MANITOULIN—The ticket sales are fast and furious for the third edition of the Manitoulin Expositor Salmon Classic with the news that the salmon are biting hard in Manitoulin’s territorial waters.
The Salmon Classic is set to run this July 28 through to August 26 and promises an even more exciting four weeks for those who love to fish and want the chance at winning $30,000 in prizes, including a top prize of $12,000 for the heaviest salmon.
Some may have been following the Salmon Classic’s Dave Patterson and his fishing antics as part of the Ontario Fishing Guys (also featuring fishing partner Aaron Case, ontariofishingguys.com). If you haven’t, be sure to check out the videos of the many salmon, lake trout and more the pair have hauled in so far this year.
Mr. Patterson points to a massive lake trout Mr. Case caught earlier this month while fishing off South Baymouth. “He caught the biggest lake trout of his life weighing in at 23.5 lbs,” he said. “It would have won the derby last year. We also caught three salmon, and all of the fish were full of alewives.”
successful trip to South Baymouth waters. The trout wieghed in at a whopping 23.5 pounds.
Mr. Patterson said he’s been charting huge clouds of baitfish on his fish finder from South Baymouth to Providence Bay and, judging by the food found within the fish they’ve caught, the alewife, the salmon’s primary source of food, is back. This baitfish species saw a collapse in Lake Huron in the early 2000s which had a devastating effect on the salmon fishery. It appears, at least locally, things are looking up in that regard.
On Friday, June 22, the Salmon Classic earlybird draw was held at The Expositor Office with Thomas (TJ) Green of Little Current taking home the $500 cash prize. The almost-12-year-old fisherman has big plans for his prize money—a fishing kayak.
Tickets are just $65 for adults or $35 for youths and can be purchased at The Expositor Office, the Manitoulin West Recorder in Gore Bay, Up Top Sports in Mindemoya, the municipal marina in South Baymouth, Trailside Sports and Fishy Fishy Bang Bang in Espanola, Moxy’s Bait and Tackle in Lively and Ramakko’s Source for Adventure in Sudbury or online at fishmanitoulin.com.
For rules and regulations, visit fishmanitoulin.com or email info@fishmanitoulin.com. To wet your fishing whistle, be sure to check out Mr. Patterson’s footage at ontariofishingguys.com or on the Fish Manitoulin Facebook page.
