Speakers

“Muskies Canada @ Work” is an all-volunteer production.  All of our speakers have donated their time and expertise to enrich our knowledge and appreciation for Canada’s wild Muskellunge and the great Muskie waters where they live. Muskies Canada and our partners, sponsors and donors would like to thank them for their contribution.

Muskie Experts:

Jim Saric is one of the most knowledgeable Muskie angling experts in the world and owner of “Muskie Hunter Television”. He will be leading our session Sunday about Northwest Ontario, LOTW and more.

Gord Pyzer is the top expert on Northwest Ontario, having been OMNR manager for over 30 years. Gord is an avid Muskie expert, guide, author, speaker, and winner of over 60 awards for outdoor journalism.

John Anderson is owner/operator/top guide of “Ottawa River Musky Factory” and co-owner of Musky Factory Baits. John is a top speaker on advanced musky techniques and delivers the incredibly popular “Musky Monday Seminar Series”.

Josh Borovsky: is a highly successful guide and co-publisher of the “Musky Insider” newsletter that we all read weekly. Josh is a great speaker and provides excellent info, tips and stories. 

Jason Quintano is co-captain at “Fins and Grins musky charters” and holds the current record for largest musky ever caught on Lake St. Clair. Don’t miss Jason in the “Trolling Lake St. Clair” session. Jason is one of the best technical trollers you will ever hear from. 

Terry Vandewauwer is a legend on the Canadian side of Lake St. Clair. He owns Rampage Charters and brings over 30 years of knowledge about Lake St. Clair and its Muskies. He will be sharing all that with us in the “Trolling Lake St. Clair” session, Saturday. 

Kyle Garon – If you love videos about big, fat Muskies, you need to watch the “Georgian Bay“ Session. Kyle is the creative lead for “Slobland Flix” and his videos will leave you wanting more.

Bill Barber: is a top guide on the St. Lawrence River running Trophy Hunter Charters. Bill grew up on the big river and knows how to find the giants that live there. Don’t miss “My Best Day” Saturday, to hear more from Bill on big girls of the  “Larry”.

Brent Bochek is a guide, a speaker about all aspects of Muskie angling and regular contributor to Muskies Canada’s Release Journal magazine. Brent’s new series “Set the Hook” TV series is taking the Muskie world by storm.  Brent will be in three sessions: “Kawartha Lakes”, Saturday as well as  “The Mighty Niagara” and “Muskie Handling Techniques- Catch & Release” on Sunday. 

Mike Parker is a well-known Lake St. Clair Muskie guide and a top bait maker. Handlebarz musky Lures have become favourites for avid Muskie fanatics everywhere. Mike is a great supporter of the Muskie fishery and important research. Catch Mike in the “My Best Day” session Saturday.

Andy Pappas is owner of “Vicious Fishes” guide service and knows almost everything about the Nipissing/French River region. Andy is also a Director of Muskies Canada, founder of the Barrie chapter and member of the Muskies Canada Hall of Fame. Don’t miss him in “Managing Muskies in Northeast Ontario” and in the “Georgian Bay” session.

Kert Lavigne is a well known guide on the Upper Ottawa and Madawaska River systems. 

Gerry Cariou loves Muskies and fishes for them regularly all over Northwest Ontario. Gerry is Executive Director of Ontario’s Sunset Country Travel Association which brings together the lodges, guides and tourism industry services for this legendary Muskie Region which is so popular with our American friends that travel north for our wild Canadian Muskies. Catch Gerry with Jim Saric and Gord Pyzer in our session “Ontario Sunset Country – Lake of the Woods and More” on Sunday. 

Yvonne Brown leads “Ontario Women Anglers” and has put together a great session on “Women & Muskies” on Saturday afternoon. Hear more from top lady-anglers and guides about how quickly the women’s segment is growing.

Megan McGregor is on Shimano pro-staff and is a passionate Muskie huntress. She will share her knowledge and enthusiasm in the “Women & Muskies” session Saturday. 

Lisa Goodier is making her mark as a top guide with “Ottawa River Musky Factory” and was recently featured on Brent Bochek’s “Set The Hook” TV series. Don’t miss her in the “Women & Muskies” session.

Alyssa Lloyd is a talented angler and Muskie huntress and an avid photographer.  

Samantha Dadson is a trophy Muskie huntress and extremely talented bait maker. Join us for the “Women & Muskies” session to hear Samantha share her secrets of success. 

Mike Swan is a very talented and experienced Muskie hunter and is the donor of the coveted Mike Swan moving and Storage trophies that go to the winners of our chapter outings.

Martin Berube has been a fishing maniac since he was young. He has hundreds of muskies caught to his credit and each season many of his outings would be for many people their best day of muskie fishing ever.

Maxime Delisle is a member of the Montreal chapter. Last December, Maxime Delisle braved the weather and captured monsters each time. Maxime’s fishing story’s main theme will be based on perseverance for sure.

Denis Jobin or Jobineur for his close friends, Denis Jobin has been a member of the Montreal Chapter for a long time. His friends at the time teased him that he tended to often capture small muskellunge: Jobineurs. But believe me, Denis captured really big muskies as well.

Daniel Leclair has produced dozens of web shows Pêche en ligne. Daniel is a multispecies fisherman who always seems to know what to fish and when for a guaranteed fishing success each time.

Muskellunge Science & Research Experts:

Hon. John YakabuskiMinister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Ontario

Hon. Mike HollandMinister of Natural Resources and Energy Development, New Brunswick

John M. Farrell, Ph.D., Head, Thousand Islands Biological Station, ESF, SUNY:Dr. Farrell and his team has been documenting muskellunge on the St. Lawrence for more than 20 years.

Sean Landsman, Ph.D., Instructor at Carleton University:
Dr. Landsman is author of “Project Noble Beast” and is a leading expert on the impacts of fish handling. 

Stephen Marklevitz, Ph.D., Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry: 
Dr. Marklevitz is the province of Ontario lead on the “Lake St. Clair Muskie Telemetry Project”. 

Jan-Michael Hessenauer, Ph.D., Michigan Department of Natural Resources:
Dr. Hessenauer is overall intergovernmental lead for the Lake St. Clair Muskellunge Telemetry Project.

Chris Wilson, Ph.D. is Research Scientist, Aquatic Biodiversity and Watersheds Unit, OMNRF. Chris oversees the genetics lab for the Miinistry and is researching Muskie/Pike hybridization. 

Matt Windle is senior biologist, River Institute, Cornwall, On. and lead on the Fish Identification Nearshore Survey (FINS) project on the St. Lawrence River. 

Arunas Liskaukas, OMNRF, and member of the MCI Hall of Fame:
Arunas is Management Biologist, Upper Great Lakes Management Unit – Lake Huron, OMNRF

Arunas has served for over 30 years with OMNRF and probably knows more than anyone about the Muskies of Northeast Ontario and Georgian Bay. 

Jeff Amos, is Regional Aquatic Ecosystem Science Specialist, Resources Advisory Team, OMNRF. Jeff is invoved in consultations regarding size limits and season openings in the Frech River and Lake Nipissing region. 

Dan Taillon, is Aquatic Biologist, Fisheries Section, OMNRF. Dan works closely with Muskies Canada and is involved in the Ontario Angler Log Program

Erin Wilson, Student, University of Guelph and is working on with the Kawartha Lakes Chapter on Pike Invasion in the Kawarthas.

Abigale Culbertson, Undergraduate Student, University of New Brunswick and is working with the Saint John River Chapter studying Muskies of New Brunswick. 

Muskies Canada Resources

Gerry Taillon is Chair of the Kawartha Lakes Chapter

Chris Purdy is 2x Past-President and Chair of the Ottawa Chapter.

Dave Boxall, Toronto chapter, was project lead on the Lake Simcoe Muskie Restoration Project, and is a member of the MCI Hall of Fame. 

Bruce Bauer is Chair of the Belle River Chapter and works closely with OMNRF and partners on the Lake St. Clair Muskellunge Telemetry Project. 

Jaime Sebastian is acting Chair, Upper Valley Chapter (Ottawa River)and a guide in that region. 

Ryan Pickering is Chair, Kitchener-Waterloo Chapter.

Rob MacRae is Chair, Gananoque and 1000 Islands Chapter and one of the donors of “A Day in the Boat”.

Marlon Prince is Chair, Saint John River Chapter and is a Muskie guide (fly & conventional angling) on the “Johnny”. 

Mike Howser is Chair of Mississauga Chapter and a Muskie and Salmon Guide. King Bowser’s Guide Service is also donating “A Day in the Boat”.

Dave Belisle is Chair, Hamilton Chapter. 

Pierre Masson is Montréal Chapter Chair – Président du chapitre de Montréal. 
Pierre is also our Web Director and overall producer of “Muskies Canada @Work – A Virtual Odyssey”.

Jacques Lamothe is Sudbury Chapter Chair. 

Alan Cugliari is Chair of the Barrie Chapter. 

Peter Levick is Odyssey Director. Peter is a Past-President of Muskies Canada and former editor of Muskies Canada’s quarterly magazine “The Release Journal”.