Ow to Survive the Winter Blues? Take One Part Bassman Magazine
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ow to survive the winter blues? Take one part Bassman Magazine. And a good 01' fashion heapin' helpin' of bass on T.y. Some of us 01' timers remember the father of Canadian Well, feeling the pain ofpulling out the boats, and putting fishing on TV: Red Fisher. Red's laid back TV shows, away the rods, Bassman Magazine decided that the best hosted from Seuttlebutt Lodge, ran for 22 years and made way to get through the off-season was to get the inside scoop on our favourite fishing shows. Check out this line him an angling icon to hundreds of thousands of anglers up: Izumi, Viola, Mercer, Boman, Miller, Stakos, James, across the country. Many of today's top Canadian Nolan, and Kolanka. A veritable who's who of the piscine TV fishing personalities are quick to credit Red for paving genre. Who are these people? What's it like to fish for a the way and for what has become a booming TV market living? How did it all get started? that eventually spawned Canada's new popular World Got your attention? Read on, because we found out their Fishing Network (WFN). views the old fashion way: we asked them. Bassman™ I Winter 2009 53 " BASS ON TV "I live to fish competitively! 1 started 35 years ago. Even though I don't have the time 1 make it a priority!" Real Fishing Host Bob Izumi Bassman Magazine ("BMM''): Tell us about YOllrselj. Host Ron James: Ajax, Ontario is where I was born and raised. Although there were plenty of streams and rivers Real Fishing: (One main host; on TV for 25 years) around that held trout and salmon, I graduated quickly Host Bob Izumi: I was born in Chatham, Ontario and towards bass fishing and have had a love affair with that grew up fishing Rondeau Bay. The Bay always had some green fish ever since. I got into bass tournaments in excellent bass fishing and was like a large hands-on 1987/88 - winning some, losing more - but most classroom for me while growing up. It was where I fell in impOliantly learning all the time. I met Owen Nolan the love with bass fishing and learned a great deal about the first year after he was drafted (first in the league) when I fundamentals of fishing that I still use today. drew him as an amateur in a Pro-Am Bass Tournament. Fishin' Canada: (Three Hosts; on TV for 24 years) He was a good bass angler then, and is a lot better now Host Angelo Viola: I was born in Bennevento Italy and and we're happy to have him as part ofour Fish TV Crew. was four years old when I moved to Oshawa ON. I've Host Owen Nolan: I was born in Belfast, Ireland and lived here ever since. The Oshawa Creek was my training fished for 20 years before joining the Fish TV crew part ground and it's where the truancy officers would first look whenever I played hooky from school. I didn't discover time. I entered the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques in bass until I was 10 and we visited Rice Lake, but ever 1990 and am still currently playing with the Minnesota since, there's been no looking back. Wild as a full time hockey player. Host Pete Bowman: I was born in Toronto and started Extreme Angler: (One primary host; on TV for 6 years) fishing when I was around three years old. Today ofall the Host Karl Kalonka: It was in North York Ontario that I species we fish for, largemouth bass are still my favourite was born and raised. I began fishing at 6-8 years of age with small mouth a close second. with family on Lake Simcoe for perch and pike. I started Host Mike Miller: I was born in Oshawa and started bass fishing from shore at High Park in downtown fishing when I was three. I got the Tournament bug and Toronto at 14. I would take the bus, streetcar and Fen)' to went pro in 1994. Largemouth Bass are all I think of. fish largemouth bass at Centre Island or I'd fish around Ontario Place and along the Toronto shorelines for Facts of Fishing The Show! smallmouth bass. (One host; beginning 2nd year) Dave Mercer: I was born in Northern Ireland and moved to Canada at the age of 5. The move fuelled my BMM: So /row did it all get started? ever-present passion for fishing. I grew up fishing lakes, rivers and streams in Southern Ontario for anything that Real Fishing: would bite. The transition to the fishing freak that I am I happened by chance to meet Bob Mcguigan at a family today really began at the age of 14 when I entered my first picnic. I told him about my desire to do a fishing show. He bass tournament and won $400.00... I realized bass were gave me his card and we met about a month later and sOrrlrthing extra special then and there and my fate was talked until four in the morning. He had some experience sealed ... I knew I just HAD to fish for a living. in TV commercials and hired a freelance cameraman to try filming a show. From there, we were off to the races. FISH TV (Three hosts; on TV for 10 years) Host Leo Stakos: I was born in Hamilton, Ontario and Fishin' Canada: started off fishing trout and salmon in local rivers. I It just kind of happened from a little video shoot that a eventually did get hooked on bass and when I got my first good friend Tom Brook of Shimano and I did on Buckhorn bass boat about 20 years ago, I thought I had died and gone Lake one day. It was then that we decided to begin our to heaven. climb up the fishing industry ladder...who 'da thunk it! Facts of Fishing: evolved and become better because I started with the popular tip series; of tournament angling. Dave Mercer's Facts of Fishing in Fish'n' Canada: Yes, yes and yes 1996. It was viewer demand that for all three of us ... how Ironic is really convinced me to add the half that? There may be a lot of viewers hour show, Facts of Fishing THE out there that don't realise the Fish'n SHOW which began December 1st, Canada boys were early pioneers of 2007. Canadian tournament fishing and Fish TV: The show got started in fact started the first organized through a series of trials and Canadian tournament trail. Angelo tribulations but we were determined and brother Reno were instrumental to focus on producing a highly in laying out the platform that most entertaining fishing show and we tournaments still use to this day. Our stuck with it. roots are definitely deeply embedded in competitive fishing. That burning Extreme Angler: desire to compete has never really I published various magazines for left us. Canadian anglers for 10+ years so it was a natural progression to TV. I Facts of Fishing: I don't think I'll always wanted to produce a show ever stop fishing tournaments, on local, public waters and offer although it has gotten a lot harder an alternative to far-off locations over the last few years to focus on or stocked lakes/ponds. Extreme them with all the other strains on my Angler TV films 100% on public time. Still, it remains an addiction water and showcases the amazing that I'm not looking to quit. I think bass fishing available right here bass tournaments are the single in Ontario with an "as real as it greatest testing ground for new gets" approach. products and techniques. It forces anglers to leam new techniques and BMM: Do yolt fish bass tournaments stay on the cutting edge of today's ami what role do they play ill the fishing scene. bass fishing industry? F ish TV! Yes ... We still fi s h toumaments and love the competition. Real Fishing: Yes, I live to fish The greatest contribution they make competitively! I started 35 years ago. in our eyes is to benefit the future of Even though I don't have the time I the resource. They promote catch and make it a priority! The techniques release not just during tournaments and equipment derived from but overall for all recreational anglers. tournaments help generate billions Extreme Angler: Love Bass of dollars into the North American Tournaments! I've fished them in economy. Bass boats, motors, Ontario since 1991 with multiple tackle and accessories have all wins, big bass awards and top 10's. "I dido't discover bass until 1 was 10 and we visited Rice Lake, but ever since, there's been no looking back." Fishin/ Canada Host Angelo Viola Bassman'M I Winter 2009 55 - - - I BASS ON TV It's easy to talk bass fishing but to win or consistently place BMM: How many days peryeal' do yOIi spendawayfrom in the money are two different things. Tournaments home as part ofyourfishing career? showcase products to non tournament anglers and offer a playing field for those who love to cast for cash. Every Real Fishing: I am on the road 280-300 days per year. The sport has to have at least one playing field that tests the best and for bass fishing - tournaments are it. most I was gone was 320 days in 2003. Fish'n Canada: 362, we draw the line at Christmas and BMM: So, this is an all bass magaVlle.