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This great episode takes Angelo Viola to Lake Athabasca in Northern Saskatchewan. He corrals a pack of giant Northern Pike into a single bay and systematically picks them apart with a variety of Swim Baits.
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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 #Fishing
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0:04
I've got less than three days to find
0:08
these giants these rising temperatures
0:10
were starting to make me a little
0:11
nervous we have a standoff going down
0:14
he's looking at me I'm looking at him
0:15
I'm trying to figure out what I'm going
0:17
to do he's trying to figure out his next
0:19
move
0:20
he's more efficient here just fight over
0:23
this one babe okay look at the length of
0:26
that fish Wow oh yeah that's a giant
0:33
the fish in Canada so brought to you in
0:36
part by sales the outdoors super door
0:41
Coleman the Outdoor company musk all
0:45
proudly Canadian since 1951 Cooper Tires
0:50
life the road trip come on let's go and
0:53
Prince crossbow dominates the waters
0:58
a successful day of fishing means
1:02
different things to different anglers
1:03
just getting under the boat is success
1:06
enough for some and catching a fish is
1:07
just a wonderful bonus while others
1:10
consider success a pail of pan fish and
1:12
then there are those of us who consider
1:14
success nothing less than the biggest
1:16
baddest fish we can find case in point
1:19
northern pike wow what a fishery place
1:22
in point Lake Athabasca world renowned
1:25
for the biggest lake coat ever caught at
1:27
102 pounds and some of the largest
1:29
northerns ever seen oh you rat the
1:33
flight to Lake Athabasca revealed the
1:35
landscape I've never seen in Canada or
1:38
maybe in this hemisphere we'll talk a
1:40
little more about this fascinating part
1:41
of the trip in the get in there segment
1:43
later on in the show after landing at
1:47
the private airstrip that Lakers
1:48
Unlimited we went over the maps with
1:50
captain Bruce owner of the lodge and
1:52
guide extraordinaire we settled on gross
1:55
bay on gross island six miles to the
1:57
south it's a known spawning bait and a
2:00
big one nearly two kilometres long and
2:02
almost one kilometer wide this looked
2:05
like a good choice a narrow mouth in a
2:08
large shallow back bay with lots of
2:10
cover in the two to three meter depth
2:12
range but I had a feeling that despite a
2:14
perfect location knowledge of
2:16
temperature fluctuations in this lake
2:18
like babe was going to be critical eisah
2:21
was less than a week ago and
2:23
temperatures along with my chances of
2:25
going home empty-handed were on the rise
2:28
this having places like this gives us an
2:31
opportunity to immerse ourselves in some
2:34
of the most pristine wilderness
2:35
surroundings on earth but just as
2:38
rewarding is meeting the eclectic group
2:40
of characters that are often drawn to
2:41
these remote camps case in point this
2:44
retired virtuoso
2:48
Bravo I got a feeling we'll see more
2:51
this character as a show unfolds on my
2:55
first morning out as I came around the
2:58
northeast tip of Rock Island I started
3:00
taking temperature readings at the open
3:02
water they were in the low to mid 50s I
3:05
decided to check this area by using a
3:07
big attractor Baker a 7-inch water wolf
3:10
Gator tube I made the usual casts along
3:13
the shoreline approaching the mouth of
3:15
the bay and I hooked a couple of
3:17
medium-sized pike but there was no
3:19
concentration of fish at least that I
3:21
could see that would be a big fish in
3:23
most bodies of water or at least the
3:25
decent fish but in Athabasca not the
3:30
mouth of this bay was a keyhole compared
3:32
to the vastness of the water on the
3:33
other side it was maybe 100 meters long
3:36
and 50 to 100 meters wide and super
3:39
shallow less than a meter with a sandy
3:41
bottom I took the temperature at the
3:44
start of the channel and it was about 58
3:46
degrees as I moved through it the
3:48
temperature rose another two degrees and
3:50
I could see small fish fleeing from the
3:52
bay these rising temperatures a
3:55
migrating fish we're starting to make me
3:57
a little nervous I knew that once the
3:59
ice was gone the dynamics of the
4:01
relationship between predator prey and
4:03
sunlight could change hourly so one
4:07
variable
4:07
I do have going for me is that the
4:09
Predators are pike and they're a wild
4:12
and crazy kind of fish so anything's
4:15
possible as long as there's bait in the
4:18
shallows they'll be there until they
4:20
can't stand the heat and then and only
4:22
then will they get out of the kitchen
4:24
but the big ones will stay to the end
4:26
and that's what I'm counting on I've got
4:29
less than three days to find these
4:31
giants I started exploring by going
4:35
first the most obvious places the
4:37
shallows at the end of the bay where I
4:39
found no fish no big surprise though
4:42
because the water temperature was
4:43
approaching mid 60's and rising steadily
4:46
only six days ago at isoing this water
4:50
would have been 35 to 40 degrees
4:52
a 25 degree difference from then canal
4:56
alright baby
4:57
dad you are wearing beautiful monster
4:59
though yeah this was incentive enough to
5:02
find these giants quickly
5:04
that's a heavy fish and it's beautiful
5:11
let me get back in there
5:12
Mike we'll see cooler water when it hits
5:15
68 degrees but in the meantime they
5:17
should be here although they're the apex
5:20
predator they're not big on work so it's
5:23
much easier for them to hunt in shallow
5:25
water where there's less volume it's
5:27
kind of like having a captive audience
5:29
right in your strike zone if they
5:31
weren't so temperature sensitive they'd
5:33
be here year-round it's much more
5:35
difficult for dating in a big body of
5:37
water the size of Athabasca they're
5:39
going to stay here and gorge as much as
5:41
they can for as long as they can
5:43
hopefully with my bait in the mix and
5:47
this guy has got to be looking over
5:48
shoulders every minute of his life in
5:50
this biggest day back here because he
5:52
could be food believe it or not
5:56
on the second day the water temperature
5:59
was up another degree or two just
6:01
outside the channel and as I move
6:03
through I can see more and more fish
6:05
migrating out including small pike who
6:08
knows what had happened during the night
6:09
one thing I did know I had to find these
6:12
fish and fast I even switched baits to
6:15
something more lifelike awaited Castilla
6:17
crowned tailed swim bait 6 inches long
6:26
well you hit me hard he hit me like a
6:28
big fish big fish should have you want
6:39
to do the big Gator run but you can't
6:40
not quite big enough to do it here we go
6:44
there you go he's try it that's going to
6:49
be a big fishing day
6:57
you daddy this bait has great action and
7:03
it paid off with a couple more fish but
7:05
they weren't big enough and there
7:07
certainly weren't enough of them to
7:08
qualify for what I was looking for the
7:11
biggest and baddest I did find some
7:14
spots so we're deeper and probably
7:15
cooler but there was no cover so they
7:17
weren't working these big boys are apex
7:21
and wish predators they know that where
7:24
there's good cover there's prey in a bay
7:27
this size it could be one tiny little
7:29
area where it's a little cooler and
7:32
maybe a little greener and bingo anybody
7:35
doesn't like pike fishing here tomorrow
7:38
they haven't been pike fishing slow
7:42
quite yet they're hitting these great
7:46
big swim baits which is really nice
7:48
about this - I love throwing these
7:50
things you know if you want to up your
7:52
chances on big fish I know you've heard
7:54
a million times with lloyd nowhere is
7:56
that truer than early in the year for
7:58
these big northerns now I know and we
8:01
have got it ourselves you know sometimes
8:04
a tendency is to go smaller as approach
8:07
the bigger when things are really tough
8:09
from the fish aren't biting and they're
8:10
in there you can see them there but
8:12
they're just not chasing anything and a
8:14
smaller bait will do but on days like
8:16
this when they are showing down on
8:18
everything I mean it's not big but they
8:22
are a blast and this guy has got to be
8:25
looking over shoulders every minute of
8:26
his life in this big bay back here
8:29
because he could be food believer dot
8:41
nobody had me ready devote coming up oh
8:44
here he is
8:45
that's a nice book my baby where's my
8:49
bait oh there it is okay
8:52
came in away from the boat see it's just
8:56
in that lip on that far side so
8:58
hopefully this won't be as difficult I'm
9:02
ready and he's not ready I'm ready I'm
9:06
good to go
9:07
there's there's a testament to having a
9:10
leader look we're we're that leader is
9:12
going into his mouth that's just an
9:14
awful set of teeth right back there no
9:17
leader that fish would have been gone
9:21
and now he's got it through his mouth
9:23
out the other side
9:28
yeah yeah no wonder they call him the
9:30
wolf the water willful ooh that thing
9:32
Oh baby where you I switch positions
9:42
here right that's good
9:45
never had one do that to me before see
9:51
ya what's those in the boat
9:56
meetin I just couldn't take any more
10:08
look at this place
10:12
by day three I'm just about given up the
10:16
third sunny day in a row and water
10:18
temperatures soaring at this point I was
10:21
about 100 meters from the exit channel
10:23
and there's more and more fish moving
10:24
towards it but as I moved into some
10:27
weeding areas I started to see some
10:29
bigger pike that is an F of a skate
10:32
Gator I don't even think he go he's
10:36
booked he's could have right here two
10:38
minute
10:46
still I know he's not nowhere near ready
10:48
that fish has got to be in his mid-40s
10:51
maybe even upper 40s can I add such
10:59
runaround
11:00
oh my god that's huge beautiful fish
11:21
oh man that is gorgeous medicine
11:25
standing I quickly caught some medium to
11:28
large fish and then realize I had vowed
11:31
the mother lode in this whole Bay which
11:35
I covered very methodically here was
11:38
this one we bed maybe 20 feet across
11:40
five or six feet deep that was loaded
11:44
with giant northerns now it's about a
11:46
forty four inch fish can you imagine a
11:49
50 plus fish 54 which I believe was the
11:52
the camp record up here could be huge
11:56
massive
11:57
[Music]
12:04
today's hot spot is an amazing northern
12:07
pike area on Lake Athabasca the weight
12:09
point on your screen will put you right
12:10
on it this is a major spawning Bay where
12:13
the fish funnel into just before or as
12:15
the ice is leaving as a water warms the
12:18
pike gradually move towards the emerging
12:20
weed beds in the center of the bay
12:21
try using spinners spoons or swim baits
12:24
like I'm using today for more hot spots
12:27
like this one check out fishing
12:28
canada.com
12:33
[Music]
12:36
I switched to a slightly larger 7-inch
12:39
big hammer square tail and had after
12:41
they were fighting for the bait and let
12:44
me tell you when you look into the water
12:46
and not six feet away there's a pack and
12:49
that's the only way to describe them a
12:51
five or six forty-five inch plus fish
12:54
looking back at you it's very
12:56
intimidating and makes me glad I'm not
12:58
on their menu that would lose three or
13:04
four fish in here just fight over this
13:06
one day
13:07
that was crazy oh let's big heavy fish
13:18
that is a beauty that fish has got to be
13:29
pushing 45 I would think that's
13:32
fantastic he goes a successful release
13:44
just to validate my planning and
13:47
reasoning I took the water temperature
13:49
approximately the same depth that I
13:51
found the fish and it was just coming up
13:53
on 68 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 Celsius
13:56
this was their last stand before the
13:59
heat finally drove him under the buffet
14:01
and this is a deep dark depths of
14:03
Athabasca my theory that the biggest
14:07
fish would stay regardless of
14:08
temperature to a certain degree pardon
14:10
the pun was correct did he ever see back
14:13
that ran under the boat
14:14
I don't think he's really he's acting
14:20
like he's tired bound like he's done yet
14:21
nowhere near we have a standoff going
14:26
now he was looking at me I'm looking at
14:28
him I'm trying to figure out what I'm
14:29
going to do he's trying to figure out
14:31
his next move northern pike are what
14:35
they are opportunistic basically lazy
14:38
ambush predators that happen to get
14:40
really big voracious and cannibalistic
14:43
and knowing all that was my formula for
14:46
success on this legendary body of water
14:53
[Music]
15:00
Wow you just broke my wrist look at this
15:09
plate at the basket oh wow to get big
15:20
[Music]
15:22
[Laughter]
15:25
whoa Lake Athabasca I got to tell you
15:28
you know we always talk in the program
15:30
about putting yourself in prime waters
15:32
well director of Trophy northern pike
15:35
there's very few lakes in this country
15:37
like Lake Athabasca to get to today's
15:45
unbelievable northern pike fishing I
15:47
first flew from Toronto to Fort McMurray
15:49
Alberta from there I caught a smaller
15:52
plane that flew to the runway adjacent
15:54
to Lakers Unlimited Lodge on Lake
15:56
Athabasca in Saskatchewan while flying
15:59
across Athabasca Sand Dunes National
16:01
Park we came across this amazing Vista
16:04
this Park makes up the largest active
16:07
sand dune region north of the 58
16:09
parallel it's like a huge desert but
16:12
uniquely Canadian Baker's Unlimited la
16:15
John Johnson Island was established in
16:17
1995 with a couple of wall tents a
16:20
single cabin and an open fire for
16:23
cooking today it's evolved into a multi
16:26
building fishing destination with all
16:28
the amenities that you could expect this
16:30
far north
16:33
[Music]
16:40
on today's klp i want to talk a little
16:42
bit about knowledge gate portion of the
16:44
formula it's important to know how fish
16:46
behave especially temperatures which is
16:49
critical for today's program I'm after
16:51
giant northern pike now this time of
16:54
year which is early in the season spring
16:56
period these fish generally use the back
16:59
bays like the one that's behind me for
17:01
two purposes number one to spawn and
17:03
reproduce and number two to recuperate
17:05
after the spawn period from the long
17:07
winter as soon as they're done
17:09
temperatures start to raise Oh into the
17:12
high 50s low 60s
17:14
they don't make eight the back bays at
17:17
that point all they do is drop out a
17:19
little bit and trying to make contact
17:20
with the colder water that's coming in
17:22
from the main lake and the warm water
17:24
that's warming up in the back of the bay
17:25
and that generally means right at the
17:28
mouths of these little entrances into
17:30
these back bays is perfect for giant
17:32
Pike later on the year those big fish
17:34
once that temperature hits the high 60s
17:37
low 70s they're gone they're out of
17:40
these places into the big open waters
17:42
but right now this is perfect
17:46
fish in Canada show brought to you in
17:49
part by Ram truck nothing worked harder
17:53
than a round turn trusted on the water
17:56
since 1952 mercury and forest number one
18:00
on the water and outdoor Canada Canada's
18:04
only national fishing and hunting
18:05
magazine
18:07
[Music]
18:25
you
18:25
[Music]
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