Fishing guide 101: Best fish to angle for in Saskatchewan

This story originally published on June 20, 2020.

If you've been looking for the perfect place to reel in a few fish this summer, Saskatchewan has more than 100,000 lakes and rivers containing68 species. The trick is narrowing down those options.

Jason Matity, fishing enthusiast and outdoor educator with getfishing.ca,saidthe most important thing to begin your fishing journey is to get a licence. Secondly, it's important to know the provincial fishing regulations which detail the maximum number and size of fish you are allowed.

"It's all about having some action and having the rod bend it's not about exactly what it is on the other end because they are all awesome and unique in their own way," Matityrecently told CBC Radio's Saskatchewan Weekend host Peter Mills.

Fishing 101: A guide for beginners

4 years ago

Duration 4:24

Some tips to get you started if it is your first time fishing.

Saskatoon-native and former fishing columnist Wayne Phillips added that the main target species in Saskatchewan are perch, pike and walleye. You'll want to choose depending on your fishing style.

Walleye:Sask.'s provincial fish

According to the Saskatchewan Anglers' Guide,you can catch walleye on shore or byboat. However, they migrate as the seasons change.

As summer sets in, walleye move to deeper, cooler waters.

Use light tackle to hook a walleye:jigs, live-bait rigs or jigging spoons. They take bait slowly, so be gentle when setting the hook.

On average, the fish also known as pickerel grow to about 31 centimetres long and weigh around 1.4 kilograms.

"Lots of people like walleye because it's the happy medium between a big, scary,bitey pike and a tiny little perch," Matity said.

For anyone looking to hook a few walleye, he recommends a trip toLake Diefenbaker, Last Mountain Lakeor Buffalo Pound.

Pike

Known for their torpedo-shaped bodies and sharp teeth, pike are plentiful in many Saskatchewan lakes and rivers. The Sask. Anglers' Guide saysan average pike weighs in at 2.2 kilograms and measures50 centimetres.

Phillips recommendedusing heavy duty "swimbait,"which imitate the appearance of alive fish.

A fewpike sniping spots include theSouth Saskatchewan River, Last Mountain Lake, Tobin Lake and Lake Athabasca.

Perch

Perch fishing is a great activity for families with younger children. The bites can be plentiful and they're smaller in size. The fish are10 to 25 centimetres long, usually weigh less than half a kilogram and are easily caught from shore, says the guide.

"If you want the action, and you want the rod to bend, and you want to literally get your child hooked on this wonderful sport that I love to do, [Buffalo Pound] is the place to do it," said Matity. "That's how I cut my teeth on perch."

Mapping fishing holes in Sask.

For more than a year, Saskatchewan travel blogger Andy Goodson pored over satellite images and government maps to create a comprehensive list of every campsite, hiking trail and fishing spot in the province.

Clickherefor a link to the map.