Author: Josh Wood

By Josh Wood & Jason Murdock Kayaks have been around for thousands of years with a primary use as an aid in the pursuit of fish and game. Originally built with animal skin stretched over a whalebone or wooden frame their modern counterpart is typically polyethylene resin. Over the last 15-25 years the sport of kayak fishing has taken off and is flourishing all over the world in all types of water bodies. From a stealthy pursuit of easily spooked fish in the shallows to jigging in the wide open ocean, these vessels are putting more and more people on good numbers…

When your “go to” lures just aren’t cutting it. So many water bodies and so many species to target, ice season is back and with it come endless opportunities for fun on the ice. I love a good fight with a stocked rainbow now and again and definitely don’t mind steamed trout occasionally. I could go down to the grocery store and buy a farmed trout at an affordable price, but they always seem to taste better fresh caught, and I will spare you the many other reasons I justify fishing as much as I do. With many provinces stocking…

Knowing what the big cats are dining on helps land monsters! The open water season is slowly winding down and lots of folks pack away the tackle and focus on one of the many other unique opportunities fall has to offer. The shorelines aren’t as crowded as they were in the peak of summer and I will often take advantage of this by getting out fishing, sometimes for catfish. Some years we are lucky with a slow transition from summer to fall and fall to winter and others not so much. A sustained milder weather pattern is ideal for both…

Alternatives to a jig and a worm for panfish If you got your start fishing at a young age there is a good chance that your first fish was a panfish. Many people classify panfish as a fish sizeable for the pan. Be it a Bluegill, Crappie or a Rock Bass, all are fairly eager to bite a variety of presentations. Most anglers move on to “bigger and better fish” leaving the days of smaller species on the end of a line behind them, often forgetting the exhilarating fight and exuberant colours offered by the smaller members of the Centrarchidae…

I still remember the first Freshwater Drum I ever caught. I brought it to shore on the muddy banks of the Red River while bottom fishing. “What kind of fish is this?” I had asked as I began to remove the hook. “A Drum, and they can get way bigger” was the response from my friend. With droopy eyes and subtle hints of turquoise and pink shimmering on its side, I thought it was pretty cool looking. As I went to release the fish, it croaked almost like a frog before making contact with the murky water. What a neat…

The temperatures have dropped and the landscape has changed, a season many dread is upon us and I can credit ice fishing for me not being one of those people. The crisp layer on top of the snow pack crunching beneath your feet, each breath exhaled clearly visible as you near your intended spot on the ice. The rare chance of a sun dog on those almost too cold to be outside kind of days. These are just a few of the things I like about ice fishing. With so many species to target and many more bodies of water…

There I was, sitting in the dentist’s chair waiting for the freezing to kick in. The day had come for my tooth to be pulled and I hadn’t been looking forward to it. Not long into the procedure it became quite unbearable and I needed to go to that “happy place”. I had never had to do this before, I didn’t know if I even had one, but a few calming breaths and I was there. Out of all the places I had been, I was surprised this was the one that had become that “happy place”, trout fishing in…

Often overlooked and similarly undervalued, rough fish are some of the best fighting, interesting looking and sometimes challenging fish to catch. A good portion of my shore angling is spent targeting carp, different species of suckers and catfish just to name a few. Many different types of water bodies hold rough fish and each requires its own plan of attack, what works one week may not the next and as with any fishing, seasonal patterns are very important. The saying “here today, gone tomorrow” often applies and when the bite is hot and the weather nice, it’s time to go…