Tag / Red River

People from all over the world visit the Red River in Winnipeg-Lockport area to catch these monster Channel Catfish.  When we have gone fishing for cats it is always catch and release but I have heard they are not bad eating if smoked. I don’t know anyone personally that has kept them for eating. People say it is like chicken – Yup! Heard “tastes like chicken” many times to describe unusual meats although I did taste Lynx once at a banquet hosted by a Yukon group and it really was like a chicken thigh.   It takes a long time to get a large catfish up to the boat ( sometimes 20 minutes or more) due to their bulk.  My son estimated this one in the 3 foot range and weighing in around 30+ pounds.  This is not an unusual size to catch at Lockport- there really are a lot of huge catfish concentrated in this area. You will notice my son’s hand in the mouth – they don’t have teeth, just a “sandpaper” like rim but they do have barbs than can do some damage if you get stuck by one.  People even catch these big ones from the shoreline casting out their baited pickerel rigs. The shorelines here are often lined with people relaxing and fishing and of course, Lockport is also known for its delicious foot long hot dogs at a few local diners. The Red River at Lockport / Selkirk  is  closely monitored by the DNR officers so be sure to have appropriate licences, barbless hooks etc. and practice good catch and release methods at all times.  Below a few more photos  – another large one and a few smaller ones.

Ice jams often form on the Red River in Spring causing sudden rises in the water levels.  Below are some photos of an ice jam on the river and beautiful ice formations on some posts after the water receded.

Enjoy!

Sharon

Once again at Lockport. The pelicans busy preening and me taking photos. It was not until I was reviewing the photos did I notice that a Channel Catfish had surfaced from the shallows of the Red River. Look between the pelican heads in the centre of the picture. You should see the top of a Channel Catfish and it looks like a fairly large one from the width of the head. People often catch these large fish from shore using heavily weighted lures that sit on the bottom of the river.

Below:  Pelicans line the shore of the Red River at Lockport.

Below: The bridge spanning Red River at Lockport.  Inland locks allow boat traffic to pass through. The Pelicans often sit at the edge of the fast waters catching fish.

Enjoy !

~Sharon