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Ottawa River Muskie Madness | Fish'n Canada
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Apr 15, 2025
(Episode 467) For this episode Pete Bowman ventures to the Ottawa River to meet up with old time friend and professional Muskie guide John Anderson. The guys catch up on 10 years of fish stories, but will they catch any fish? Does the stubborn Muskellunge end their fishing reunion in disappointment or bittersweet victory?! Don't forget to leave a COMMENT and give us a LIKE if you enjoyed what you saw. SUBSCRIBE for new videos and episodes released weekly! CONNECT WITH US -------------------------------- WEBSITE: http://fishncanada.com FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/FishnCanada/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fishncanadaofficial/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/angeloviolafnc/ One of Canada's longest-running fishing shows, Fish'n Canada travels from coast to coast in search of trophy fishing opportunities. First started by brothers Angelo and Reno Viola in 1986, The Fish’n Canada Show has been on the air for over 30 years. Today, Angelo is joined by lifelong fishing buddy, Pete Bowman, and the pair continue to travel across Canada educating anglers using the experience they’ve gained over the years #Season31 #FishingCanada #Fishing
View Video Transcript
0:01
[Music]
0:09
you have a friend with the big ego turn
0:12
him on to muskie fishing that'll fix him
0:17
we quit and we're going home I ain't
0:22
giving up yet boys fishing Canada show
0:38
brought to you in part by Coleman the
0:42
outdoor company Cooper Tires Princecraft
0:49
Beau's dominate the waters and Garmin
0:53
fight your fish not your fish finder
0:57
[Music]
1:00
the muskellunge the fish of 10,000 casts
1:04
today I'm on the Ottawa River on a long
1:06
overdue reunion trip with muskie guide
1:08
extraordinaire John Anderson a man who
1:11
knows this water intimately my
1:13
confidence booster for this trip is that
1:15
John along with a very dedicated group
1:17
of friends has spent a lifetime studying
1:18
this magnificent elusive daunting beast
1:22
muskies Canada is seven hundred members
1:24
were all volunteer it's a a really great
1:27
organization with people that have a lot
1:29
of passion angling for the most
1:31
magnificent fish in our water but also
1:33
we have to be stewards to look after
1:36
that fishery Ontario and Quebec they
1:39
don't stock Muskies anymore and they
1:41
haven't for several decades so we're
1:43
really focused on natural reproduction
1:45
that's all we've got if we lose our
1:48
fish's wild capacity to be able to
1:50
reproduce then we're not going to have a
1:52
much muskie fishery in the future
1:58
so we're just gonna head in here the six
2:00
feet of water the Ottawa River is a
2:05
really interesting fishery because it's
2:07
both numbers we have a lot of fish in
2:09
size there's the possibility to get a 50
2:12
inch fish on this water but we have age
2:15
classes all the way through from very
2:17
young fish right up to very old fish and
2:19
so it's probably one of the the best
2:22
overall fisheries certainly among the
2:24
top five in Ontario one of the
2:30
University of Guelph and whoever thought
2:32
you'd be over here guiding for Muskies
2:33
at that time I have a commerce degree
2:35
and my mother's so proud Johnny tell me
2:43
you've been fishing here first off how
2:45
long on the Ottawa River I used to ride
2:50
my bike to fish on the Ottawa River when
2:52
I was 14 years old okay so how long have
2:55
you been fishing muskie seriously on
2:57
this water seriously for 35 years if you
3:03
got anything like modern-day stuff now
3:05
that things have changed in the last
3:06
since 10 years ago well double bladed
3:10
bucktails
3:10
I guess are the last big revolution for
3:14
us right right they've been around for
3:16
12 or 13 years and in that time they've
3:19
caught more 50 inch Muskies than any
3:22
other lure in the history of muskie
3:24
fishing so if you're not throwing double
3:27
bladed bucktails you're not paying
3:30
attention the Charlie Sheen is I'm if
3:32
the blades ain't spinning you ain't
3:34
winning we catch 35 to 40 percent of our
3:39
fish on this River at the side of the
3:41
boat so the last eight feet of your cast
3:43
is by far the most important part of
3:46
your cast I like to come down come down
3:48
and do a great big sea or a great big
3:50
circle okay and if you see a fish you've
3:53
actually got a whole lot of space here
3:55
that you can use to do big soar in the
3:57
cover an area okay
4:05
so although this first morning in the
4:07
water was a great time for John and I to
4:08
catch up on our last 10 years of his
4:10
stories the bottom line was we had yet
4:13
to see a fish to add insult to injury
4:16
John's guests just yesterday had over a
4:18
dozen fish encounters this is very
4:21
typical of the Moody musky they go
4:23
berserk one day and for the following
4:25
day or two or three or more they're
4:28
nowhere to be found
4:31
one giant fish and we still win come on
4:34
baby coming back going over to my bait
4:40
it's going over my bait took a shot at
4:44
ya shot back in back in and go again
4:54
Pete back in and go again yeah I
4:56
couldn't get the chance to take the drag
4:58
off Johnny I just couldn't let the reg
5:00
offer
5:01
Bob's a nice fish
5:06
she was on there I mean she well I'll
5:11
tell you what but I've nothing else
5:12
that's my first figure-eight fish
5:14
because I don't muskie fish much so that
5:20
was a big fish that was a nice fish yeah
5:22
man I got her on better on that right
5:27
there was a possible fish of a lifetime
5:29
and that right there is very typical of
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muskie fishing going all day for one
5:34
crazy encounter two more days to go we
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gotta stay positive
5:39
muskie we quit and we're going home
5:44
start her up what up East it's our
5:55
second day of this three-day muskie
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adventure on the Ottawa River with super
5:58
guy John Anderson
5:59
I had a great shot at a big figure eight
6:02
fish yesterday but unfortunately she
6:04
came unbuttoned had we put her in the
6:06
boat that long fishless day would have
6:08
ended in epic fashion in John's opinion
6:11
we didn't do anything wrong yesterday so
6:13
today's fishing strategy will be very
6:15
much the same it's all about the
6:17
attitude of the muskie so our forecast
6:20
for today James I don't know if you had
6:22
a look at I blocked I saw some clouds
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event which off some clouds this
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afternoon and some clouds this evening
6:28
30% P o P we like that
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thing of beauty this muskie fishing all
6:38
new professionals get working side by
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side with no fish tactics stylish and
6:47
rewarding in itself synchronized casting
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incra nice gun
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there you go see ya now the key is that
6:58
were convinced there's fish here because
7:01
John knows and I just know y'all I don't
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know you're not but I kind of hope he's
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right
7:07
sometimes well day two is pretty much a
7:14
mirror image as to yesterday's water
7:16
lots of enthusiasm yet no fish sightings
7:19
or hookups but the beauty of a great
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muskie fishery like the Ottawa River is
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there is so much water to investigate
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and every new location brings on high
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hopes you have a friend with the big ego
7:32
turn them on to muskie fishing that'll
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fix them you think you understand my
7:38
skis you get a little bit cocky it's
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great new right oh yeah I didn't give it
7:46
up yet boys okay look at like a little
7:59
smaller one smaller one now just not
8:02
near as big that finish but faster
8:07
[Music]
8:13
watch your Roger on
8:18
down
8:19
Oh Michael you said that faster here we
8:24
go let's turn this big girl in here oh
8:26
sorry buddy Oh Oh take me long enough
8:34
goodness you've been working hard for
8:37
that one that's awesome let's sit on the
8:40
figure eight seat nice job oh that is my
8:44
first landed figure eight fish I don't
8:46
muskie fishing a whole lot books so I
8:48
got a guy like this that that shows me
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exactly where and how I can lock this
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off John right here hang on a second
8:57
nice job yeah baby
9:00
hmm I did the turn and she just smashed
9:02
I didn't you see her smash got it and
9:04
drilled it beautiful I love it that is
9:08
so cool
9:09
that figure-eight stop man that is the
9:10
best part of muskie fishing for Sharona
9:12
or that whatever you call it the boat
9:14
side hits Johnny nice musky and that
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remember the first one I said I saw was
9:22
a lot bigger than our a lot bigger nice
9:26
it's a nice start right starter she
9:30
might flip out on me but here he might
9:33
flip out on me but if he does that's
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good news
9:35
oh they know why I can already feel the
9:38
strength in this tail that gold was Hugh
9:42
to him in this watery guy there he goes
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okay no time to celebrate back and keep
9:51
cat yeah that pumps you up you knows it
9:54
I mean that's that's the whole thing
9:56
with those musky stuff is it's so hard
9:58
it's so few and far between catch these
10:01
fish that when you do get one like that
10:03
now we are gonna prank now we're ready
10:05
now this like the day and a half we went
10:07
out here that's hurt us so much now is
10:09
means nothing now let's go from here on
10:10
in right revitalized at the game time
10:12
let's go
10:13
I love it nice alright was so awesome
10:16
getting hit by creep beside the boat
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like that
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oh man
10:42
[Music]
10:44
[Applause]
10:55
last ditch effort Johnny at catching a
10:59
big muskie we got one of the both is
11:01
date three afternoon of day three our
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last day so we've got well how many
11:06
hours left to do this three three hours
11:09
okay
11:09
we want a big muskie advice we'll get a
11:12
bonus smaller one to a couple more fish
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in three hours but we'll just take that
11:16
big muskie that be-all-end-all last fish
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we have our work cut out for us we're
11:22
gonna do it I feel it
11:24
big p.m. A+ muskie attitude love it come
11:36
on John miss Tracy thank God
11:39
[Laughter]
11:47
that was a spectacular it was a tiny
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little projectile turn around here Danny
11:53
[Laughter]
11:58
what's the most bizarre hit I've ever
12:01
had there was a there was a rise beside
12:03
my bait five feet beside my bait I swirl
12:07
and I'm thinking what was that and all
12:09
of a sudden I set the hook he can read
12:11
over from beside my bait smashed it he
12:13
jumped into the water from the floor
12:15
twice that I he just pounded it they
12:20
said give us a little bit on the giant
12:21
Johnny but get the little one no but
12:23
just gotta get the giant yeah what'd you
12:25
ask for here the most active little
12:30
Muskies I think I've ever seen a cool
12:32
little fish that guy could grow in to a
12:35
50-plus inch giant predator in the
12:38
Ottawa River you gonna slide right in
12:44
yeah nuts hey we're thinking of if these
12:49
things are so in active inactive
12:50
inactive and I think this plot was it
12:52
like it was the last bait in the world
12:53
that fish wandered in this boat
13:07
today's hot spot is an area in front of
13:09
the South nation River on the Ottawa
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River the Waypoint indiscreetly get you
13:13
there areas that have both incoming and
13:15
outgoing water are always great fish
13:17
attracting hot spots throw double Bock
13:19
tails shad zilla's and maybe even a big
13:22
top water in the morning and evening
13:23
remember lots of casting is the way to
13:26
go nobody said muskie fishing was easy
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the more hot spots like this one check
13:30
out fishing Canada calm
13:34
[Music]
13:46
all right yeah I get more Johnny we got
13:54
one going here buddy
13:55
and losing off the drag event will take
13:57
a good fish coming around the side yeah
14:02
boy yeah it's a nice long oh yeah baby
14:05
you got the net their way all right he's
14:07
gonna probably take a run yeah I'm gonna
14:08
loosen the drag off of that
14:10
nice bash that's a nice ball oh my god
14:17
what a jump point up beast blood Ivies
14:27
see if I can turn them around a bit
14:29
buddy are you kidding me that is work
14:48
and it is so rewarding honey you are the
14:55
man buddy that's a lot of hard work what
14:57
a jump
15:01
heart attack City oh that fish great to
15:03
see as long as they stay on awesome look
15:07
at those beasts just nasty
15:08
I want this net that's a nice looking
15:14
fish people shaking I'm shaking
15:22
literally that fish just three cranks
15:26
whatever it was I don't know how I was
15:27
dealt the bite and then I just typical
15:30
muskie fashion comes to the surface just
15:31
does it you still can't see the fish but
15:34
you see all the splashing going on I
15:36
don't do this very often once I do it I
15:37
see why these guys do it it's so cool
15:39
with so much fun and so rewarding well
15:42
you catch you fish three days for that
15:44
dude right there there do that that's a
15:46
mama that's a female
15:48
dude you want my better Muskies ever
15:53
folks if I need one fine species of fish
15:59
yep everybody you helped me so much in
16:02
this one you are the man for this the
16:04
fish of a lifetime because of you know
16:06
come with a guide like Johnny a
16:07
professional at this game right here as
16:09
Ollie does look what he got me crazy
16:12
what a monster beautiful fish
16:16
you want to put it back in the water
16:17
then yeah okay that was a lot of work
16:45
for that but you know what when you get
16:48
that in your head you're gonna have a
16:49
long day or a long two days whenever you
16:51
get Tony for but if you can get that
16:53
it's the best best ever
16:57
and we got time for another one piece
16:59
that's gonna but love it yeah nice
17:07
Wow what a nail-biter we could not have
17:10
scripted this trip any better
17:12
throwing literally thousands of casts
17:14
seeing some fish losing some fish and
17:17
even catching some fish and then finally
17:19
Big Momma crushes my big three grueling
17:23
days ending in bittersweet victory to
17:34
get to this episode's grueling musky
17:35
adventure I first drove east on highway
17:37
401 and then turned north on Route 14 I
17:40
next took County roads 1815 138 and 9 to
17:45
my great accommodations and restaurant
17:47
at motel 1967 in the town of Plantagenet
17:50
from there it's a short drive north to
17:51
the Ottawa River musky Factory
17:54
[Music]
17:56
[Applause]
18:00
[Music]
18:03
today's klp should be P for persistence
18:06
however I have to go with K for
18:08
knowledge along with my knowledge of
18:09
muskie I had John Anderson a true muskie
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guru casting with as well as coaching me
18:14
the entire trip with bait suggestions
18:16
attack anglers to certain areas and even
18:19
tiny little house ice spots that he
18:20
knows fish live in with an expert like
18:23
John Anderson aboard knowledge becomes
18:24
everything fishing Canada show brought
18:30
to you in part by Ram trucks guts glory
18:33
Ram Stern's trusted on the water since
18:37
1952 mercury outboards number one on the
18:42
water and outdoor Canada Canada's only
18:45
national fishing and hunting magazine
18:47
closed captioning provided by lithium
18:50
pros the one battery you need
18:53
[Music]
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