Of all the outdoor activities, fishing is by far the one that most people actively engage in. Since I present to you about four times a year, here are photos of our readers with the trophies and the great catches they were able to thwart.
• Also read: Resume the course of our activities
FULL TEETH
Jean Durand from Sainte-Émélie-de-l'Énergie is one of the best pike fishermen I know. His favorite offerings are usually the Mepps Syclops and the Canoe Wobbler. During a visit to the store, he fell in love with the new perch-colored whitefish. According to him, the pike, including this large specimen, fell in love at first sight on his first outing last summer.
Photo provided by Patrick Campeau
NICE SIZE
Since retiring, Mark Stiffel has only thought about three things: spending quality time with his family, traveling with his loved one and trying to catch big fish. During a trip to outfitter Aigle Pêcheur on Lake Mistassini, he used Sassy Shad and Meeny Mister Twister rigged on a 1⁄4-ounce jig head. The percids responded by letting them bounce to the bottom, near current yields.
Photo provided by Patrick Campeau
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
With the help of a drop shot rig and a very live leech, Diane Couture was able to catch these walleyes with delicious meat, which were served ashore during a good lunch. Its Live Scope Panoptix transducer and Garmin sonar allowed it to locate target fish at a distance, and its next-generation Power-Pole Move ZR electric motor helped it stay in place or move stealthily without making a sound.
Photo provided by Patrick Campeau
DREAM TRIP
Serge Pitre, like everyone else, works hard to make a living. Every year he works a lot of overtime so that he can afford great trips, including to the far north. We see it in this photo with a gorgeous 4 1⁄2 pound brown trout in extravagant colors. This ogre comes from the waters of the Grevé River in Ungava Bay. He was won over by flying with a black Wooly bastard.
Photo provided by Patrick Campeau
BALANCER TECHNOLOGY
Pascal Marin loves fishing the waters of Lake Saint-François because he outwits many fighters like this by using Big O and spinnerbaits along the cliffs. Convinced the flipping technique would be productive, he tied a 3/8-ounce Hack Attack jig topped with a 4-inch Rage Bug. On his third attempt, his fishing line went sideways. He pushed hard and that big mouth appeared as if by magic through the watery jungle.
Photo provided by Patrick Campeau
SURPRISE
Sébastien Charbonneau's astonishment was palpable at the outfitter Domaine du Cerf Blanc in Bowman on May 7 when he was convinced he was fishing in a lake filled with only small speckled trout. After tossing a mini tube in tricolor, orange and chartreuse, this 7.7-pound “rainbow” jumped onto its victim with its mouth wide open and performed some breathtaking acrobatic leaps.
Photo provided by Patrick Campeau
GREAT COMPLICITY
For grandfather Vincent Lauzon and his grandson Matéo, fishing is a serious matter. When Vincent caught this gigantic 89 cm long zander with an orange-yellow rubber bait garnished with a piece of earthworm, he swung his rod wildly. Luckily, Matéo gets along very well with the landing net. An explosion of joy, happiness and pride followed. These two accomplices will long remember this trophy, foiled in a secret lake in the Outaouais.
Photo provided by Patrick Campeau
TO FINISH NICELY
As the ice disappears from the St. Lawrence River, open water fishing from boats will be possible in certain areas through March 31. Last year, on graduation day, Francis Pelletier tried his luck in the Montreal region. He topped a 3⁄4-ounce jig head with a set Berkley softbait in orange and yellow. He had this 11-pound walleye respond to the vertical wobble in 25 feet of water.
Photo provided by Patrick Campeau
A FIGHTER, A REAL one
A fisherman since childhood, Nathalie Ricard is starting a new life after a year of treatment for brain cancer. As her 40th birthday approached, she hoped she would be able to haul a 40-inch musky aboard her rowboat. Congratulations, dear enthusiast, on your 44-inch Muskie. comes from the waters of Lac-des-Îles, near Mont-Laurier. She fooled him by throwing a black bucktail. “Check,” as she says so beautifully.
Photo provided by Patrick Campeau
UNFORGETTABLE BATTLE
During a fishing trip to Lake Saint-Pierre, Richard Tardif got quite a surprise when this very large largemouth bass literally devoured his Booyah Pad Crasher surface frog. A fierce fight ensued and Alain Rondeau was able to end the confrontation by immobilizing the attacker between the meshes of his landing net. The fish was immediately put back into the water in the hope of fooling him again.
Photo provided by Patrick Campeau
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