water is for whitefish.
You could also fish Glenmore Reservoir for something in the city. The bite was on a few weeks ago, don't know how it is with all the rain now though.
The Fisherman Guy
06-08-2008, 07:31 PM
As Mish said check Chain Lakes, good numbers of stocked rainbows. You could also try the Ghost Reservoir plenty of fish, but notoriously hard to catch.
Scott N
06-09-2008, 08:45 AM
Mclean Pond out by Bragg Creek is a pretty good spot to bring a beginer. It's stocked with rainbows... don't expect to catch big fish, but they are usually not fussy and you should be able to catch a few. Try using a small Len Thompson orange / white spoon, or small spinners.
iliketrout
06-09-2008, 05:29 PM
Thanks guys.
Mish - I think either trout or whitefish would be preferrable.
Adam
I'd try McGregor or Chain for whitefish.
Was at at McLean Pond today. Not much luck. Guy over on the other side where all the picnics sites are didn't seem to have any better luck.
Talked to the girls at the store, they said it hasn't been stocked yet, but the lady at the info center said it was stocked for May Long.
SRD's fish stocking report, updated June 4, says 3,600 18cm RNTR were dumped in McLean sometime in May.
Remi
floppychicken
06-11-2008, 06:08 PM
Go to Pine Coulee....
His arms will get tired from all the bloody fish. None of them are really very big but there are A LOT of them. There is the odd 5lb + pike and some really nice sized Burbot, but Walleye is what you'll be catching there.....
Read the regs, but If I'm not mistaken, anything but 'baitfish' is allowed. You can fish right off the dock or on the 'far end of the lake' (south end) near the day use area. Basically anywhere around the reservoir will produce fish. Lob a bobber out there with some powerbait, or similar and you'll have a great time ! Smaller spinners, spoons and the like will also work well.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you can use Worms, Smelts, Powerbait, etc, when a "Bait Fish" ban is in effect ? Would that be correct ?
Cheers,
/FC...
iliketrout
06-11-2008, 08:51 PM
Thanks FC. Directly from the 2008 regs:
"Where fishing with bait fish is prohibited, other baits
including smelts, herring, gammarus shrimp and dead fish eggs (e.g.,
preserved “salmon eggs”) may be used, provided a bait ban is not in effect
for that water body."
Bait Fish definition from the regs:
"Bait Fish means any of the following:
suckers (family Catostomidae)
sticklebacks (family Gasterosteidae)
trout-perch (Percopsis omiscomaycus)
Iowa darter (Etheostoma exile)
minnows (family Cyprinidae), except carp, goldfish and the western silvery minnow"
I think this means that you can't use either live or dead bait fish.
floppychicken
06-11-2008, 11:31 PM
Yeah, it looks like the smelts are OK too. Bring a lot though.... You'll go through them awful quick. Just spoke with a friend of a friend and he said they caught about 60 from the shore in about 4 hours, just last week. He also said that a few of them were half decent sized pike too.
Myself, I've only caught a few pike out there but apparently some say there are a few good sized ones that came in from the river a number of years ago and have done well (with all the small Walleye in there, it's no wonder...) Everything else we caught were either Walleye or Ling Cod.
Speaking of 'Ling Cod'.... Weirdly enough, I've caught a number of 'Burbot' in the middle of summer. Some of them were pretty damn big too.
Where ever you go, good Luck and have fun !
Cheers,
/FC
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