How to start - try to get 1 of every species!

[FreshAirGetter]

June 20, 2014

Hello all,

I'm new to the forums, and after reading a few pages of posts (my favorite one being White girl's sturgeon one, I gotta meet this Wayne Christie!) I thought I should sign up. Although I'm 35, I'm just a fishing newb (just started in August 2013) but got addicted quick. I live in Devon, AB. I'm a single dad with full custody of my daughter, so I only fish every 2nd weekend when she goes to her mom's...although I sneak in a bit more than that..haha. While I was sitting late 2013 waiting for ice to form (and should have waited longer than I did...haha) I thought up a good goal for me to graduate to an amateur fisherman- for the year 2014 (Jan 1st to Dec 31st), catch one of every species in Alberta!
It was a little tricky determining the species, with every website saying something different (different names, different numbers, etc), so I went off of AlbertaFishingGuide.com. They say there's a lot of species in Alberta, but there are 17 main ones. In the short time I've been fishing I've already gained tons of fishing stories going through crazy adventures. And I'm only getting started :-)
Here's the list so far...
1) Brook Trout - got it
2) Brown Trout - got it
3) Bull Trout - got it
4) Cutthroat Trout - still need
5) Golden Trout - still need
6) Lake Trout - got it
7) Rainbow Trout - got it
8) Arctic Grayling - still need
9) Burbot - got it
10) Goldeye - got it
11) Lake Whitefish - got it
12) Lake Sturgeon - got it
13) Mountain Whitefish - still need
14) Northern Pike - got it
15) Walleye - got it
16) Sauger - still need
17) Yellow Perch - got it
(plus I've caught 3 bonus species, not on the list)

I never expected to complete the list, but I'm determined to try! There's a small group of us (my brother and friend) trying, but since I've taken a decent lead my friend backed out so it's just me and my brother left. So I need 5 more species, any size (well, can't be a minnow). If anyone has any ideas on any of the remaining species let me know - I have both a spinning rod and a fly rod (although haven't caught a fish on the fly yet - in fact I'm ashamed to say I can't even keep my fly on the line while casting. I did manage to get a few rainbows to follow my fly one day but no such luck). I also have access to a jet boat, an aluminum boat, and a tiny pontoon boat I haven't tried. Plus a quad, so there's nowhere I wouldn't go!

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I've seen some guys put their fish count down and I like that idea, so I'll do it too.

2014 Fish Count (starting Jan 1st)

Brooks - 1
Browns - 3
Bulls - 2
Lake Trout - 1
Rainbows - 3
Burbot - 3
Goldeye - 2
Lake Whitefish - 1
Lake Sturgeon - 1
Northern Pike - 430 (hand still broken to prove it!)
Walleye - 5
Yellow Perch - 93
Redhorse sucker - 1
Northern White sucker - 1
Mooneye - 5

[gnugen]

I'm a little late here but for trout and chars here's a handy chart! Great work so far!

http://www.tucanada.org/index.asp?p=2159

[RavYak]

Your remaining species are pretty easy to figure out how to target, they will require travel and some hours to get though. Golden trout is hike in lakes, easy to search and find which ones have them. Grayling are up north in the rivers. Cutthroat are in the rivers/streams east and south, near to where you can get your golden trout. Mountain Whitefish could have been caught in the NSR but are likely further up stream now, rivers are swelling so that could be a tricky one to get right now. Sauger are in the river but not that common, maybe more in the rivers down south?

With a few overnight trips and a bunch of hours on the rivers you should be able to get them all this year.

[FreshAirGetter]

Haha, thanks gnugen, I'm having a blast! As for classifying I'm finally good now, at least for the main species (don't know many others other than the 17) but after analyzing to death determining what my Bull trout was I think I learned them pretty good. That being said I hear there's some hybrids out there, so sounds like I'm in for all sorts of fun...haha.

[FreshAirGetter]

Thanks ravyak. A little vague but gives me an idea at least...lol..thanks for the tips!

[Scott N]

I agree with RavYak, you're going to have to travel a bit for some of those species.

South Fork Lakes on Barnaby Ridge in the Castle River area in SW Alberta is where I caught my first golden trout. That one will probably be the hardest one for you to catch, just because they can be picky and the location a challenge to get to.

Cutties are easy to catch if they're around. If you want to make a weekend out of a trip, Kananaskis has some lakes with cutties in them. Rawson and Pickle Jar Lakes are a few of them. The Livingston and Old Man Rivers in the foothills of SW AB are a good place too.

The Bow River is probably a good place to try for mountain whitefish.

[FreshAirGetter]

Thanks Scott! Yeah, I've been reading about the Barnaby Ridge area for Goldens, and planning to give it a go. If you know directions to it let me know, otherwise I'll keep searching online. I was going to helicopter tour for goldens but ran out of money, so a hiking I will go...lol. Did you catch them on the fly or a spinning rod?

Thanks for the cuttie lakes..I'm looking forward to catching one soon, they look like a beautiful fish. As for the Bow River, I hear it's one of the best rivers in Alberta, so I guess I'll have to make the journey and try. My dad says there might be boating restrictions, so I'll have to do some research before venturing down there. Thanks a lot Scott, you've given me some good options :-)

[Scott N]

I caught the goldens on flies. I should have also mentioned that some of the places I mentioned aren't open to fishing quite yet, not to mislead anyone or get them into trouble.

[FreshAirGetter]

Haha thanks Scott, and don't worry, I double check and triple check. I believe Barnaby's open July 16th but I'll make sure before venturing way down there...guess I gotta learn to fly fish quick now darn it :-)

[Scott N]

Originally Posted by FreshAirGetter

Haha thanks Scott, and don't worry, I double check and triple check. I believe Barnaby's open July 16th but I'll make sure before venturing way down there...guess I gotta learn to fly fish quick now darn it :-)

PM sent with some info.

[tomecki]

Originally Posted by FreshAirGetter

June 20, 2014

Northern Pike - 430 (hand still broken to prove it!)

Lets hear the broken hand story.

Sounds like a great challenge you've set up for yourself. Good luck!

[kevinhits]

430 Pike since January...You must fish almost every day....

[FreshAirGetter]

Haha well I might be exaggerating slightly, but I took a break from my goal to go fishing with my dad and brother up north by Red Earth. Primary target - jacks. Although they are the easiest to catch, I still think they are one of the best fighting fish - cocky and arrogant to the max! One even bit my coat! Anyway, out of the 430 pike I've caught, I caught about 404 of them during that trip. By the 2nd day my hand hurt so bad I was almost scared to cast and catch a fish! (maybe my office job has made me weak?) The trip was the last week of May, and it still hurts to this day (maybe I should've gotten it checked out? lol). At any rate it was a fantastic week, between catching those crazy fighters, bald eagles, bats at night flying into our line, to escaping a bear! It will be an annual trip that my dad, brother and me will start going to :-)

[FreshAirGetter]

Haha Kevin, not at all. I got 404 in one week, only 26 outside that week. I fish every 2nd weekend, with the odd exception.

[kevinhits]

Originally Posted by FreshAirGetter

Haha well I might be exaggerating slightly, but I took a break from my goal to go fishing with my dad and brother up north by Red Earth. Primary target - jacks. Although they are the easiest to catch, I still think they are one of the best fighting fish - cocky and arrogant to the max! One even bit my coat! Anyway, out of the 430 pike I've caught, I caught about 404 of them during that trip. By the 2nd day my hand hurt so bad I was almost scared to cast and catch a fish! (maybe my office job has made me weak?) The trip was the last week of May, and it still hurts to this day (maybe I should've gotten it checked out? lol). At any rate it was a fantastic week, between catching those crazy fighters, bald eagles, bats at night flying into our line, to escaping a bear! It will be an annual trip that my dad, brother and me will start going to :-)

Any pics that you would like to share?

We love PICS!

[FreshAirGetter]

Hmm...not sure how to add pics. It says it has to be linked to an URL?

[kevinhits]

Originally Posted by FreshAirGetter

Hmm...not sure how to add pics. It says it has to be linked to an URL?

There is a sticky on top of the forum how to post pics..

[Red Bullets]

The rocky mountain whitefish can be had right on the downstream side of the bridge right at Devon. Caught quite a few there thru the years. pickeral rig with size 10 hooks and maggots or bottom bouncing a few maggots. The rockies like white flies bottom bounced too. Caught them in spring and summer but is better in fall.

The sauger I have caught in the NS river like to hold in gravelly eddie areas.

Arctic Grayling.. closest I have caught them is the Embarrass river SW of Edson.
supposedly some small grayling to be had at Carrot creek by Nojack on Hwy 16.
The Berland river north of Edson is fun for grayling in the fall too.
Berland is my first choice for grayling.

[FreshAirGetter]

Thanks Red! Yeah I've heard you can catch rockies in the NSR by Devon although haven't yet, and my one friend fishes it everyday. Guess we still have lots to learn...haha. Thanks for your help, this goal is becoming less of a fantasy and more of a reality!

[Flieguy]

Still need mountain whites and cutties? sounds like a good excuse to learn to fly fish!

Picklejar lakes you're almost guaranteed to get a cuttie on a dry fly or a panther martin.

search some mountain rivers with a nymph to get rockies. If you only spin fish, put a #14 nymph (or royal coachman) under a bobber with a small splitshot 6" up.

[FreshAirGetter]

Thanks flieguy, i'll definitely have to check out that lake. My daughter's going to her mom's for a month soon, so i 'll have some time to do a bit of driving and try to knock off some species!

[spinN'flyfish]

you forgot the dolly varden, at chester lake, a hike will be needed

[Steven Noel]

Excellent progess so far. I hope to polish off my list in the next ~8 months, but I've been working on it a bit longer than you have. The five I have left are all big river fish (Lake Sturgeon, Sauger, Goldeye, Mooneye) with the exception of Lake Whitefish for which I may have to wait until ice up.

I have backpacked into both Coral and Michele Lakes for Golden Trout--see these threads if you're interested.

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...en+Opportunity
http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showt...ce+gold+rising

Arctic Grayling, Mountain Whitefish and Cutthroat Trout are easy to find if you're willing to drive.

Sauger, as stated above, I can't help you with.

If you're interested in fishing some time shoot me a PM and we'll see if we can get you into your last few species.

Steven

[spinN'flyfish]

Originally Posted by Flieguy

Still need mountain whites and cutties? sounds like a good excuse to learn to fly fish!

Picklejar lakes you're almost guaranteed to get a cuttie on a dry fly or a panther martin.

search some mountain rivers with a nymph to get rockies. If you only spin fish, put a #14 nymph (or royal coachman) under a bobber with a small splitshot 6" up.

how do the fish get up there without being stocked?

[carsonshi]

I am also a new member here.

[Flieguy]

Originally Posted by spinN'flyfish

how do the fish get up there without being stocked?

the cutts at pickeljar are pure native cutts, something that there isn't a lot of left. They have a self sustaining population that may have been there before white man. picklejar creek flows down to the highwood river, so they may have migrated up thataway at some point.

some mountain lakes are stocked, some are not.


Hi carsonshi, welcome to the forum.

[FreshAirGetter]

Thanks guys for all the tips! Still have 12 species, caught 3 bulls last weekend but I already had them, and 7 more jacks. Definitely don't need them, but always fun, I'll take what I can get! This weekend trying for cutties again, new place though so usually ends up miles of walking with little results until i learn the area. If I don't have any luck I might have to go way down to Picklejar, sounds like a hot spot for sure!

[Hunter Trav]

Originally Posted by FreshAirGetter

Haha well I might be exaggerating slightly, but I took a break from my goal to go fishing with my dad and brother up north by Red Earth. Primary target - jacks. Although they are the easiest to catch, I still think they are one of the best fighting fish - cocky and arrogant to the max! One even bit my coat! Anyway, out of the 430 pike I've caught, I caught about 404 of them during that trip. By the 2nd day my hand hurt so bad I was almost scared to cast and catch a fish! (maybe my office job has made me weak?) The trip was the last week of May, and it still hurts to this day (maybe I should've gotten it checked out? lol). At any rate it was a fantastic week, between catching those crazy fighters, bald eagles, bats at night flying into our line, to escaping a bear! It will be an annual trip that my dad, brother and me will start going to :-)

Which lake were you at up there??

[FreshAirGetter]

Sorry Hunter, but I'm not allowed to say, it's my dad's secret spot and now our Annual fishing spot for one week. It's in the Red Earth Creek area though, and to be honest the fishing seems to be about the same in all those lakes, and we've only scratched the surface - there's a lot of lakes up there! Vandersteene is a great lake, and I hear Graham Lake is awesome too. The only problem is you have to be wary of some of the "locals", you might end up with 4 wheels gone by the time you make it out of the bush! We actually experimented with a couple lakes when we went there, if you have the time to check out more than one it can be very rewarding! Need a quad with winches and a chainsaw though if you go too far off the beaten path and might end up with nothing, but there's quite a few good lakes with easy access. Sorry to be a little vague, that's the only lake I can't specifically name...

[FreshAirGetter]

Oh, I get the option to add pics now, yay! Now I gotta start taking more I guess...here's a few from this year...oh wait, argh, not working. I think the size of my pics are too much. Now how the heck do I fix that, take pics with a cheaper camera? lol