Hit The Petawawa System with Jim and the Heliconia boys yesterday. We fished from noon Saturday yesterday until early Sunday afternoon . We caught 7 muskies, had 6 other fish follow and broke off 2 on bass gear. Insane action out there….
Yesterday Jim and Ken both caught their first skis about an hour apart. ( Jim Also scored one beautiful Smallmouth bass) I was a happy man, so nice to see someone excited about catching a new species of fish let alone two guys catch ” the fish of 10,000 casts both within an hour.. … The sun went down I scored a small one on a spook ( 28″ or so…)
We woke up Sunday feeling refreshed, it was one really cold night to be sleeping outside. We had fish on film but wanted a bigger one. Jim and I trolled baits back to where we had action the night before and it did not take long for my bait to get nailed. It sounded like a toilet bowl flushing…
In she came a nice 42″ ski, our biggest of the trip. Huge head skinny body… she jumped 3 times and swallowed my bait. I cut out all three trebles and off she went.
I scored 2 more fish with the guys then headed back to the launched and caught a 33″ right near the launch…
The crew is heading down river until Thursday, they should be in for more action- White Water and stretches of river that get little to no fishing pressure. Stay tuned for more from Game on 2. Thanks for having me up guys and Lisa! It was a blast
Here are a few shots
This week marks the return of Jim Sammons to the wilds of Upper Canada, as we head back to the river and explore the untapped waters of Algonquin Park.
Last year Jim cut his chops and learned to surf white water waves on the Ottawa River. That week he managed to narrowly escape being pulled under by Joe’s Hole, an experience that he may never dash from his mind. What amazed us all is that even right after his near death experience, he bounced back and just kept fishing.
In the end, with the help of Jamie Pistilli, Brendan Mark and Ken Whiting, he managed to survive the wilds of Ontario, and come up with some monster Pike, Bass and Muskie.

We always knew that Jim would be back. Canada is our favorite place to fish, as it is our backyard, our childhood playground, and one of the most incredible places on earth. Now, with the TV show on the horizon, and a hit movie on our hands, we choose to live a second adventure here on the production teams home turf.
This time is gonna be a bit different. This time we are cutting the cord and going wilder than ever before. Six days in the outback, in one of the biggest stretches of untouched wilderness Canada can afford, on some of the only boats that could possibly fish in these rapid locked waters.
We are gonna be six days on the Petawawa River, out of range of cell phones and hotel rooms. Running on dried food and solar power. This time, we are really gonna be roughing it and fishing old school.
The Petawawa river is a 116 mile long behemoth, popular with whitewater kayakers and canoers. Much of the river is dense with rapids, which Jim is going to need special training to handle. Luckily, Ken Whiting and Brendan Mark are back to lend a hand. There are few people who know how to handle whitewater in a fishing Kayak like these guys, and they are going to be putting Jim through his paces before we can conquer the river.

One of the great challenges ahead for the sport we love is bringing more Anglers to the sport. Right now we see it taking off in coastal regions as kayaks prove themselves on the oceans and saltwater flats… so far, the river fisherman haven’t really taken notice, and we are gonna show them why they should. Kayaks can get to places on these rivers that no motor boat can, and as we saw in Montana, they drift better, and coast right over obstacles that would ground out a drift boat. Whitewater rivers show the next level. There are tons of fish between the rapids, fish that powerboats just can’t get to. But if you know how to run the river, you will often be the first to toss a lure at the unsuspecting monsters below.

None of us know what lies ahead. Will our Brunton solar recharger be able to keep our cameras rolling? (all the preliminary tests say yes.. this thing is COOL!!) What will we catch on this virgin river? How will Jim fare on his second attempt at the mysteries of rapid running? Will there be enough beer to last the week??
These and more burning questions will be answered in the weeks ahead… as Game On and the Kayak Fishing Show returns to Canada for round two…
Will
P.S. I promise not to try and kill him this time. I have to head to San Diego to shoot with him after this, and I choose not to incur the wrath of Allene…
We finally got a chance this past week in Montana to put the latest addition to the Ocean Kayak’s rack to the test. Oh man, am I ever excited!

The reality is that there are situations where paddling is huge hindrance, such as people who just don’t have the upper body strength, or when you absolutely need to troll for certain species of fish at a controlled speed… or if you are a photographer or videographer, shooting 5 guys fishing spread out across a lake and need to zoom from one to the other while never putting your camera down. This is when a pedal powered or motorized kayak is a handy thing. As a camera man I admit to staring at the guys that could zoom across the water with their hands free with a whole lot of lust. If I had something like that, I could keep the camera rolling instead of burning valuable time trying to get to my subjects… who inevitably catch a fish as far away from the camera as possible. Trust Ocean Kayak to come up with the ultimate solution. As soon as the Torque was announced I saw the possibilities.
One of the very first Torques off the production line was sent to Jim for us to try out in Montana. I thought we were gonna be in a bit of trouble when he told me he was bringing an electric kayak with him. The rivers in Montana are extremely shallow. Perfect kayak fishing waters, but absolutly no good for something with a motor. The local anglers all row down the river in specially designed drift boats, not a motor in sight. A motor would only hang up on the rocks and dense weed beds. On the lakes it would be fine… but we had 4 anglers, and two crew… and Jim only had room for 6 kayaks… someone was gonna be banging that motor down the river.
Jim laughed at me, and pulled out the Minn Kota motor and the battery and replaced it with a fitted keel piece that comes with every Torque… In skinny water the torque wouldn’t be a problem. It quickly converted back in to a standard kayak, just as lightweight as any Ocean Kayak Prowler. Consider my skepticism squashed.

Jim ran the Madison River for the first 4 days in the Unmotored Torque. Nothing much to say there, without the motor it paddled just like any other Kayak. He eventually took out the removable keel to let him get in even skinnier waters, and that made it a bit harder to paddle, as without it, the currents would push up in to the open hole and swing him around from time to time. Thats his fault for wanting to be able to get closer to shore than everyone else.. not the kayaks fault. (it paid off… he caught a ton of fish)
Finally… we got out on Ennis Lake for a real trout fishing fiasco. It was time to put this baby thru her paces. We swapped in the motor and the battery in less than one minute. The hook up was super simple. Jim got in, and proceeded to zoom accross the three miles to the fishing hole… while the rest of us slogged out the paddle. He arrived first.. and was fishing long before we got there.

A storm rolled in at about 2. It had been raining all day so we didn’t think much of it… until the first lighting strike. We needed to get back to the put in, and fast. A three mile paddle. Enter ‘Super Torque.’ Jim’s son, Randy, was having trouble fighting the wind and rain and was falling behind. Jim quickly rigged a paddle leash as a bow line and hooked Randy up to his kayak. The damn little Minn Kota never slowed down for a second… he pulled both of them to shore (and safety)… once again beating the pack. (Narrowly beaten by CG and Kendal, who wanted to beat the motor on principle)

The Next day it was my turn. I had a theory about being able to do sweet pans and fly by shots using the motor on the lake. It took some begging… but Jim finally gave in. So on the 6th day, Will got his wish, and was now motor powered.

Like many folks, when I fish, I want to paddle. It lets me tell my wife that I am “Not just fishing… I am getting exercise!” Which in turn gets me out fishing more. As a camera person, I hate paddling. I am always having to stop rolling because I have drifted away from my subject, or need to paddle like a maniac to get to a hooked up angler. The Torque is perfect for me. I can paddle it on fishing days, or swap out the motor for those long musky trolls… ahem… I mean days where I need to film people… yeah…
For those worried about Motor noise, fear not… the thing is very quiet, (no louder than a frustrated angler muttering curse words on the water) I got some awesome fly by shots, and was able to, for the first time ever, get Jim hook to release on a trout while moving. No time lost. I was able to zoom in tight from a long way away… and there was little to no camera shake. This is the ultimate shooting platform. Kendal just drooled as I zoomed in to position for the shot.
We got a good chance to put the battery time thru the paces. It will run about 2.5 hours at top speed. We also tested it’s pulling capacity. It can tow about 5 other kayaks without losing significant speed. Thats pretty amazing when you think about it. If you have a long way to go to your fishing hole, and lots of kayak fishing buddies… one Torque might be the solution.

Jim and I both loved the Torque. I can’t wait to get one of my own for all shoots. Go out and give one a spin, I think you will be a convert.
I will leave you with a shot of Jim rolling down the river. Oh Montana… how did ya get so darn pretty.
Will
So much great coverage from the inside of Kayak Angler Magazine. Jim and Matt are on the cover, Jock’s pictures are riddled throughout, and Howard has a 3 page article on the epic fight with the marlin.
Life is good!
Will
It’s official! The ‘Kayak Fishing: Game On’ crew is going PRIME-TIME! Jim, Ken and I are all super excited to let you guys out there in blog land be some of the first to know, that the movie is being turned in to a TV series!

Check out the ‘Official Press Release’!
Heliconia Launches Kayak Fishing TV Show on the World Fishing Network (WFN)
July 14, 2009, Beachburg, Ontario – The Heliconia Press, a leading publisher of books and DVDs on outdoor pursuits, is thrilled to announce that starting January, 2010, The Kayak Fishing Show: with Jim Sammons will begin airing on the World Fishing Network (WFN). The 13-episode TV series will be broadcast throughout the year into 25 million North American homes in both standard and high definition.
“The Kayak Fishing Show: with Jim Sammons is the result of two years of production investment,” explains Ken Whiting, Producer of show and President of Heliconia “We’ve been shooting the show in conjunction with the ExOfficio Presents Kayak Fishing: Game On movie series for the past two years with the hopes that it would evolve into a TV series. Needless to say, we’re ecstatic to see this dream come to life and are very optimistic about what this means for the continued growth of the sport.”
The Kayak Fishing Show: with Jim Sammons is a fresh new style of fishing show which is designed to entertain, inspire, educate, and appeal to viewers whether or not they have ever considered fishing from a kayak. Every 30-minute episode follows Jim Sammons on a genuine fishing adventure in a stunning location—from the wild coast of Alaska, to the tropical waters of Panama.
“This is a major step for the sport of kayak fishing,” says Jim Sammons, Star of the kayak fishing show. “It’s recognition from the fishing industry that kayak fishing is more than a passing trend—that the benefits of kayak fishing are real, and participation will continue to grow.”
It’s no surprise that the fishing industry is embracing the sport of kayak fishing. With the current state of both the economy and the environment, anglers are looking for cheaper and less damaging means of enjoying their passion. Not only does kayak fishing address these problems, but anglers are quickly realizing that kayak fishing offers an amazing and productive experience.
About The Heliconia Press
Since World Champion Kayaker Ken Whiting founded the company in 1998, The Heliconia Press has been producing best-selling and award-winning instructional books and videos about kayaking and other outdoor pursuits. The Kayak Fishing Show represents Heliconia’s first foray into the world of TV production. For more information about all of Heliconia’s products, please visit www.helipress.com.About WFN
the World Fishing Network is the only 24/7 television channel dedicated to all segments of fishing. Originally launched in December 2005, today WFN and WFNHD are available in more than 25 million households through North American cable, satellite and telecommunications distributors. In the U.S., distributors include Verizon FiOS, Dish Network, Charter Communications, GVTC, and more. www.wfn.tv






















Early to rise on day two and a short row to ‘crooked shoot’, with a few fish along the way (mainly bass and a bunch of musky blow ups, nothing big landed).This was the only technical whitewater on our route, and we knew that the raft wasn’t gonna take the beating. So we broke down our equipment and prepared to portage it to safety on the far side of the rapids. This was fine for our packs and barrels, but there was no way the four of us could haul the raft through the kilometre long trail. While ken ran the kayaks with painstaking perfection through the complicated pools of rushing water, we brainstormed a solution. It would be rough, but we could do it. We had to haul the raft over a rocky outcrop, and down through and old logging chute. It took us most of the day to finally get back in the water. Ken had the stamina to keep fishing (which amazed me since he had to run the rapid twice, do a 1 k portage, and help line and haul the raft), Lisa and I needed to jump in the lake to clean off the stink of sun beaten labor, and Jim simply passed out in happy exhaustion with a glass of wine and a book.





On the morning of the sixth day, there was fish for the great Sammons. First he conquered the bite, as finally a massive 38 incher stuck to his big silver Sebile. The rest of the day was followed by fish. Many fish. In three hours Jim caught 3 monsters. Bringing our count to 15 musky in 6 days. That many in a year would be a respectable amount. That many in just a few days is insane. Perfectly, wonderfully, Insane.












On the second day of our adventure, the training was over and it was time to hit some serious fish. First stop was a quick visit to our friends at 















