Dan was practically born with a fishing rod in his hand. Growing up in the Great Lakes Region fishing has been a major part of his life from a very young age. When not on the water you can find Dan enjoying time with his family.
Having fished for just about anything that swims in freshwater, Dan is well versed on multiple techniques whether it be from shore or from a boat. Jigging, casting, float fishing, fly fishing, you name it! He is constantly keeping up with trends and new techniques .
Dan has been fishing all of his life. He is knowledgeable about most freshwater fish species. Walleye, Pike, Muskie, Bass, Panfish are all fish that he has a vast knowledge of but Trout, Steelhead and Salmon would be where his expertise really shines.
ICS Canada, Montreal, QC
Diploma in Freelance Writing obtained through ICS distance education
Georgian College, Barrie, ON
Completed courses in Business Administration
When I get asked what my favorite target species is, the answer is simple: trout. My love affair with these incredible fish stems from my younger years, hiking along river banks in search of anything willing to bite what I was offering. Brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, or steelhead, it didn’t matter. The elusiveness […]
Fishing can be a game of details. The finer points are often what can make or break a day on the water. This couldn’t be any more relevant than when fishing for trout. Add fly fishing into that mix, and those little details suddenly become more prominent than ever before. As someone who began fly […]
More often than I would care to admit, I find myself stuck in the middle of the debate over which fish is stronger: salmon or steelhead. The answer, in my opinion, is an easy one, but one I get a lot of hate for. Salmon are the harder fighting of the two by far. Steelheaders […]
As anglers, we all understand the importance of having quality gear. The case could be made that no matter what you’re chasing, your chances of success can depend greatly on that gear's ability to perform - and perform well. Perhaps none is more important than when fishing for salmon. Too often, I witness utter disappointment […]
There are few guarantees in fishing, but without fail, each year comes steelhead migration. That migration can look different depending on where in the country you’re located, but one thing is for sure: with that migration comes droves of anglers flocking to their local tributaries in hopes of hooking into one of these magnificent creatures. […]
I often get asked what the most important piece of equipment is when it comes to steelheading. While a case could be made for just about anything, my answer is always the rod. Steelhead are strong, acrobatic fish that can put some serious punishment on your gear, and it's the rod that takes the brunt […]
North America boasts the most diverse trout fishing in the world. From native brook trout and rainbow trout to introduced fish like the brown trout, the list of great trout fishing on this continent can go on and on, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they are one of the most sought-after fish […]
When steelhead fishing is hot, it can be some of the most exciting fishing going. Steelhead are big, strong, hard fighting, and incredibly acrobatic. It’s not hard to see why their popularity has been steadily increasing year after year. But if you’re familiar at all with steelhead fishing, then you’re probably well aware that those […]
I’ll admit that I spend a lot of my fishing downtime wandering around tackle shops and sporting good stores. Even if I’m not picking anything up (which is a rarity), walking aimlessly up and down the isles is almost therapeutic. The one aisle I end up spending more time in than I probably should is […]
Bass and trout: different fish, yet both extremely popular. Both are found across the country. Both are highly sought after. Maybe you’re new to fishing, or maybe you’re proficient in fishing for one, but looking to try the other. Whatever the case, some questions can be raised. To the untrained eye, bass and trout can […]
As the boat idled out of yet another shallow water bay, our day was all but done, and the fishing had been nothing to write home about. A handful of small bass was not the result we were hoping to get out of the hours we had just spent casting. And then it happened. As […]
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of bass fishing? Fast, flashy boats full of top-of-the-line gear? Sure, that’s how lots of anglers chase bass, but it’s not how it has to be. In fact, some of the best bass fishing can be done from shore. It’s no coincidence that you […]
There are some things in fishing that can leave me scratching my head, wondering how, or better yet, why? Like the time I sat on the river bank and watched someone reel in more than one migrating salmon using a marshmallow as bait. Or the time I was handed a lure made of nothing more […]
These days, it’s easy to get caught up in all of the hype that is bass fishing. After all, bass are the most popular sport fish in the country. With that hype comes the idea of needing the best of the best. The fastest boat, the pinpoint electronics, the endless trays of lures: all things […]
Spring is quickly approaching. Is there any better time to be chasing big bass? Sure, some might argue that fall can be more productive. But considering most of us have been cooped up for several weeks, it’s easy to see why spring can be our favorite time of the year. We’re back on the water, […]
The dog days of summer. The sun is hot, and the bass are nowhere to be found. Hot summer days can make for some tough fishing. So when the fish have tucked themselves into heavy cover, or gone in search of cooler, deeper water, what can we do to turn our luck from bad to […]
Spoons, quite possibly the single lure as old as fishing itself, date all the way back to the 8th century AD. Of course, these were rudimentary versions of what we know today, but there's no doubt that spoons have been catching fish for a very long time. Simplicity and versatility are what make spoons such […]
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that a staggering 80% of the population lives within 10 miles of a bass pond. It's very likely you have a good bass pond in your backyard, so to speak. Fishing ponds for bass brings many of us back to our fishing roots. It makes us nostalgic and […]
Trends in fishing come and go. Yes, some show up and take us all by surprise and really do end up being the next big thing, but many get their fifteen minutes of fame and fizzle out, becoming nothing more than a ‘remember that’ story. Case in point: the rat. Ok, the rat hasn’t lost […]
I’m willing to bet that a peek into any angler’s tackle box is going to reveal something we all have in common: the spoon. Our fathers fished with them, our grandfathers fished with them, and our great-grandfathers fished with them. There’s a reason these lures have survived the test of time since their inception in […]
With an estimated 45% of the world's freshwater right here in North America, we’re lucky to have some of the best fishing opportunities anywhere. So many freshwater lakes, rivers and streams, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we also have the most diverse trout fishing in the world. What is surprising is where trout rank […]
The year is 1936, and with a chunk of cork in his hand, fisherman Lauri Rapala is about to set the scene for what is quite possibly the greatest fishing story ever told, carving a lure that, unknown to him at the time, would change the fishing world forever. The crude lure made from cork […]
Too often in fishing, things fall out of popularity. Lures are the biggest victims. Rods, reels, electronics: they all continue to evolve but generally stay consistent as far as what everyone is using. Lures, however, can be a different story. Something comes along that’s rumored or proven to catch lots of fish, and suddenly there […]
Trout and fly fishing go hand in hand. But what if you’re not a fly fisherman? Does that mean you have to miss out on some of the best and most popular fishing this country has to offer? Not at all. With the advancements of fishing rods over the years comes more and more options […]
When I was younger, there was this local pond my buddy and I used to fish any chance we got. There could be a number of reasons why this particular pond had so many bass in it, but it didn’t matter to us. We had somewhere we could go, five minutes from home, and catch […]
What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word “bass”? “Smallmouth”? “Largemouth”? Maybe even “stripers”? Whatever area of the country you live in, you’re probably going to have a different answer. There’s a fish that’s rarely mentioned, though, and that’s the peacock bass. Why? Because for most anglers, they’re nothing more than […]
The first thing many of us think about when we hear the word shad is bait. Whether you fish for bass, catfish, any fish, really, shad are a favorite, so it’s understandable that our minds immediately go there. While it’s true that shad are an excellent bait and a major food source for most fish, […]
Goliath Grouper. With a name like that, it’s not surprising that they’re a wildly popular sport fish. After all, who doesn’t like the idea of chasing giant, prehistoric-looking fish? But as with most sport fish, the question arises can you eat goliath grouper? The answer could be a simple yes, but this is a very […]
Texas. The lone star state, where everything is bigger, including the bass. As the largest state in the continental U.S, it comes as no surprise that the estimated number of lakes and reservoirs in Texas is upwards of 7,000. Overwhelming, yes, but it’s worth taking a look, considering there’s a strong possibility of landing a […]
It’s amazing how many sport fish fly under the radar when it comes to being a great meal. The peacock bass is one of those fish. Eating peacock bass can be up for debate, especially in southern Florida, where many anglers believe they should be released to preserve their population, but whatever side of that […]
Which plastics are best for bass fishing? There’s no simple answer to that question. With plastics that can cover any fishing situation, on any lake or river, anytime of the year, it would be impossible to narrow it down to just a few. But here we are, trying to do just that. Whether chasing smallmouth […]
Winter: time to get the bass gear packed up and the boat winterized. Bass fishing is, after all, a warm water sport. Or is it? Maybe it’s not the most lucrative time of year to be chasing bass, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. In fact, with a huge drop in - or […]
As bass anglers, we all have boxes dedicated to the lures we know are going to catch us fish. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, poppers: the choices are endless. But what about the Whopper Plopper? While nothing new to the bass scene, it’s often a lure we see missing from our fellow bass angler’s tackle bags. As […]
Cold weather can bring out the worst in fishing. Baitfish get lethargic; food sources that were prominent in the warm weather months are now all but non-existent; bass simply turn off. So it stands to reason that bass anglers do the same thing, hanging up the rods in favor of the guns and leaving the […]
All too often, smallmouth bass and largemouth bass are lumped into the same category. That’s understandable, considering they’re from the same family, but sharing those family bloodlines is where the similarities often stop. A lot of baits used for either fish can be overlapped, and what catches one will often catch the other. But successful […]
When it comes to both recreational and professional angling, there’s no doubt that bass are the most popular species to catch. While it can be up for debate as to which bass is the most sought after, smallmouth bass rank high on that list. If you’ve targeted smallmouth bass, then there’s a good chance you […]
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a casual weekender - or you fall somewhere in between - versatility is a big part of a successful day on the water. Having a variety of lures on hand is important no matter what you might be fishing for, but with a smallmouth bass’ willingness to eat anything, […]
Eating smallmouth bass is a topic that carries with it some controversy. Whether you’re talking to a professional bass angler or a casual weekend fisherman, everyone is going to have an opinion. These opinions tend to fall on one side of the argument or the other, with little give or take. The simple answer to […]
For trout anglers, there’s probably no greater prize than a big Rainbow or a massive Steelhead. Armed with sharp senses, but not as aggressive as browns or brookies, these trout subspecies are a real test of your fishing skills. But the better you understand trout, the easier they are to catch. We’d like to help, […]
