Bob & Roger - Installment #2

The "Tackle Box" with Bob Poley and Roger Aldag

"Some people say you should get in casting shape…me, I don’t have to worry about that, ha ha ha. But seriously, once you get into the fishing season it is physical, you’re casting all the time.

"You should take the time to look your gear over. You have to switch your lines up, always switch your lines up. Line that’s wrapped up on the reel over winter makes it weak in places, so changing your line is a must. Otherwise, you might hook the trophy of a lifetime and lose the son-of-a-gun because your line breaks.

"I always like to sort through my gear too, even if it’s the day before I go. Your hooks might be a tangled mess, plus your summer gear is much different than your winter gear. You should check your jigs and barbs because sometimes a little water gets left in there and they rust out.

I’m looking forward to spring walleye fishing at Last Mountain Lake. The southern basins warm up long before the ice goes out in the north, so I’m looking forward to getting out on the open water around mid-May. Since all my boats are currently up north, I’m going to have to rely on Roger to take me out in his little boat. I might also try to get out to the Maple Creek/Cypress Hills area this spring. There’s great trout fishing (for Browns) in that southwest corner on Bone Creek during the spring run before the vegetation gets up.

My tip for Roger? Well, I’ve seen him lose a few, so he better get his line and reel changed out. But the biggest thing… he needs to get his boat ready so we can be the first ones out on the water this spring!"

Roger Aldag:
"The biggest thing regarding the upcoming fishing season is getting my boat ready to rumble for when the ice comes off. I like to get the oil changed and get it ready for summer.

"I actually spent some time this past weekend taking the reels of my winter rods and putting them on to a couple of my favourite summer rods. I also like to change my line every year. I’ll use it for a summer and a winter, then I’ll change it because there’s nothing worse than having a line that’s not up to snuff, and then losing a big one. I see Bob said the same thing and it’s true, I probably learned this from him. I used to leave my line on too long, and didn’t change it until it was too late. So now I do that once a year, every year.

"I’ve got plans to go up north and do some fishing on Lac La Ronge this summer, but most of my time will be spent on Last Mountain Lake. This past ice fishing season I caught the biggest perch I’ve ever caught in all the years I’ve been going out there. It was unbelievable - a very nice fish.

"The only tip I have for Bob right now is maybe I’ll give him a few of my prize hooks because it seems like some of those hooks he’s using go back to his days in public school. They may be his favourite hooks, but I think nowadays these fish are getting a bit better educated on what to bite and what not to bite. He’ll learn that as he gets to fish with me more often." 

The Tackle Box Archives: Read past comments from Bob and Roger:

Installment #1

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