4th Annual Bowmanville Tackle Swap - Wrap-Up Photo Journal

What a blast! the 2016 Bowmanville Tackle Swap and Fishing Show was once again a huge success. right out of the gate the floor was flooded with anglers that had made the commute from all over Ontario to take in the show and score some deals. I personally spoke to anglers from Ottawa, Kingston, Hamilton and even one from Quebec.

Peter Seto runs one hell of a show, from having volunteers on hand to help you unload you gear when you arrive to personally walking around shaking hands and thanking you for coming. The MC make stops at most if not all booths giving vendors the chance to talk on the PA system in turn driving traffic to your booth. This event is truly run with the angler in mind.

For those not stocking up, there was still a ton to do, from rubbing elbows with celebrity anglers like Big Jim,  JP DeRose, Pete Bowman and David Chong, or entering the various door prizes or even just showing off your flipping skills. There really was something for everyone.

I think this small yet growing showing has better steals and deals then I heave ever found at the Toronto Sportsman show or Spring Fishing Show, it has the perfect combination of guys cleaning out their garage, small up and comers like Thousand Island Baits, and of course some of the big guns like The Perfect Jig, Daiwa and Pro J Tackle who of course had Dobyns Rods on hand. All this and the price of admission was a food bank donation or $3 for a family.. you can't beat that.

Speaking of the charity side of the show, this year over 900lbs of can goods were collected by the Salvation army for the local food bank.. big congrats to all those who dropped off goods.

Enough talking, check out just some of the cool stuff found at this years Tackle Swap!


Some of the below Photos were taken by Mathew Depew Photography 

My first BassJunky Customs booth was a pretty big hit. It was great to finally meet some of the guys who have been supporting my thus far as well as get some future orders in the queue. I was really pleased with the amount of hooks and jigs that went, and combine that will reducing some of the soft plastic overstock (we all sit on) and I really couldn't be happier. Hell I even sold a few frogs (gasp).

I want to thank my buddy Bob who made the journey with me and worked the booth so I could occasionally take the odd washroom break.

Whether your looking to unload some gear, or hoping to score some hard to find lures, you really should mark your calendar for the 2017 show. Again I want to thank Peter Seto for running a great show.

Could being a Fisherman soon be a criminal offence in Ontario? Bill C-246

If you haven't already heard the buzz around Bill C-246 than your are probably not and avid fisherman. Believe me, it didn't take long today for my  social media time-lines to blow up with posts from fellow anglers voicing their concerns with the now already infamous bill C-246

Bill C-246 is the Modernizing Animal Protections Act, and was originally designed to protect animals from vicious and or cruel owners who may be raising them to fight or kill. As it pertains to the fisheries act the bill cites that it's sole purpose is to aid in stopping the act of shark finning.

If we take this bill at face value its objective seems clear and something that most Canadians could easily get behind. But, with that said when reading the bill a tournament angler like myself  quickly noticed how once passed this law could  easily be turned against fisherman.

Section 182.1 of the act lists the offences in which a person could be found to be breaking the law, give them a read in their current wording and let me know if you see any possible issues or concerns for anglers?


(a) causes or, being the owner, permits to be caused unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal; 
Would hooking a fish be considered "causing unnecessary pain and suffering? if you answered yes, that could cost you $10,000 in fines and up to 18 months in jail.


(b) kills an animal or, being the owner, permits an animal to be killed, brutally or viciously, regardless of whether the animal dies immediately

Ever lost a fish in the live well or enjoyed a shore lunch? if you answered yes, that could cost you $10,000  in fines and up to 18 months in jail.

Are we reading too much into this? maybe. Do I believe this Bill will come to pass in a way that is detrimental to the sport of fishing in Ontario? no, but as anglers we need to do our part to ensure our rights are protected. I for one will learn everything I can about Bill C-246 and you should too!


To learn more about Bill C-246 please check out this article from Keep Canada Fishing HERE

To read Bill C-246 in full please click HERE


P.S: Lets not turn this into an Us vs. Them situation, many supporters of this bill are not anti fishing but simply animal lovers looking to protect often neglected wild and domestic animals. An animal cruelty and protection act is needed, but Bill C-246 as written has the potential to do much harm to an important Canadian industry

stepping off my soap box now

Upate: To help us amend Bill C-246 to exclude legal fishing activities please sign this petition on Change.org HERE

How Crowd-funding can help you and your fishing dreams

Crowd-funding is a relatively new term that has taking the investing world by storm and it has allowed even the smallest of companies/individuals to grow with the support of like minded individuals,  fellow inventors, friends, family and enthusiasts alike. And even though this new method of fund raising is big in many markets, it still hasn't seen much growth in the fishing industry.

What is crowd-funding?  

Crowd-funding is the practise of funding a project or venture with a large number of investors via an intranet campaign. I would also add that a good portion of these investors are not typical in the fact that they are not looking to make large sums of money off their investment but in turn they are looking to support a small business or project in hopes that it will succeed that they the investor will get to share in the success by using the product, or being offered a small reward for their support.

Great examples of this have been seen in both the movie and music industry, many investors support projects they want to see created, not to get rich, but so that they can actually use and enjoy the final project. In turn, for their support investors are often given credits at the end of the movie, or on the liner notes of a CD. When the product gets made the investor usually gets a copy to enjoy and share with friends

How could Crowd-funding benefit Anglers and the Fishing Industry 

Like it or not fishing is big business, and more often then not the big boys control most of the market and get to make the decision on what products see the light of day. This can hurt small more regional baits, lures or equipment that may sell well in your area, but don't have a global enough appeal to make these big boys take notice.. Crowd-funding gives the smaller bait designer, rod builders or even fishing guide an outlet and way to get their works created and sponsored. Many inventors have the idea but not the means to get their product created, this is where crowd-funding comes in.

Example of Current campaigns

There are many reasons that an angler may want to start a crowd funding campaign, above I mainly focused on inventions and business related ideas. But this is not the only way a crowd funder campaign can be used. Charities also use this new method of raising money in order to reach a wider audience and gain a wider knowledge of their cause. A quick look through the various crowd funding sites will provide you with an extremely long list of worth while causes, including Fishing for wounded warriors, Send a Solider Fishing and even anglers looking for support to fulfil their dream of fishing in a Bass Master Open event. All of these are great causes and ways that you can get involved in supporting other anglers within the industry.

I will personally be starting a crowd funding campaign later this season to help a Solider fish in the Kingston Canadian Open.. i lived my dream last year and this year it is someone else's turn, stay tuned for more details

If you have a crowdfunder project underway, let us know about it !

Texas Fishing Forum: The Bidding Begins - The Ultimate Guided Fishing Trip Auction - Lake Fork

I may not be a Texan (or even an american) but for those of you who are, I wanted to share with you a pretty awesome auction that is currently taking place on the "Texas Fishing Forum".

The auction is for 1 of 18 different professionally guided trips by some of the best anglers and guides Lake Fork and the US have to offer. This list includes the West Coasts all time money winner Gary Dobyns, Bass Master Elite Pros Kelly Jordan and Clark Reehm, and of course Mark Pack of Lake Fork Lures fame

yes, this list is so impressive it's hard to say who to choose? because no matter which of these (or the other 15 anglers) you choose to bid on, it will be an amazing learning experience on one of the best lakes that Texas and the US has to offer

If you want to see the full list of anglers throwing their hat in the ring, or place a big.. click HERE


Bidding ends on June 17th.. good luck and happy bidding

5 Canadian Fishing Bait/Lure Companies that deserve your business

I often hear and take part in conversations with  fellow anglers who nonchalantly throw around comments like "you gotta support your local shops and dealers" and although I agree with this sentiment, I think they are missing a major part of this statement, and that is we need to look at more then  just "shopping local", we need to "Buy Local"

Whats the difference? Well shopping local is just that, it means giving your hard earned cash to the local stores that help keep your community running (and gives you a place to hang out and talk fishing) This is a good thing! . Whereas "Buying Local" is all about buying products that are made locally in Province/State or at the very least your Country.

And let me stop you here... before you start typing that email or comment in the comment section  explaining to me all the reasons you cant "buy local". I get it, there is not exactly a large number of Canadian Bait/Lure companies banging out a full range of products, but there are some, some damn good actually, and they deserve the chance to get our business (money) just as much as the big boys do's.

So to help do my part, here are 5 Canadian Companies, that deserve your business (in no particular order)

1) BassMagnet Lures

You might remember I did a small piece on Bass Magnet Lures last season (found HERE). They are an Ontario based company that has been knocking our quality baits for over 10 years now.. yes 10 years!

They have built their business and good name on quality soft plastic baits and excellent customer service. They have booths set up in a variety of sportsman shows all over  Ontario in which their ever growing pro staff and owners are on hand to show off the baits and field questions and comments from the angels using their products.

As an example of how well they listen to their customers: Last year they launched their own version of the Alabama Rig (I bought one) but over the course of the Toronto Sportsman Show and the Outdoors Show they got a ton of feedback from anglers who did not want to see this product on the market.. so what did they do? they pulled it. Yes this company spent time and money having an Alabama rig built only to stop selling it to please their fan base.. Now thats listening to your customers

The products themselves are high quality, I personally use a variety of their baits, including the Quiver Stick (a senko), their Flippin Tube,  and the Shift'r Shad a ribbed swim-bait that works well on my now rare and collectable  Bass Magnet Lure Umbrella Rig


To Check out their full line-up go to: http://www.bassmagnetlures.com

And if you like what you see, be sure to swing by their Facebook page (HERE)  and hit the "Like Button"

2) LunkerHunt

You may not have heard of LunkerHunt baits prior to this past July (2012) when they shocked a good portion of the Industry by winning the 2012 ICAST award for Best Soft Baits with their Bento Baits a absolutely killer drop shop minnow

How  many other Canadian companies can call themselves ICAST best in show winners? Hell many of the top dogs in the industry are still alluded by this honour

I didn't add LunkerHunt to this article based off their ICAST win (although it didn't hurt) I put them here more for their "Edu-Kits",  a line of baits/techniques that was developed as a teaching aid to help expand the skill sets of all levels of angler. There are over 20 varieties of Edu-Kit currently available, each one comes with all the tools needed to perform a specific techniques, along with a booklet waling you through the process and set-up.. This is a great aid for young angler or those just starting out, it takes the guessing out of what size weight or hook they should buy and it helps gain confidence in a bait they would not normally use.

  Outside of the Edu-Kits LunkerHunt has a pretty wide selection of baits, I personally use both the Revealer and 4" Double Dip Tubes along with the Spicy Bites a scent ball that you insert in the tubes (garlic). Their Lunker Sticks are a quality senko style bait with great color choices, and this year they have added a very unique hollow body frog call the Lunker Frog that I have on order and cant wait to review for the Frog Pond.

To Check out LunkerHunts website http://www.lunkerhunt.com to see their full line of baits, and locate  a dealer near you.

If you are a social media junky (like me) be sure to head over to their Facebook Page (HERE) and click like if you want to be kept up to date on products and promotions.

3) The Perfect Jig

Like with many fishing lure companies the Perfect Jig was founded by a Fisherman in search of the perfect bait, and when he couldn't find it, he just went out and made it, thus "the Perfect Jig"

With a crazy assortment of jig and colour options the Perfect Jig will have what your looking, but if they don't, thats Ok, all you have to do is ask!

thats right although they shelve multiple lines of "perfect jigs" they also know that what they find perfect is not always what you may find perfect, so they give you the option of a completely custom jig, from the skirt strands to the make and style of hook, you want it, you got it

That being said their everyday line-up includes some pretty impressive jigs... , The Arky a round headed flipping/pitching jig (3 sizes, 12 colours) a Mini or finesse Jig (3 sizes, 5 Colours), the Stand-Up Jig is their version of a football jig in which the hook acts as advertised and stands straight up (4 Sizes, 5 Colours), the SwimJig is a traditional aerodynamic jig that moves very well through the water (4 colours, 4 sizes) and finally a Mop Jig (2 sizes, 4 Colours)

These truly are a quality jig, and if you are currently buying yours elsewhere, do your self a favor and at-least check these guys out at: http://www.theperfectjig.ca

to see more reviews on the Perfect Jig from the likes of BassEast and RAHFISH you can check out  their Facebook page (HERE)

4) XZone Lures

If imitation is truly the most sincere form of flattery, then XZone should truly feel special as their Slammer baits have been knocked off by more then just one of their competitors.

XZone originally started out with one bait.. yes one.. the Slammer , a Great Lakes fish slayer this drop shop bait brought monster smallie after monster smallie to the scales all across southern Ontario. Thus the  demand increased, and so did the demand for more bait options.

So XZone obliged and introduced the Swammer, a paddle tailed bigger brother to the slammer, this bait added more beef and more kick. Now on top of a stellar drop shot bait, XZone now had a killer swimbait that still could be drop shot as well as thrown on a jig head.

Other baits began to follow, including a smaller drop shot minnow bait "The Shiver Shad" as well as the wacky leech (the only product in the line that Im not a fan of).

The current dealer list is long, and includes many of Canada's biggest fishing tackle retailers, as well as a few notable American Companies.  Like The Perfect Jig and Bass Magnet Lures, XZone staffers and owners are accessible, at shows and on the water, if you want to learn more, be sure to check out their website: http://w.xzonelures.com

This is where I would normally state "Like their Facebook Page" but since it has not been updated since November 2012, I don't think you will get much from it.. oh what the hell.. click HERE

5) Freedom Tackle Corp

Freedom Tackle Corp, may be the youngest of the the companies listed here, but their future is definitely bright. With testimonials coming in from Canadian fishing legends like Gord Pyzer (In-Fisherman Magazine) and  TV Host Charlie Wray (FishFull Thinking), the team at Freedom are really making their presence felt.

Freedom Tackle Coprs current success and name is being built on their line of patented jig heads that they are calling "live action hybrid jigs". Designed for improved motion in the water, and less spit hooks, the Hybrid Jig has a detachable hook that swings loose when attached the a jig head. The heads, hooks and skirts are interchangeable and allow the angler to adapt to the changing conditions and the bite. For those of us use to tying directly to a hook, this may take some getting use to (and some trust) as the wire that holds the hook in place also needs to hold up during battle.

I personally have not used Freedom's baits, but I have held a few in my hands and do plan to snap up their Stealth, Rogue and Zodiac jigs

As mentioned, this company is young and growing. To learn more, you can check out their website: http://www.freedomlures.com/ (lots of pics and videos) and of course "like" their Facbook page (HERE)


So that's that, 5 Canadian Bait/Lure companies doing good work in the Fishing Lure/Bait Industry. I hope you take a moment to check them out, and give some of their products a test drive.

PS: I would be remiss if I did not include an honourable mention to "The Rod Glove" although not a bait/lure company, they are one of Canada's premier fishing run companies making a huge splash in both Canada and the US. If you are not already protecting you gear with a Rod Glove you need to check 'em out, HERE is their Facebook page, give it a "like"

Canadian Angler Hall of Fame Welcomes Rick Morgan

I though it was only prudent to take a minute out of my busy day to congratulate my friend and fellow angler Rick Morgan on his induction into the Canadian Angler Hall of Fame. It is an honour that was a long time coming but well deserved.

For those of you that don't know Rick (or never shared a boat with him) he has been a long time advocate for (us) the Anglers and outdoors men of Ontario. Not only was he the executive vice-president of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) but he was also the host of the TV program "Angler and Hunter TV" (on the air since 1993). Rick lives and breaths fishing, to this day he is still very active in getting the word out on issues important to anglers in Ontario, not a week goes by when I don't get an email from Rick informing me on some impending changes in the industry (good and bad). In his down time he can still be found on the water, fishing in tournaments or just for fun. Just last season he and his tournament partner (Brian) took home a few nice cheques during some events I struggled in. 

 Now I don't claim to know Rick very well, as we are relatively new friends, but we have shared a boat and fished against each other in a few tournaments. Last year I was lucky enough to be invited on a trip with Rick to tackle Lake Erie as well as another northern NY Lake. I learned a lot while in the boat with him (including patience as I watched him pitch to a single stump for well over 30 minutes, only to then be rewarded with a 6lber) and I guess I must have passed the test as I was invited back again this year. I'm honoured that the above image (taken by yours truly) was used are part of his induction ceremony as well as in one of the below articles.

If you would like to learn more about Rick or the other 2013 Inductees, please check out one of the below links to articles covering the ceremony

Outdoorcanada Article

My Kawartha Article


Again, I want to congratulate  Rick and his fellow 2013 inductees on this huge honour.

 (Image borrow from OutDoor Canada)

2012 Inductees (left to right): Phil Morlock, Rick Morgan, Will Wegman (Arora BassMasters)

Rapala Scatter Rap.. A Marketing Campaign Win and another Angler hooked

I don't know about you, but I woke up this morning to a very interesting email from Rapala announcing the launch of their all new "Scatter Rap" series of baits, I opened the email (like I always do) and was immediately confronted by a face shot of the Scatter Rap (see above) in all it's glory. This crazy looking lip had fully caught my attention and not a moment too soon, as I, like most of you am quick to delete this kind of email if it can't catch my attention within seconds

Rapala not only caught my attention but got me "scrolling" and before I knew it 10 minutes later Im still reading and watching videos on the Scatter Rap, a bait I know I will soon own a few models of.

I love how Rapala focused the add on the bait itself and did not get all caught up in "saying to much" the images and videos speak for themselves,  Ike and Al Linder can speak to Anglers like no copy writer ever could.  The Videos are short and concise but ensure you get the important points. I love that a separate video was shot for each bait in the series, I'm a countdown minnow guy, but not a shad rap guy, so showing me how a shad-rap swims does nothing for me, and would have turned me off, but instead I watched the videos on the baits I use, and was then interested enough to go back and watch the videos on the baits I don't usually throw. The Videos include what I like to call the money shop which is a down view shot of the bait swimming next to a tradition bait (no scatter lip) it really shows the watcher how well this bait will hunt and how different it is.

In case you are not on the Rapala Mailing list, here are a couple videos from the advertising campaign.

Not everything in this short campaign could be considered a win for Rapala, the baits themselves are not going to be available for a few weeks, and that is a pet peeve of mine, as after  reading the email and watching the videos I already planned a trip to my local tackle shop to make a purchase this weekend, but then noticed they are only available in pre-sale.. I like many in my generation have a short attention span, and there is a good chance I will see many great new baits over the next 3 weeks while awaiting the launch of the Scatter-Raps, so I have to wonder, 3 weeks from now will I still be as excited about this bait? only time will tell, but for now, all I can say is congrats and thanks to Rapala for getting this ice locked Canadian Bass fisherman excited for the upcoming season

To check out the full email campaign click HERE, it looks great on PC's and Smart Phones alike

If you are into the pre-sale scene then you can head on over to the following sites and place your other today:

Tackle Warehouse (March 7)

Land Big Fish (Late March)

Bass Master Drops an ICAST 2012 Sneak Peak!

Like you, I salivate whenever I think about ICAST (ok well maybe Im just speaking for myself here, but I digress. Icast is just around the corner, and for those of us itching to get a look at next years product mix Bass Master.com has our back, as they released a 28 item sneak peak at some of the cool new toys coming at your in 2013

http://www.bassmaster.com/slideshow/icast-2012-sneak-peek

I narrowed down the BassMaster list to my top 3, and  since im a little bias you had to know that two for the three are frogs baits





1. Snag Proof "Ish Popping Frog"

a bug eye addition to the Ish series, this frog has two separate popping holes, one on each side of the frogs head. This frog may look strange, but I cant wait to get my hands on it

2. Evolve Lures Nervous Walker Frog 

I dont know what to say about this ugly looking snub nose fromfrog, there is no real info available on what they have changed from the original Nervous walker.. I will say that it does look different

In the caption the BM staff talks about "humpping" this frog, or working it in an up and down motion in stead of the typical walking side to side (their words not mine!). Not sure if this frog was designed slightly different to take advantage of this technique, or if Evovle is just using the re-launch to push a new technique.

3. And the Havoc Line Grows (again)

Im not a Berkely guy, and up until the launch of the Havoc line the only product of theirs I used was their Ribbon Tail worms (great punching bait). But the Havoc line has really caught my attention and I currently carry baits like the Pit Boss, The Devil Spear, the Juice Worm and Craw Fatty. This year the line has grow again and at ICAST Berkely will be adding a Pit Boss Chunk and the Rocket Craw. I know these baits are not a huge surprise to most, as I believe that both of these baits are currently available on the Berkely site, but in case you have not seen them locally.. take a look!

 I will say that at first glance I had written off the Rocket craw, it just seemed to have to much going on. But then I took a quick look at the video on the Berkley website (HERE) and was super impressed by the action of the bait. This is not a typical flipping craw, it is more of a swim craw, does that make sense? and if it doesn't just watch the video.

As for the Pit Boss Chunk, this will be added to my arsenal for sure. I love the original Pit Boss and use it on a regular bases. The Chunk version will be the perfect jig trailer. 

* Please note that the images used above have been pulled direclty from the Bass Master Sneak peek (see above link).

B.A.S.S Rains down on the Umbrella Rig (Alabama Rig)

I dont think this comes as much of a surprise to many of us who have been watching the dramatic rise of this years fad product.. the Alabama Rig. There has been rumblings for months now that BASS would squash the use of this somewhat controversial product, and now they have.. well sort of.


In true B.A.S.S fashion they have banned the use of the Alabama rig in all Elite Series events starting on Feb 1st.. Just in time to have the ban in place for Feb's Bassmaster Classic the series main annual event. But not all levels of B.A.S.S tournament are effected by the change, lower level series and college will still continue to use the rig at this time.


I do get where this rule change came from, and if you read the fine print you will also notice the Alabama or Umbrella rig is not the only thing effected by the change. B.A.S.S will continue to enforce the 1 rod, 1 reel, 1 cast mantra and will no longer permitted double soft jerk-bait rigs, drop shot rigs with jigs used as weights, double topwater setups and other multi-lure rigs. These all fall under the ban put in place to stop the use of the Alabama rig.


So the question now is... how does this effect the sales and growth of a technique still in its infancy? Tournament guys will tell you that it is dead in the water, but what percent of fisherman are tournament anglers? does this really effect the mass? I think the answer is yes and no.


Yes, because the success of tournament anglers  has been pushed down the line and enhanced to legend of this product, and yes because tournament anglers spend more money on gear then the average weekend warrior.. but No, because the hype is out there, and as long as it is legal in  your area a catches fish guys will use it.


To be honest I never thought the Alabama or umbrella rig would have a ling life span, and I think this recent ban will shorten it for sure. That being said then the tackle shops start to clear them out at discount prices, i think I will pick one up, just to say I gave it a toss.

If you are looking for more info here is a link to the article posted on the B.A.S.S site


http://www.bassmaster.com/news/bass-imposes-one-lure-rule-classic-and-elite-series