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Algoma Bass and Steelhead on St. Mary's River | Fish'n Canada
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Apr 15, 2025
Pete travels to some of Ontario's most northerly Largemouth Bass waters, the St. Mary's River, near Sault Ste. Marie in Algoma Country. It's October, the water is hovering just above 50 degrees, and the fall colours surrounding this great fishing destination are in full peak. Question is... are the Bass in full peak feeding mode? Pete ends this show with a quick trip to the St. Mary's "rapids" and tries his hand at the world-renowned Steelhead and Rainbow fishery. ► Subscribe http://bit.ly/youtube-fishncanada 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/fishncanada... ► 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, Peter Bowman, and the pair continue to travel across Canada educating anglers using the experience they’ve gained over the years
View Video Transcript
0:05
this is the craziest fall fishing I've
0:08
had in a long time
0:09
no I'll tell you why you can hear that
0:17
[Laughter]
0:22
this is a little Mele here Wow
0:28
this is just nuts here right now and you
0:31
but you've got to do is just keep going
0:32
until it until it stops the fishing
0:35
Canada show brought to you in part by
0:38
Coleman the Outdoor company Cooper Tires
0:46
Princecraft bows dominate the waters and
0:50
Garmin
0:55
[Music]
1:00
today's fishing Canada episode is pretty
1:02
much a complete mix up of North and
1:04
South fishing
1:05
I'll explain I'm traveling to the su st.
1:08
Marie area in the Algoma region of
1:10
Ontario about an 8 hour drive north of
1:12
Toronto with the drive this far north
1:15
the expected species of a normal fishing
1:17
trip would be walleye northern pike
1:20
smallmouth bass broken lake trout etc
1:24
etc good old North Country Canadian fish
1:26
species right well this trip has me
1:30
fishing and normally recognised southern
1:31
species that almost seems out of place
1:33
this far north largemouth bass oh and I
1:37
might as well add that I'm up here in
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mid to late October a time when a high
1:41
percentage of large both anglers have
1:42
packed up in for another season it can
1:44
be a very humbling time to target this
1:46
warm water species my home base for this
1:50
show is Bruce Bay cottages and
1:52
lighthouse adjacent to the small town of
1:53
Bruce mines situated on the shores of
1:56
Lake Huron and very close to my target
1:58
large North Area the st. Marys River a
2:00
water body diverse in game fish species
2:03
I'm teaming up with local fishing guide
2:07
Tyler Gunn a young gun who's making
2:09
quite a name for himself since he's
2:10
taken on the guiding game full-time I
2:12
started fishing heavily when I was about
2:15
15 16 done with my whole life but I
2:18
started to go home before school and
2:20
after school and then I really got my
2:22
feet wet when I took a job at a fishing
2:24
lodge when I was about 18 and got to see
2:26
the guides go out and the industry and
2:29
fishing and meet the clients and that's
2:31
when I kind of sparked my interest and
2:33
getting involved with it I'm just with
2:35
it from there
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Tyler has been fishing largemouth on the
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st. Mary's all his life and has got them
2:40
pretty much dialed in for most of the
2:42
season
2:43
what's the coolest mother your what are
2:45
your in your memory that you fish here
2:46
for largemouth oh I've been out here in
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the snow almost my car oh yeah top
2:52
though they thought there's a couple
2:53
bites a day max yeah but high 30s low
2:58
40s low forties probably out here mid
3:00
forties
3:02
we're fishing big bays on the southern
3:05
portion of the river that are protected
3:06
from the strong currents which commenced
3:08
from the headwaters of Lake Superior
3:09
we're targeting the warmest shallowest
3:12
and slowest moving water in the whole
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area perfect for a largemouth we're
3:18
going to start with square bill crank
3:19
baits rattle baits and Colorado bladed
3:22
spinner baits and see if there are any
3:23
aggressive fish in the area or just to
3:25
see if fast baits will work at all as a
3:27
backup with row creature baits like
3:29
beavers and Yamamoto flapping hogs or a
3:31
good old single when do they not work
3:45
[Applause]
3:50
close to the rock do buddy that was yeah
3:52
I passed it already not very big good
3:56
looking little fish little fat thing
3:59
underneath the chin whoo you see you
4:04
know it's funny cuz it felt like a tap
4:05
to felt like he actually bit it and he
4:07
must've just slashed at it little guy
4:10
freezing cold but you know what we were
4:14
in the shade over there and and then
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Tyler said let's go we'll get over this
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rock over here there's sunshine over
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here and that's what happens
4:22
oh yeah yeah hey some chunky I'll say
4:26
that oh god I'm like a rocket oh yeah
4:36
Hey then they solve a little fish today
4:44
I'm on the st. Marys River fishing late
4:46
fall largemouth with local fishing guide
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Tyler done and so far things are looking
4:50
good yep sank Oh buddy nice am I gonna
4:59
get the net on this doing it oh wow yeah
5:02
that's a good fish good fish oh man oh
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I'll let any of your large boat in the
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fall buddy oh yeah good looking fish
5:15
good job but go for it oh oh yeah look
5:27
at that oh my god buddy Oh beautiful
5:31
nice fish matter hook well - that's a
5:36
good three and three quarters at least
5:37
it's not fish it's a good fish this is
5:40
gonna be a fun day with the yeah exactly
5:43
and it's morning still I'm a time of day
5:46
when you don't really expect to catch a
5:48
lot of these guys simply because them
5:51
things heat up it gets even better as
5:53
the day goes on yeah they're not moving
5:55
too much yeah they gonna plop it on
5:57
their feet yeah I jumped the gun too
6:04
quick on that always with water
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temperatures of 50 to 54 degrees
6:08
Fahrenheit along with the way the fish
6:09
are reacting to our presentations it's
6:11
pretty evident that the slower baits are
6:13
the way to go I always try to bring
6:15
enough gear for most situations
6:17
remember those baits you left sitting
6:19
back home in the garage won't do you a
6:21
lot of good if they're not in the boat
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be prepared
6:27
reason that we bit buddy right in that
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we just lock right off there he said I
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saw a little fish a little fella nice
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ankl fish aha well he's got that that
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pigments in that spot on this Taylor
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oh absolutely black right there and
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there yeah yeah yeah so what that oh let
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me see if I remember the name of it it's
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a skin there's one of those gill plate
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to there a black spot all right if
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you're out back fishing and come across
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a fish like tyler and i did with these
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black patches or blotches don't be
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alarmed as it's a non contagious skin
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condition called hyper pigmented melon
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OSIS it's simply an increase in the
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melanin in the skin of some mature fish
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following several years of sun exposure
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you get them and sometimes they'll be
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spotted lost all through here and all
7:18
that stuff and then by the time spring
7:20
comes it goes away so it's pretty cool
7:22
but I I've only seen it in late season
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fishing or usually when the waters in
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the fifties as a rule that guy the whole
7:29
looking little fish yeah look at their
7:30
also that's not that's not a long buddy
7:42
he was aggressive or if you drop that in
7:45
their little Texas rig yeah sank oh and
7:54
he popped her good well that's good we
7:57
were just talking about the weeds the
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top of these weeds they're dead looking
8:01
but does not necessarily mean that
8:03
they're all they're all dead the bottom
8:05
though we brought up a piece of that
8:07
bacon it was screen there's someone
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laying on the back right there the
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bottom of a close to the bottom of the
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lake is green so they're still alive a
8:13
little bit so the fish will hang there
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somewhat anyways
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Wow this is just nuts here right now and
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what you've got to do is just keep going
8:24
until until it stops if I was to pick my
8:29
best time of day for October largemouth
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in Ontario
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it would be around 1 to 2 p.m. things
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are rocking by then and things usually
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slow down around 4 p.m. at least that's
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my experience this day however as the
8:41
Sun was dropping my ax theory got blown
8:43
right out of the water
8:44
evening bass buddy that's a good one
8:49
friggin yeah you look at him no but he's
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got bad he's not bad I had this I
9:02
thought you know what I was sitting up
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not to set the hook is eight the cast
9:05
the same time you can't a little dick
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dick dick but he didn't take it a cycle
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usually they haven't but that means
9:11
they're getting aggressive or he's just
9:12
one maniac bass miacca thick gorgeous
9:17
fish nice that means his buddies around
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somewhere I'm never aggressive like that
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if Sun is almost hitting the tree line
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now and then you'll be a walleye Titan
9:27
burn more situations largemouth coming
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up and the water is 54 degrees like 54
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in a bit
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some warmers have seen it today yeah
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exactly wow there's a comeback though
9:41
thanks might not you know nothing on the
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same size what is going on here all of a
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sudden these fish are just biting like
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crazy
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ffs like crazy oh right I would I would
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have been well yeah you know any other
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day we go home at this time right here
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okay we better get back what a beautiful
10:02
fish these things are just gorgeous
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tanned you wouldn't believe your hands
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are so cold with these in your hands
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I mean 54 degree water or you know water
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tap it's like whoo these fish are going
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good right now
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No Wow the drop again yeah that's a
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matter that's a butterface think I'm
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everywhere
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well yeah oh yeah is it never huh
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it's like a mint yeah you go swing
10:35
nice draw nice fish buddy thank you
10:42
I thought he was another tonight you're
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hitting so they're not so aggressive
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oh nice beliefs dopey little guy Wow
10:54
this is just nuts here right now oh my
10:57
god you just want to get out there quick
10:59
it's hot like this is this is the
11:03
craziest fall fishing I've had in a long
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time
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see little man whoo
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but you got to do is just keep going
11:11
until it until it stops until the camera
11:14
can't run anymore as a dark this is
11:18
insane man it's crazy
11:21
[Laughter]
11:23
I don't believe I can't tell you that is
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not bad I'll swing him up oh actually
11:31
almost need enough this sounds this is
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crazy
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tell you that I'm flappin hog they're
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hitting it over there hitting saenko was
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flapping Hajis doing a jig right now he
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had another creature bait on earlier oh
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yeah buddy
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look at this craziness love it but this
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is it right here yeah look at that in
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slow motion down amazing I am having a
12:00
blast here this is I I called Tyler up a
12:03
long time ago he said largemouth how we
12:06
doing he's got lots of them ice is hard
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in the fall he says they're good get up
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here he's bright this is great hmm
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almost having gold money basket catch me
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a big one
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yep goodra PD I'm up there a mile buddy
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oh yeah nice buddy wait and off the
12:39
flurry oh yeah look at that thing
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thanks buddy
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that's gotta be a four enough oh it's
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pretty damn close with that belly oh
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yeah small mouth they're they're not
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giant and they just look at that that
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fish is oh yeah you got giant hands and
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I cover it beauty buddy second way to go
13:04
nicely done that's the way to end a
13:07
flurry the best part of it all right
13:10
there whoa took off quick too oh man
13:15
this is this is insane fishing this is
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the some of the best large most stuff
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I've ever done
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it's in the fall and it's in st. Marie
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okay
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this is this there it gets no better but
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brand new fishery you're opening up to
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the world
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yeah well you better pack it up I think
13:35
[Applause]
13:39
coming up I head upriver in search of
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trout to get the today's nonstop river
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fishing I first drove north on highway
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402 highway 69 my necks turned on a
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highway 17 heading Northwest and took
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that all the way to the town of Bruce
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mines I finally turned south on Bruce
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Bay Road which took me to Bruce Bay
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cottages and lighthouse even if you're
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not into fishing this destination has a
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very unique accommodation experience in
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that you can overnight in the authentic
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lighthouse that sits high atop the Cape
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Point overlooking beautiful Lake Huron
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we defy you to try and find a cooler
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place to overnight than this one from
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the cottages and lighthouse there's an
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abundance of boat launches throughout
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the area so far my st. Mary's river trip
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hasn't disappointed Tyler and I got
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loads of largemouth bass yesterday today
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we've travelled a bit north and upriver
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adjacent to the city of sue st. Marie
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and are going to fish an area known
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simply as the rapids this is Tyler's
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bread-and-butter guiding area with trout
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and salmon being his main quarry why not
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end up this great Oklahoma trip by tying
14:54
into one of these silver bullets in a
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whole new area of the river let's do
15:05
this very
15:20
[Applause]
15:26
that's a real good drip right there and
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I was good with you a couple Barlow's it
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just feel that you can feel every bit of
15:33
it yeah fish not nice Beauty man that's
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cool see it just a little different
15:52
bottom held on forever
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exactly it's almost felt like bottom
15:57
there's just a touch of difference yeah
15:58
you gotta have a feel for it I'll tell
16:00
you that man I got you fish it's gonna
16:02
cost you a lot of money and left all
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right mo 1225 both fifty feet behind the
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boat not even 30 feet behind the boat
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straight by and he's going downriver
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okay
16:12
Sidious to Sainte Marie right there
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folks I mean you're talking about
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city fishing at its best and just one
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species with that or urban fishing
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Northern Ontario style yeah yeah yeah
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easy guy you might have to come down
16:31
here ty yeah he's just a gorgeous little
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nice little trout well easy girl
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hey well done buddy hey took a vote a
16:43
couple of drips to get onto it but nice
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okay look at the backdrop here folks
16:51
Sue's ate Murray right there the city an
16:53
interesting note when fishing the Sioux
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Rapids anglers can catch both resident
16:57
rainbow trout as well as migrating
16:58
steelhead this little steely was the
17:00
perfect bonus to cap off a great trip
17:02
look at that folks
17:05
nice they're helping look at the
17:07
healthiest heck a glad I'm back what do
17:10
you let you do the honors for me then be
17:12
quick that's awesome what a trip man
17:17
this is fantastic October I mean I
17:20
dressed warm right now folks the windows
17:22
up a little bit so I this morning still
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you know neat so but doing all that a
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large most stuff yesterday late you know
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season 51 52 degree water tender
17:30
pounding am I'm getting even better than
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even like that come here the next
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morning and do this
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just getting started just getting
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started yes you've got so many other
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species right here in the river you got
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at this part of the river and now no
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threat or the bass area with the walleye
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typically this is the trout salmon and
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some walleye up here you move down and
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got the pike in the back it's all like
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it's almost like a couple of sections of
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did every species gold muskie included
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something unreal boy
17:55
thanks so much that was awesome today's
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hot spot is known as the st. Marys
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Rapids directly adjacent to the city of
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Sioux sainte-marie the waypoint on your
18:14
screen will get you there
18:15
we chose this hotspot because of its
18:17
easy access to a variety of fish species
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you can hire a local guide to get you
18:22
there or you can drop your boat in just
18:24
downriver in a very well maintained boat
18:26
launch you can also access these Rapids
18:28
with waders for those without a boat if
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you do run a boat use your depth finder
18:33
to keep yourself aware of the upcoming
18:34
rocks and boulders that could do you and
18:36
your boat harm the further you venture
18:38
upstream 5 feet or less could spell
18:40
trouble we ran our rig up River into the
18:43
rapids then cast out a variety of baits
18:45
while drifting back down with the
18:47
current when wading cast out an upstream
18:49
letting your presentation drip down
18:51
naturally for more hot spots like this
18:53
one check out fishing Canada calm
18:57
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19:01
the fish in Canada show brought to you
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19:24
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19:58
[Applause]
20:01
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