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Catching Massive Sheephead in Eastern Ontario | Fish'n Canada
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Apr 15, 2025
On this episode, Pete Bowman ventures to Eastern Ontario’s Merland Park Cottages on the Bay of Quinte. With the opportunity to fish the Bay’s outstanding Walleye water, Pete instead tries something new by targeting the relatively unknown Sheephead species. This is a gamble Pete will never regret! 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
View Video Transcript
0:00
[Music]
0:05
she's a chilly October mornin deviling
0:09
today you and I are revolutionising
0:11
fishing again in Ontario there's
0:13
something down there Kevin I will not be
0:17
able to lift this net Oh that Rogers
0:20
buckle people are gonna come out here
0:26
and they are gonna do this I guarantee
0:27
they're gonna love it oh oh that's huge
0:29
Pete that's a record right there buddy
0:32
the fish in Canada show brought to you
0:35
in part by Ram trucks guts glory Ram
0:40
Stearns trusted on the water since 1952
0:44
mercury outboards number one on the
0:47
water and outdoor Canada Canada's only
0:51
national fishing and hunting magazine
0:56
the word angling is defined as the sport
1:00
or pastime of fishing with a rod and
1:01
line it sounds pretty simple however
1:04
once you start to branch out with
1:05
technique gear geography and species it
1:09
becomes a pretty broad subject I've been
1:14
on the water and angling since I was 4
1:15
or 5 years old and not just for TV but
1:17
for fun and building a broader knowledge
1:19
as well during those let's just say many
1:22
years I believe I've only tapped into a
1:24
small portion of this great sport this
1:27
keeps me ready willing and able to try
1:30
something new
1:33
she's a chilly October morning
1:37
it's gotta be this less than ten degrees
1:40
for sure right but it's a five this
1:41
morning did you see the five with the
1:45
boat windchill of minus five probably at
1:48
least the fish just screaming down there
1:52
there's one two three right there yeah
1:55
look we catch those right now yeah set
1:59
it up we'll get up the lock I'm gonna
2:00
anchor the trolling motor on it and then
2:02
we're good to go
2:05
that's cold brother look at that
2:08
yeah gonna bait their kevie do big hooks
2:13
to a bunch of Bulldogs I'm on the bay
2:21
Quinney
2:22
with Kevin Labor's mr. walleye walleye
2:24
expert catches a lot of smallmouth a
2:27
large more a lot of pike so that's what
2:31
you think we're after right now all
2:32
right
2:32
well I'm gonna show it differently
2:36
hopefully if you get him in did you hear
2:39
that noise yep
2:40
oh yeah there he is
2:45
Hey look what I got oh my god that's
2:47
nice one that my friends is a freshwater
2:50
drum or better known as a sheep head Wow
2:54
the Sheep it is the only freshwater fish
2:57
on which the lateral line runs through
2:59
its tail it's nicknamed croaker or
3:01
grunter for the weird grunting sounds
3:03
the males can make by vibrating their
3:05
swim bladder a big chunk of fish that is
3:08
wow he's a lot bigger than I thought oh
3:09
the King came out - perfect okay grab a
3:11
rod Kimi check this out folks this is
3:14
one cool-looking beast that's what we're
3:20
after today sheephead sheephead or
3:23
freshwater drum um an absolute predator
3:27
we're on the Bay of Quinte like I said
3:28
earlier this fish is as much a predator
3:31
as a pike a muskie a walleye anything
3:34
then either the game fish everybody goes
3:36
after so we'll tell you a little bit
3:37
more about what they eat afterwards but
3:39
such a cool fish that and that mode
3:41
that's an eating machine mouth right
3:43
there
3:44
they're only predators are birds and
3:46
other fish during their first year and
3:48
man from thereafter now you got to
3:51
remember when your vertical jigging for
3:53
fish your transducer choice it's very
3:56
important and then the fact I'll show
3:58
you look in this boat and you can sort
3:59
of equate it to your own boat we have
4:01
three fish finders in this boat but
4:03
they're all hooked up the same they're
4:05
all networked the same but we have two
4:07
different locations for transducers we
4:09
have our Garmin transducer which is a
4:10
really high high end unit of the back
4:12
very very accurate transducer we also
4:15
have one built into the motor guide now
4:17
it's a universal transducer it's not
4:19
gonna be as good as that one out there
4:21
however this is a 20 foot boat so that
4:23
could be a 20 foot difference in where
4:24
your fish are we're fishing 30 in a 25
4:26
to 30 feet down so the cones not that
4:28
big so if you see a fish on your terrine
4:31
and you're using your back unknowingly
4:33
and you're up here doing this that
4:35
pushes the way back there you may not
4:36
catch up what you want to do is switch
4:37
it to the front transducer and then and
4:39
then you will be fishing directly under
4:41
the boat where the fish are so you're
4:43
vertically jigging like that if you know
4:44
if you only have the transducer in the
4:46
back you try and keep your your baits
4:47
towards the back of the boat so that's
4:49
that's a different transducer choices
4:50
key location was key to
5:08
[Music]
5:12
well you know what he came up I lifted I
5:14
can't be very big I don't think I think
5:15
it's a small one this might be a reader
5:17
keV freshwater drum are commercially
5:19
harvested on a small basis for certain
5:21
animal foods their flesh is not flaky
5:24
like a walleye but it's more firm like a
5:25
scallop when prepared properly they can
5:27
be very good table fare largemouth bass
5:37
fish in about three days ago I got my
5:39
butt handed to me and I was so
5:41
frustrated saying I hate fall fishing
5:43
and then I'm going to the most fun
5:46
fishing I've had all year they're just
5:54
you know what they're just too big to
5:55
handle like you can't you can't sling
5:57
them in you can't crane them you know
5:58
you can't do anything even even the
6:01
small ones are just they're too much now
6:07
I don't know what's going on with this
6:08
one but he's his but his but Kevin is
6:12
very red very that's weird yeah I think
6:18
that's you know this is even mussels
6:20
gonna come out of that right oh right
6:24
this if you're kind of squeamish people
6:26
don't look at this but in the butt of
6:28
this fish bizarre Kevin sand you know
6:31
maybe from the zebra mussels or
6:32
something maybe common in them all I do
6:34
know is they're tougher than a bag of
6:35
nails that's for sure yeah these are
6:38
tough tough fish
6:41
oh yeah kevin:today you and i are
6:45
revolutionising fishing again in ontario
6:47
buddy people are gonna come out here and
6:49
they are gonna do this and they're gonna
6:51
I guarantee they're gonna love it
6:52
because it is so so much fun the good
6:56
thing about the sheep head is not only
6:59
does he eat the minnows the shad the
7:01
perch he's like a regular fish they also
7:03
eat something else that's an invasive
7:05
species is that a zebra mussels it was
7:08
the shells and and the meat and
7:09
everything
7:10
yeah they they're feeding on the easy
7:12
food at the bottom right their throat
7:14
contains Crushers which as the name says
7:16
crushes zebra mussel shells exposing the
7:19
fleshy meat they don't control zebra
7:21
mussel populations but they definitely
7:23
help there are they're really a good
7:26
fish to have in your waters as far as an
7:28
invasion of zebra mussels pea Queenie
7:30
and a lot of them this fish has done a
7:32
lot of good here that's for sure
7:33
right he's helped the sheep sheep had to
7:36
live a lot longer and get a lot bigger
7:37
so very cool and then they'll eat bait
7:40
and zebras that's the best part
7:44
hey did you know that besides well-known
7:46
game fish Ontario has a variety of other
7:49
species that offer great sport fishing
7:51
there's carp catfish both in freshwater
7:55
drum whitefish and more if big powerful
7:59
and weary fish are what you seek
8:01
well you'll love carp they're found in
8:04
many weedy shallow and muddy areas of
8:06
the Great Lakes and southern inland
8:08
waters another great alternate species
8:11
is the freshwater drum which is also
8:13
known as the Sheep head these fish fight
8:16
like crazy and can grow to enormous size
8:19
freshwater drum average 5 to 15 pounds
8:22
but there are some monsters out there
8:24
that'll hit 30 pounds or more all these
8:27
species are more found throughout the
8:28
various regions of this great province
8:30
and because most of them are considered
8:32
course they're unregulated and can be
8:35
fished too year-round just another
8:37
reason to go fish in Ontario
8:42
feeling the effects of the cold how's
8:45
your fingers working people let's just
8:49
say summertime she ain't I'm gonna give
8:53
the best tip ever for this type of time
8:54
of your fishing rig up 30 rows at the
8:57
same lures on so you never up and retie
8:59
out here oh god just kill her on the
9:04
hands looks like a good one Pete thank
9:07
you got a good one going looks like a
9:09
monster mark there's Tommy Lee Jones and
9:12
saying gadget Tommy don't you hold on
9:23
buddy you saw that one you came this on
9:27
you got your good one
9:29
hey this one would be a good one giant
9:31
oh yeah you know what's happening here
9:34
my hand warmers are burning me I ain't
9:38
kidding yeah squeeze it too hard on the
9:40
rod you got a plague on me no no that's
9:58
a big cheapy but this is that tank I see
10:03
color
10:07
that's huge
10:09
there's a big fish there's a skill on
10:11
the other hook that could be what
10:13
happened pop go oh sure I had I had him
10:17
hooked what a pig always my god that's a
10:28
that's a behemoth yeah yeah
10:32
there you go huh oh there's that little
10:42
plate oh my god wonder what a fish like
10:44
desperately oh he's gotta be 18 to 20
10:48
pounds in there yeah I'd say okay I will
11:14
not be able to lift his neck that's a
11:17
record think their way
11:21
[Applause]
11:23
there we go
11:28
[Music]
11:32
[Laughter]
11:35
that thing falling good that they
11:38
freaking monster Twitter please get on
11:40
you're the monster from via 25-pounder
11:46
doubleheader criss cross yeah no kidding
11:52
the criss cross were in big trouble
11:54
whoa whoa oh my god this one's not even
11:58
tired this one's not even getting tired
12:01
I fought him for 10 minutes before you
12:04
got that one on this is crazy this is
12:08
nuts
12:09
you got a bigger one on anything Mike oh
12:14
yeah I think one that's like talking
12:17
about the big ones that's a big one I'll
12:19
get this guy in the net here yep and
12:20
then we'll get yours in the net oh my
12:25
god ah we got one we got the little guy
12:32
in a 10 12 pounder that's a small one
12:37
you think I could scoop on bolt at the
12:39
same time
12:40
look at that thing is a whole dog beard
12:42
dude yeah you know what here hang on to
12:44
this rod okay I'm gonna put this back in
12:46
can you handle that big guy over to the
12:47
Horde towards the net and pull them out
12:48
a bit from the boat door oh my god that
12:52
one's huge oh I can't lift his net
12:57
I will not build up his net oh I got a
13:01
bug on
13:04
oh that's huge Pete that's a record
13:08
right there buddy oh you don't want them
13:10
be nice to put them in Live Well enliven
13:12
em that's the small one now Kevin's
13:18
large cheapy how is that Oh
13:23
[Laughter]
13:27
make some noise thing is massive I gotta
13:30
get a picture of that thing
13:32
Wow Kevin congratulations buddy
13:36
the sheepy King the herder of Sheep the
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Shepherd of Quinte
13:45
[Music]
13:51
today's hot spot is just out from the
13:53
town of picton ontario on the Bay of
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Quinte the waypoint on your screen will
13:56
get you there
13:57
vertical jigging baits like spoons blade
14:00
baits or even ice fishing jigs will all
14:02
work here
14:03
trolling crank bass will also work
14:04
during the warmer months to allow for a
14:06
clean live release try to fish water
14:08
less than 30 feet deep sheep head along
14:11
with the majority of other game fish are
14:12
susceptible to an inflated swim bladder
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if brought up too quickly from deep
14:16
water for more hot spots like this one
14:18
check o fishing Canada calm
14:21
[Music]
14:26
that's one tiny vote to be out in this
14:28
way okay as a brave angler and at the
14:33
same just has a bit of a lunatic here
14:36
she isn't watching this show that is
14:38
nuts to be out here in 54.0 for
14:43
waterhemp and that kayak is going out
14:46
into the worst water not it this is
14:48
better over here i skid who's around
14:49
that point whoo go that's a little
14:52
braver than what I'd be this 20-foot
14:55
Princecraft is rocking around that's
14:58
crazy man not for this cowboy a big big
15:04
tip I can give somebody especially with
15:06
bait casters because they're so easy to
15:08
adjust is to have your drag crank nice
15:11
and tight so make sure that stars crank
15:13
nice and tight on the hook set
15:14
especially in the fall because these
15:17
fish are slower even though they're
15:20
pulling like crazy right now they're
15:22
slower the water's 55 54 5 degrees so
15:24
they're not as as quick so you can when
15:27
you have your drag tight you smash them
15:30
as hard as you can quickly back off the
15:33
star and back up the drag and then you
15:35
can fight it away like that and then
15:36
because it's a real kick you don't want
15:37
to lose line on the hook set and if
15:39
you're a drag is loose you'll set it no
15:41
little push it'll just slip fly it out
15:43
so make sure your drag is too tight even
15:45
on spinning just to a lesser extent make
15:47
sure it's nice and tight another thing I
15:50
do is I just keep my thumb on top of
15:51
this pool like that so that if there's
15:53
any slippage when I'm when I'm when I'm
15:55
digging my hand my thumb is always on
15:57
that and then that way between the drag
15:59
tight and my thumb on there that mine's
16:01
not gonna go Poppins hardly again and
16:04
then loosen off later so it's a good
16:06
little tip just hanging he just hanging
16:11
down there nicely take your time buddy
16:14
it's a nice one new ontario record fish
16:23
he set the hook he came up five six feet
16:26
like it was nothing now all of a sudden
16:28
he's pulling drag it like that like now
16:31
it's like a big carp almost you know
16:37
miracle now you see I'm using a a
16:39
baitcaster today
16:41
Kemp season two spinning you can use
16:42
either one recommended straight braid
16:45
because the water is kind of dirty ish
16:47
it's whatever you prefer I like I like
16:49
vertical jigging with a baitcaster as
16:52
long as you can get some good power
16:54
you're quick with your hook set that's
16:55
the key when you're surfing is nice
16:57
because you can even is that a
16:59
double-header
17:00
Burt turn off because they're spinning
17:02
you you can be really quick and you got
17:04
the reel in the same hand so with bait
17:05
caster I'm using my weaker arm I'm
17:08
right-handed a reasonably with my left
17:09
hand a jig but I'm ready with this sort
17:11
of loop and set real quick it's a
17:14
personal preference and sometimes if
17:15
you're catching a lot of fish you get
17:16
tired quick there's a nice fish go oh
17:18
yeah nice one um then you could use both
17:22
you know what I mean you're gonna bake a
17:23
stir for a while that arm gets tired
17:24
we've got that net heavy okay and then
17:27
you grab the spinning and save your arm
17:31
so it's a good idea to have both i'd
17:34
recommend both fifteen and twenty pound
17:35
line on your on your spinning and then
17:38
whatever on the bait oh no ready here he
17:42
comes oh nice one that's a big boy look
17:49
at this guy they're so hard and they're
17:52
hard to get a hold on I'll tell you that
17:53
right now I move on to beast to the tail
17:56
on them so that's the power right there
17:58
that big tail nice
18:02
what a beast keV Hey
18:06
there he goes not a fun see you big
18:10
buddy
18:11
you down there Oh fun fish man
18:16
what a beast day my fingers are frozen
18:19
whoo whoo she's not a nice time of year
18:21
to be if you want to be warm out here
18:23
right now folks you're gonna have to
18:25
dress the part if it's pressure
18:27
I love the 79 lone fall fishing okay
18:30
we'll get another one
18:36
this Eastern Ontario sheephead adventure
18:38
is the epitome of open-mindedness
18:40
broadening tunnel vision and taking
18:42
things one step further yes I could have
18:45
pulled crankbaits more drifted a jigging
18:46
minnow through this world-class walleye
18:48
water but instead I took a chance on
18:50
targeting a relatively unknown
18:52
intriguing and downright belligerent
18:54
species of fish a chance that I know
18:56
I'll never regret
19:01
[Music]
19:08
to get the today's outstanding sheephead
19:10
fishing on the Bay of Quinte I first
19:12
drove east on highway 401 and then
19:13
exited south on County Road 49 once in
19:17
the town of picton I turned left on
19:18
Bridge Street or as it's also called
19:19
loyalist Parkway and finally hit my
19:22
destination of Merlin Park cottages from
19:24
there it was a quick boat ride to our
19:26
crazy sheep head action
19:30
[Music]
19:37
today's klp is p4 presentation these
19:40
sheephead were located very tight to the
19:42
bottom and what I would consider
19:43
somewhat lethargic
19:45
yeah the bite was on so they seemed
19:47
active but these are big fish and they
19:49
eat a lot
19:50
feeding actively versus moving around
19:52
aimlessly burning much-needed muscle and
19:54
fat are very different had we been
19:57
trolling or casting we might have caught
19:59
one or two but by positioning the boat
20:01
directly above the fish with the aid of
20:02
our sonar we dropped our jigging baits
20:04
straight down and directly into the
20:06
fish's feeding zone vertical jigging is
20:09
the perfect presentation for Coldwater
20:10
Mathare jek or highly pressured fish the
20:15
fish in Canada show brought to you in
20:18
part by Coleman the Outdoor company
20:22
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20:24
[Music]
20:27
Princecraft boats dominate the waters
20:30
and Garman spite your fish not your fish
20:34
finder closed captioning provided by
20:37
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20:39
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[Music]
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