From Thursday morning until 5:00 p.m. tomorrow, the Sheraton Laval Convention Center will host numerous exhibitors from the world of hunting and fishing.
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Gaétan Mondou, Sylvie Mimeault and the entire team of the national hunting and fishing equipment fairs in Quebec, Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières are hosting their 26th event in Laval and are working hard to delight visitors to the rhythm of their passions.
Forget that
Remember when there were two separate exhibitions in Montreal? There was the Outfitter Show and the Camping, Outdoors, Hunting and Fishing Show. They took place over a period of five or even ten days and sometimes occurred as little as two weeks apart. Such a situation forced several devotees living in the region to choose one or the other.
Anyone waiting for the show in Montreal in 2024 will be waiting a long time, because all organizers have decided to leave the city center of the metropolis. The exorbitant costs for halls, hotels, parking spaces, etc. have prevailed against the main players. Only the Boat Show, which takes place from February 8th to 11th, survived.
Alleluia
From now on, fans will have the choice to go to the Sheraton Laval Convention Center today and tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Then, from March 8th to 10th, in seven weeks, at the Outdoor, Hunting, Fishing and Camping Fair in its new location in Saint-Hyacinthe. So two separate events, one on the north coast and the other on the south coast, almost two months apart, which do not harm each other. Everyone benefits from it.
“The Carrefour Laval location is known to everyone and meets all our needs and expectations in terms of easy access, proximity, free parking and rooms. One of our strengths is to present this show at the beginning of the year. The reservation books of the many outfitters are then almost empty and visitors have significantly more choice in terms of availability,” explains organizer Gaétan Mondou.
Almost a hundred natural destinations come together under this umbrella, mainly from Quebec as well as Ontario, the Yukon and Africa.
In the approximately 115 kiosks you will also find two specialist shops, fishing lures, all bait requirements, guides, boats as well as fishing kayaks, clothing, local products, entertainment, etc.
Jeremy Coon-Cone from outfitter Aigle Pêcheur presents his various packages for zander, tilapia and giant pike. Photo provided by Patrick Campeau
Good deals
To help you get the results you want, I interviewed a few outfitters Thursday morning to tell me what lures work best early in the season in their little paradise. Here are their answers.
Paul Ouimet of the 100 Lacs Sud outfitter told me that the best way to target walleye is to fish with a bottom walker and a leech or even drop shot with a leech. For sprinkling, he suggests using the traditional Lake Clear wobbler with a leader and worm and the Bob-it.
As for the Rudy outfitter, Alain Bolier told me that it would be wise to use the Williams Wobbler and the Lake Clear Wobbler to fool the most popular species of fish, the speckled trout. Zanders love the legendary ThinFin, Twister jigs and the Wally Diver. The pike, in turn, likes various swimming fish and surface bait.
Kenauk Nature's Olivier Maître recommends the Muddler fly, the Atomic Teaser and the Williams Wabler to get rainbow trout to respond. For largemouth bass, he believes the gentle Senko offerings, presented wacky and tubed, generate a lot of response.
At Domaine Shannon, Sylvain Danis assures us that the walleyes love the jig garnished with a leech, the soft-bodied jigs and the fish. The pike does not hesitate to pounce on Williams wobblers, Toronto wobblers and large wobblers with its mouth wide open. Speckled responds well to the sight of Bob-it and Lake Clear Wabler.
Simon Charbonneau of Pavilion Wapus told me that the blown worm, worm harness and jig are unbeatable for catching walleye early in the season. He believes that for speckled fishing, the Muddler Fly, Lake Clear Wobbler and Mooselook Wobbler are the ideal arsenal to achieve your goals.
At the Némiskau outfitter, Peggy Roberge told me that she suggests her customers use the Toronto wobbler, the Lake Clear wobbler or various flies for attracting speckled and splake. Lake trout, on the other hand, are often fooled by soft baits mounted on jig heads, Jigging Rap and Big O.
At Coin Lavigne, Sylvain Turenne advises guests to use the blue Lake Clear Wabler, the Bob-it and the Sutton to catch speckled trout. When it comes to rainbows, he prefers the Woolly Bugger, the Lake Clear Wabler and the Williams Wabler.
At Lake Mistassini, at Camp Louis-Jolliet, Jérémy Coon-Cone says walleyes love Twister jigs, Rapalas and bottom walkers with worm harnesses. For pike he chooses the Williams Wabler, the Daredevle and the Spinnerbait. Then, in his opinion, the speckled fish is often tempted by EGB, Ridge Back and Lake Clear Wabler.
the tickets
The entry fee, in the form of a passport that grants access throughout the weekend, is $14. To encourage the next generation, entry is free for those under 17.
To find out more, visit pourvoirie.net.