Tired of doing the same thing over and over? Many of us anglers sometimes get caught up fishing the same old spots, following the crowds to the local fishing spot and targetting the same species, using the same fishing gear time after time.

Maybe its time for a change in pace.

How about fishing a different body of water, or targeting a different species, using different presentations?

When targetting a different body of water, a good starting point is, of course, talking with other anglers. There are many anglers out there willing to give you pointers on where to go and what species to target.

Google Earth is a good search tool for targetting different lakes, as is the Manitoba Master Anglers Book, which will give you an idea on the best lakes to target trophy fish.

Probably one of your best options is the many outdoor fishing website message boards that are out there. There you will find anglers posting where they are fishing and what they are fishing for.

I have made it a point the last few years to start using different presentations while fishing. While doing this you have to give it time and be patient. There is some real interesting gear on the market these days. One of my favourite items is the chubby darter, made by Salmo lures. It is a hard body bait that looks like a chub minnow and moves realistically in the water; while being jigged it wobbles and darts on the drop.

It’s been a hot bait down south for the large Greenbacks on the Red River and Lake Winnipeg the last few years.

Lindy Lures now makes their own rattles, which seems to really command fish attention. I have used both with good results on both walleye and rainbow trout. Another productive lure is the knuckle ball jig. Open up your tackle box and try new things you will be surprised on what can really work. Take a look at some of the new gear on the market, listen to others experiences and try something different – it can improve your chances big time. It one species is not biting, maybe its time to change, and its always important to try and be mobile.

Angler’s edge: Ice conditions are very good around the province. Driving conditions were good on our local lakes but now with the extra snow it will make it more difficult. Local walleye fishing has been decent but has slowed down recently. Rainbow trout fishing continues to be strong this winter with some good size fish being caught and some good numbers, I was out recently and managed to catch 14 trout with a mix of brook trout and rainbows. All fish were caught shallow using just a small hook and minnow. Southern Manitoba on the Red river fishing has slowed down for greenbacks as of late, but Lake Winnipeg has been on fire for trophy greenbacks this winter, I will be hooking up with some anglers in the south to fish this massive lake later this month. The Walleye Warrior sixth annual 24-hour cure for cancer ice fishing derby takes place on the Red river in Selkirk Feb. 27. I will be heading down for this once again.

Looking for some local fishing updates? Have any great local fishing stories or photos? You can get in touch with Dave Colibaba by e-mail at: colibaba@mts.net