It is still like fall here in Manitoba and a bit more wintery from Red Lake north but this winter has been very mild and hardly any snow.  Whether we get hit with a bad second half or not, this winter should be a short one for us.  Even as we approach Christmas the temperatures continue to stay mild, above freezing for one or two days each week.  

The warm weather makes it difficult to get out on to Lake Manitoba to start our Commercial Fishing season though.  It was almost December before the lake even started to freeze up and since then we have made some ice but not too much.  There has also been some crazy winds that have taken the ice out in the majority of the lake and had to start from nothing again.  We are fortunate where we fish as there are some bigger bays and a few islands and reefs that lock in our ice.  We stay pretty close to shore until the lake settles down.  The fish all seem to be near shore anyways, feeding on frogs.

This year we are seeing some of the best fishing we have ever seen on Lake Manitoba in our 40 years of doing this.  Walleye are very plentiful and after 4 days of fishing on the lake, we are tired.  Over 1000 pounds of fish each day last week.  

We need 12 inches of ice for the Bombardier.  So until then we are fishing with the Skidoo and sleigh.  My brother set up our net roller and a battery system so that our lives are a little easier.  The weather has been pretty perfect and the sunshine days have been very picturesque.  Here are some pictures from the lake so far.