Nsr 2019

Kurt505 · #1 04-28-2019, 09:47 AM

Has anyone been out fishing the river before runoff hits? I wasn’t able to get out last year, I’ve been itchin to get out to the river.

Red Bullets · #2 04-28-2019, 11:53 AM

Right now is an interesting time to fish. On an April 28th a few years ago I went fishing the NSR with a pickeral rig and I caught at least 30 lingcod. Two at a time. I went the next day and all I caught were more than a dozen rockie mountain whites. Went the next day and all I caught was pike and a couple small male walleye.

This time of year the fish are definitely moving upstream in schools to spawn. By the end of the first week in May I have seen big pike spawning 3 or 4 miles up the tributaries of the NSR.

Kurt505 · #3 04-28-2019, 03:21 PM

I remember as a kid I caught a pike about 25lbs out of the athabasca river while standing on the ice slabs piled up on the banks. I’ve seen a lot of big walleye come out of the rivers early in the season as well.

ETOWNCANUCK · #4 04-28-2019, 03:34 PM

I’m cursed, to not catching a dam thing from this river, anytime I actually do try and fish it.
Of course because of this I don’t really try but a couple of times every year.

Spoons, spinners, jigs, rigs and frozen minnows and nothing.

Kurt505 · #5 04-28-2019, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ETOWNCANUCK

I’m cursed, to not catching a dam thing from this river, anytime I actually do try and fish it.
Of course because of this I don’t really try but a couple of times every year.

Spoons, spinners, jigs, rigs and frozen minnows and nothing.

Rig and a dew worm should get you hooked up just about anywhere. I never cast a jig or spoon, always just rigs in the river. I’ve had 30+ walleye days right in the city, I’ve also caught sturgeon right in the city. Goldeye, sauger, suckers, but I don’t think I’ve ever caught a pike yet.

ghostguy6 · #6 04-28-2019, 04:02 PM

Right now the river is chocolate milk. Your best bet would be bait, spinners or vibrating crank baits. You might still get a few burbot and whites but its getting a little late in their run. The water might still be too cold for the goldeye bight to be on.

ETOWNCANUCK · #7 04-28-2019, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurt505

Rig and a dew worm should get you hooked up just about anywhere. I never cast a jig or spoon, always just rigs in the river. I’ve had 30+ walleye days right in the city, I’ve also caught sturgeon right in the city. Goldeye, sauger, suckers, but I don’t think I’ve ever caught a pike yet.

I’ll try worms. Thanks for the tip.

Red Bullets · #8 04-28-2019, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurt505

I remember as a kid I caught a pike about 25lbs out of the athabasca river while standing on the ice slabs piled up on the banks. I’ve seen a lot of big walleye come out of the rivers early in the season as well.

My biggest pike in the NSR was 28 lbs. Quite a few between 10 and 20. I firmly believe the big pike are overlooked in the river. The big pike don't bask in back eddies. They like to hold close to the current.

Kurt505 · #9 05-10-2019, 08:22 PM

Has anyone been out fishing the NSR lately?

Cloudade · #10 05-10-2019, 10:09 PM

I was out the past few days. I didnt have much action myself but the other guys had rods hitting every 20 minutes or so around legends. Just got to be at the right place at the right time.

Talking moose · #11 05-11-2019, 11:45 AM

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Kurt505 · #12 05-11-2019, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talking moose

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Nice. Do you ever target sturgeon out east? I’ve heard elk point has a higher population than around the city but have never tried any further east than the mouth of the sturgeon.

My youngest boy is begging to go out fishing so I might have to take him to the river or one of the local trout ponds I suppose.

Talking moose · #13 05-11-2019, 11:54 AM

Yes we catch sturgeon too. I’ll dig up some pics. Catch them at the smoky lake hole and the elk point hole.

smitty9 · #14 05-11-2019, 11:53 AM

Got a class of junior high students I may take down to the river.

All the searching I've done on the forum talks alot about fishing for goldeye in the summer and fall.

Anyone know a decent spot for goldeye, right now. Sure be nice to see some kids get action on a fly rod.

Cheers,
Smitty

Talking moose · #15 05-11-2019, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smitty9

Got a class of junior high students I may take down to the river.

All the searching I've done on the forum talks alot about fishing for goldeye in the summer and fall.

Anyone know a decent spot for goldeye, right now. Sure be nice to see some kids get action on a fly rod.

Cheers,
Smitty

We caught half a dozen on Thursday at the Waskatenau bridge.

Kurt505 · #16 05-11-2019, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smitty9

Got a class of junior high students I may take down to the river.

All the searching I've done on the forum talks alot about fishing for goldeye in the summer and fall.

Anyone know a decent spot for goldeye, right now. Sure be nice to see some kids get action on a fly rod.

Cheers,
Smitty

Where are you located?

Talking moose · #17 05-11-2019, 12:08 PM

Ya that piggy gold eye is from Waskatenau bridge last year.

roofish · #18 05-13-2019, 08:35 AM

went twice so far this year. last week of april caught 5 nice pickeral in about an hour at dusk at terwilliger(all 3-5 pounds). may 10 caught 5 nice goldeye(all over 2 pounds)in the river out by genesee.

Talking moose · #19 05-11-2019, 12:01 PM

From last year. Fishing partner.

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Kurt505 · #20 05-11-2019, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talking moose

From last year. Fishing partner.

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That’s a nice Goldeye, reminds me of the hogs we used to catch in the Clearwater river. I caught goldeye up there that were 2-1/2” thick and had dark grey/green backs.

Talking moose · #21 05-18-2019, 07:28 AM

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Kurt505 · #22 05-18-2019, 10:16 AM

Nice!

Looks like a good time for sure.

BretLitke · #23 05-21-2019, 04:03 PM

I am intrigued by the idea of using a jig in the river, and will likely have some time to get to the NSR to give it a shot later this week, but I am curious how I should rig it for the river if I am fishing from shore.

I am extremely new to river fishing and am still trying to navigate what to use if the water is faster, slower, higher, lower, etc.

So far I have mainly just been using a pickerel rig with live dew worms and having decent success, but I've definitely never used a jig in the river.

If anyone has any tips or suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Talking moose · #24 05-21-2019, 04:13 PM

Just cast it out and bounce it across the bottom. If you are getting snags, just speed up the reeling a bit so you are just off the bottom.

BretLitke · #25 05-21-2019, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Just cast it out and bounce it across the bottom. If you are getting snags, just speed up the reeling a bit so you are just off the bottom.

Okay cool, so I am good to cast and retrieve and hopefully catch something. Everyone around me has been using stationary, pickerel rigs, so I didn't want to look like a weirdo if I took an approach that was useless lol.

Thanks for the tip!

Talking moose · #26 05-29-2019, 09:07 PM

Personal best tonight.

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Kurt505 · #27 05-29-2019, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Personal best tonight.

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Oh man that’s awesome, thanks so much for sharing moose!

You gotta let me know if you want to do a trip up north for walleye or lake trout, I’ll take you out on my boat for walleye or lakers if you you’d take me out on the river for sturgeon one day!

I know a few spots in and around the city that I’ve caught a few sturgeon but I’d like to get out of city limits one day.

Talking moose · #28 05-29-2019, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurt505

Oh man that’s awesome, thanks so much for sharing moose!

You gotta let me know if you want to do a trip up north for walleye or lake trout, I’ll take you out on my boat for walleye or lakers if you you’d take me out on the river for sturgeon one day!

I know a few spots in and around the city that I’ve caught a few sturgeon but I’d like to get out of city limits one day.

Ya sounds good. I’m sure we could work something in. Be awhile now though, start work again after a 3 month hiatus.....if I don’t have time, the very least I can do is drop some pins with directions Kurt..

Bigwoodsman · #29 05-30-2019, 02:56 PM

Nice job TM.

BW

Kurt505 · #30 05-30-2019, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Ya sounds good. I’m sure we could work something in. Be awhile now though, start work again after a 3 month hiatus.....if I don’t have time, the very least I can do is drop some pins with directions Kurt..

We’ll still have to get out for a trip this year.