# Tobin Lake



## verg

Guys/Gals,
A friend of my father's is trying to talk us into going with him to tobin lake sask. this summer. He has been there twice now. The first time he caught many average fish and the second time they caught many wallys from 6 to 13 lbs. Also caught a few northerns over 20. Obviously this was excellent luck. We are very intrigued but...i think it is somewhere around 16-18 hour drive from northeast SD. Does anyone have experience there, advice, stories etc? We kind of want to go but don't really want to just catch 3-5 pounders--we catch enough of those here. We would prefer trophies if possible. Is it worth that drive? Granted-it would be fun just to fish-don't get me wrong. But word is that that lake may be king for the pigs. Any adivce?


----------



## dblkluk

Tobin is a great fishery. Used to fish there quite a bit and the best advice I can give you is to go late. Late October is trophy time up there. You may have to deal with all kinds of weather, but if you're looking for big fish thats the most consistant time.
Also, if you make it up there, do not over look the night bite. Pulling reef runners in the dark produced some huge eye's for us. 
PM me with any questions


----------



## njsimonson

I have heard it is a no-live-bait scenario on Tobin. Be prepared for that. Also come well equipped with your own tackle, as the tackle selection a buddy reported to me, is very limited around Tobin. They fish with plain spoons mostly, Len Thompsons and the like. No buckshots, no pimples, no rockers. So stock up in the states.


----------



## dblkluk

Are you talking about through the ice Nick?
I think he was takling about going up in the open water season.
It is a no live bait fish lake, crawlers and leeches can be used.


----------



## njsimonson

My bad - had a buddy go up there last winter and ice fish. 
That's the story I was relating.

Summer - don't know nothin' 'bout it.


----------



## verg

thanks guys...dblkluk i may get a hold of you when the time comes closer.
actually the guy we may go with went in october and did great but then a guide told him to come in late may or early june. Said it was kind of a sneaker time for big fish. So they did and that is when they caught a bunch of pigs so...i think we talking early june. I have heard that leeches are the best bait?? What is the lake like..i heard similar to the missouri?
Any ideas on the odds of catching big ones? You said night time--like how late and how deep?
thanks again--just trying to decide if we should make the long haul.


----------



## dblkluk

I'm assuming you'll be fishing the river section mostly. We would sometimes fish from an hour after sunset to nearly sunrise. 
The river section is similar to the Missouri river but not as much current.
We would pull around 25-28 feet.
Another sleeper is to go down to below the dam at night and throw cranks from shore. We did it a couple times and landed some beauties!!


----------



## verg

well actually my buddy caught all those pigs in the lake part. that guide said that in the spring the average sized ones were in the river with the bigger ones in the lake. I think that is what he said...or something like that. 
thanks for the insight..it helps.


----------



## Invector

I know they were having a hard time with fish say about 12 years ago. No restrictions on the size of fish ment people were keeping only the big fish. Babe did a show about 8 years ago on it and how it was coming back due to the new rules they have on the lake and the Providence. From what I hear now it is now again and will be a good place to get some of the best eye fishing. Casting cranks during the day on flats in other lakes up there would only end up with a bunch of pike...not this lake. If you get a chance go to this lake.


----------



## goatboy

Listen to what DBLKLUK has to say he is right on the money, pull reef runners in the depth he said and the time he said and you will catch some big ones. We were there this fall and the largest one in our group was 14.5, with many over 8. But it sounds like you already had answers to your questions from that guide, aren't the fish up there egged out in june?
They have a new slot limit in place for this year, I think it's up to about 33" so it will be very tuff to keep a big fish. The Taxidermist up at Nipwin does a great job thou on replicas.

Good fishing


----------



## verg

thanks for the reply goatboy, those are great pictures!!
In all honesty, i really don't know much and could be totally wrong as to what i said. The guy we plan on going with, used to work for my father and he has the exact info. I was just trying to remember what he had said...and my memory blows!
I'll have to look again at the regulations. I read on a site that the slot was up to 27 in. But maybe they changed it?? In reality that is why we want to go, to catch a real big one. We all already have walleyes on the wall but we would love to get a monster.
Again, thanks for any and all advice.


----------



## DonC

I recognize that face .......... Nice fish. Save some film for the end of March 
:beer:


----------



## verg

well i just found a site that said current slot is 21 1/2 to 27 1/2. But, maybe that has been changed. Anyone else know?


----------



## dblkluk

Great pics goatboy!! :beer: 
My biggest eye came out of Tobin in the fall, 14lb 2oz. That fish beat my previous big one of 12lb 2oz, which was caught less than 10 minutes earlier. 
I haven't been up there in a couple years, but man those pics are giving me the itch.


----------



## goatboy

Hey Don nice to see you here!
Don't worry I'm ready to take a pile of photos, let's cross our fingers for something 16+! I just tied up a bunch of heavy duty rigs, and I can't wait to try pulling those big crank at night either! 
The big C is a calling, see you in 54 days! :beer: :beer: :beer:


----------



## lvmylabs

Verg I think they are changing the slot at the beginning of this years open water season.


----------



## lvmylabs

Has anyone else heard that they are changing the regs to barbless hooks only? We are planning our annual trip up there and that came up. I was just wondering if anyone else had heard this.

Thanks

Jim


----------



## verg

i guess i hadn't heard that but my dad did find that the slot is what goatboy said. going to be up to '33 for a wally.


----------



## TheWalleyeKid

I am going to tobin lake as soon as the ice leaves, end of may begining of june.. It will be my first time up to. i talked to the folks at tobin lake resort and they told me that leaches work best in the spring. but people tend to catch the real big fish pulling cranks at night. like one of the other guys said do bring more than you think you will need cause the dont have a lot for fishing supplies up there and what they do have is not very resonably priced. cabins and boat rentals are available at tobin lake resort at a pritty decent price though: www.tobinlakeresort.com


----------



## jmitchell59

Don't wait. Go. You will never have a better chance, or place, to catch big fish. I have been there 6 times, and am working on going again this spring. My biggest walleye is 10.5 and pike 21lbs (on 6 lb line with a 1/8th jig! Yee Haw!). We have always stayed at the Silver Tip resort. First year, our big fish was 9+. Next year it was 8, but 3 pike over 20. Next time was 21 walleye over 5 lbs (3 @ 5, 2 @ 6, 3 @ 6.5, 4 @ 7, [email protected] 8, 2 @8.5, 1 @ 9, 1 @ 9.5, 1 @ 10.5, 1 @ 12 and 1 @13.2), plus many eaters. Next year a little slow, with nothing over 8.5 (too early). last year we were back on the bigger fish, with the biggest being 12. Everyone had at least one 9 lb'er. I know a guy here in ABR that has a 13 and 16 on the wall of his office, from the river in late October. They are now barbless hooks. All our best fish have been caught on the main lake with jigs/leeches. I cannot say enough about the fun I've had at Tobin! It's become an annual trip, and cost be damned!


----------

