Untamed Pursuits

Epiosde 23: Mastering Multi-Species Fishing with Greg Amiel

• Outdoor Journal Radio Podcast Network • Episode 23

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Greg Amiel shares his extensive knowledge of fishing in Ontario, including his experiences as a fishing guide and a record-holder. The episode emphasizes the importance of community, technology in fishing, and preparing for successful trips while inspiring listeners to pursue their own fishing adventures. 
• Insights into the fishing season and hot spots in Ontario 
• Discussion on trolling techniques and effective bait choices 
• The impact of technology in modern fishing practices 
• Achievements in record-holding by Greg and his family 
• Practical advice for booking fishing trips and engaging with local guides

Speaker 1:

Back in 2016,. Frank and I had a vision to amass the single largest database of muskie angling education material anywhere in the world.

Speaker 2:

Our dream was to harness the knowledge of this amazing community and share it with passionate anglers just like you.

Speaker 1:

Thus the Ugly Pike podcast was born and quickly grew to become one of the top fishing podcasts in North America.

Speaker 2:

Step into the world of angling adventures and embrace the thrill of the catch with the Ugly Pike Podcast. Join us on our quest to understand what makes us different as anglers and to uncover what it takes to go after the infamous fish of 10,000 casts.

Speaker 1:

The Ugly Pike Podcast isn't just about fishing. It's about creating a tight-knit community of passionate anglers who share the same love for the sport. Through laughter, through camaraderie and an unwavering spirit of adventure, this podcast will bring people together.

Speaker 2:

Subscribe now and never miss a moment of our angling adventures. Tight lines everyone.

Speaker 1:

Find Ugly Pike now on Spotify, apple Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts.

Speaker 3:

Welcome to this week's episode of Untamed Pursuits. I'm your host, jamie Basile, and my trusty sidekick, ryder Knowlton, who is actually traveling. We don't call him air miles for a reason, so Ryder can't be here this week with us for a reason. So Ryder can't be here this week with us. But in order to compensate, we have an amazing guest From Toronto. We have Greg Emile Fishing for Tails charters. Greg is a two-time IGFA record holder and his kids have records as well. So pretty stuff. Uh, we're gonna bring greg on and uh, see what's going on in toronto. Greg, how you do man good, how are you, jamie? I'm good. So the end of the season is near. We're we're pumped. Uh, you know show season. I'm sure we're gonna see a bunch of shows up in toronto. Um, how was your season?

Speaker 4:

it's a long season for me. We had a great season, though, um this year. We started uh third week of march and we just finished uh less than a week ago that's incredible.

Speaker 3:

You're lucky, your your season's a little longer than ours, but uh, you fish from lake Ontario, simcoe, quinney, georgian Bay, corvus a little bit of everything.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I like to mix it up and it's great for my clients getting out and doing multi-species fishing fishing for Kings or walleye all year. Guys like variety and so do I, of course.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, and as a guide it's.

Speaker 4:

it's tough to do the same thing every day, absolutely.

Speaker 3:

So what's your favorite fish to take clients out for?

Speaker 4:

So salmon is probably my most popular. We're doing that pretty much May, june, july, august, all the way until mid-September. Sometimes during May we do different species as well as the boats being trailered to different ports chasing the fish. But once the kings are off Toronto Island, that's my home for a good three months.

Speaker 3:

Island. That's my home for a good three months. Yeah, it's a great spot and you know the private, the busiest city in Canada. So many, so many guests and tourists. Now, in terms of where do people stay, I guess I could say do you have any?

Speaker 4:

preferred places. So I mean it all depends, because I get clients that come in with their spouses and they like to go out in the town uh, maybe catch a show in the evening, uh. So those types of clients will stay downtown. Uh, various hotels, different budgets, uh. Then I also get clients who are, you know, with the guys and they're not really into downtown Toronto. So some of them actually stay up in Richmond Hill, where I live, and it's about a 25 minute ride in the morning for them to get to the marina. So nice and easy and good variety of food along the way.

Speaker 3:

So it makes it easy for everybody of food along the way, so it makes it easy for everybody. You said you travel down east like Lake Ontario. What range do you cover in terms of salmon fishing?

Speaker 4:

So in the spring St Catharines is pretty hot. It's hard to beat. Starting third week of March, april. Once May turns around, then we start focusing on Oakville area, a little closer for home, for me as well and usually by early June, end of May, the Kings are off Toronto and once the Kings are there, they are there until it's time for them to go up the river, and even then we still have an amazing fishery offshore. It's something we call the Blue Zone. You could be anywhere from 6 to 15 miles offshore and you know rainbows, cohos, immature kings and mature kings all in one spot.

Speaker 3:

That's awesome, and you're primarily trolling, I guess, when you're with your guests.

Speaker 4:

Yep, we are trolling, but we've come up A sponsor of mine called Wackham Tackle. They make blade baits very popular for Lake Erie walleye harnesses and they have made a new bait. Uh, they haven't redesigned the wheel, but they've made a blade bait and this blade bait is like no other that I've ever used. Uh, it's got great action, great colors. They've produced really good jobs. They were coming in three sizes and I started testing them out this year for kings on Lake Ontario, jigging for kings. Now I've trolled for 30 years and it makes me smile. Every time I grab a spinning rod or a bay casting rod and I get a 20-pound king on, and I've got to chase this thing down with the electric just so I don't get spooled out. So it is a blast, that's an awesome way to fish right like, especially.

Speaker 3:

Like you said, you're used to having the line counters out and catch them with different ways.

Speaker 4:

I always want oh yeah, and using live scope nowadays it just makes it's a game changer for getting more hookups how are you using uh new technology to help you catch fish?

Speaker 4:

so I'm running uh garmin units on the boat. I've got the lvs 62, so that's the big transducer. Uh, I can shoot out three, 400 feet. Even more when I'm trolling. I can see my dipsy diver 300 feet behind the boat. I can see my riggers down 200 feet. I can see my flasher, or my meat, rotating and I can see kings coming into the spread. So I can basically tell a client you know the right dips, he's going to go off, and he can stand by the rod and grab the rod before it even goes off. Wow, it is a game changer.

Speaker 3:

That's crazy. Now did you? I gotta say now that you're up with technology. Have you noticed what you thought before was happening? Like you know, basically when you're trolling an area, would you think that, oh, we're going to get a bite here, or is there more fish? Is there? How has technology changed your trolling? And you're thinking?

Speaker 4:

So instead of seeing 2D sonar, which basically have a 15, 20 degree cone angle, you are now seeing 360 degrees around the boat for 500 feet and you can now see surface fish. So fish being 10, 20 feet under the surface of the water and a hundred feet of water and with that cone angle on 2D sonar you would be very limited to see those fish. Now I just finished Bay of Quinny walleye fishing for big fall walleye. So we're talking 8, 9, 10, up to 13, 14 pounders and these walleye are very spooked. It's not like Lake Erie or other lakes. They do not want to be beside a boat. So if you're fishing in 30 feet of water you will barely mark a big walleye on 2D sonar. But when I use my live scope shooting out 100, 200, 250 feet, they are everywhere. So it is a big difference. You know, as a guide, knowing that those fish are there, deploy the planter boards, offshore planter boards out 100 feet, 150 feet and target those fish that are off to the side. They do not want to be under the boat.

Speaker 3:

That's incredible. I've noticed that too, especially with LiveScope. Especially in really pressured areas. You can see the fish kind of shying away from the boat. They know what's up.

Speaker 4:

Oh, 100%. And you know we do do a casting program for walleye or other species, bass, crappie, perch and I am now able to tell my clients, cast out 50 feet right side of the boat and I point my arm and I say point to that. You know, cast to that direction and you'll see the fish on live scope eat the jig. It's uh, it's truly amazing.

Speaker 3:

That's incredible. That's a good way to pitch. Do you enjoy it as much as as as your natural instincts of hey there's a tree, hey there's, you know?

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I mean I could see all types of things on the LiveScope it is. You could definitely tell what it is. Running it over with side scan or down scan helps as well. But yeah, I mean I've marked, let's say, on Simcoe pickup trucks, sailboats, ice huts. Simcoe pickup trucks, sailboats, ice huts, all types of different structures and underwater piping, and it really tells you what is around and what the structure looks like as well.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, and oftentimes, you know, with the old school technology it looks like a little bump. Like you said, it could be a pickup truck, it could be a snowmobile or whatever.

Speaker 4:

No, it is definitely a difference, so you fish.

Speaker 3:

Ontario Lake, simcoe Bay, quinty, georgian Bay and the Coors Lake some of the like the most Ontario Ontario legendary waters. Do you have a favorite spot on all the fish?

Speaker 4:

We also do Lake Erie as well. Lake Erie is a fish factory for walleye. I mean you can go there within two hours. You have a four or five man limit on most days, so putting fish in the boat is not a problem. Trying to extend a six hour trip is more of the problem because most guys get limited out in the two hours. So yeah, I mean Lake Erie is great, lake Ontario is amazing, bay of Quinny getting big walleye in size. So what I've done for my guiding is I've basically trying to hit my favorite close-to-home spots that I can fish year-round and target them when they're at the best bite and at the biggest. Yeah, target them when they're at the best bite and at the biggest.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so what is your favorite body of water? I know it's like I'm a guy too, right, so I got close to home.

Speaker 4:

But is there one spot that when you launch the boat, you I think salmon off Toronto Island is probably my favorite, just like you said, close to home we're getting minimum a dozen fish, at least on a bad day, and that's a six hour trip. This year we did on a full day trip. Well, it was actually two trips, two six hour trips, so we did 81 Kings landed in one day, so my shoulder was broken just from, you know, bringing in these fish over the rails into the boat. Um, but you know there's, uh, I love it, I, I truly enjoy the Kings. Uh, they pull the hardest, uh, size is great. And we also have a Derby called the Great Ontario Salmon Derby that for eight weeks clients can win prizes of up to $50,000 cash, and last year we had, I believe, 10 clients on the board. There was actually two derbies, and this year we had three clients on the board for the one Derby. So, uh, it gives an extra added excitement knowing that the next fish might be worth big bucks yeah, and their trip might be covered.

Speaker 3:

And then they're booking with you all the time. Right, like that's cool. It's like you get your lottery ticket while you're out fishing. Oh, that's amazing. So, king Sandman, in terms of trolling, what?

Speaker 4:

are you?

Speaker 3:

guys running.

Speaker 4:

Springtime I run crankbaits. Spoons are very popular when the water's real cold, mainly St Catherine's area. Once the water warms up you could start introducing meat rigs which are herring strips. I either cut my own, brined with Potski, which is a sponsor, the fire brine, I dye them with their fire dye them with their fire dye, and I'm also uh use if I'm too busy and I don't have time to cut. Uh, mike Levine has a team underdog cut baits which are really well cut baits as well.

Speaker 4:

I am very, very critical on how the bait is cut. Uh, if not it won't run right and it produces less fish. So if they're not, my own strips, team underdogs are great and the saying is how your meat rolls right. So if you're not rolling right you're not going to get bit, or you won't get bit as often. So once the meat bite is on as often. So once the meat bite is on, for the most part I run almost all the rods, meat rods in the summertime. Sometimes we vary it with some spoons or some flies, but I think last year I went through almost a hundred pounds of whole herring that get filleted into herring strips.

Speaker 3:

That's incredible. That way of fishing is not. We don't hear about that very often. Right, you hear the spoons and the crankbaits, but the bait version of trolling you don't hear about too often. You know the bait version of trolling you don't hear about too often.

Speaker 4:

It is getting more popular through the summertime with some of the guides, but again you know I'm going through $1,000 plus of herring. So some people don't want to spend the money, maybe to buy all the herring and take the time to cut it and brine it or buy pre-made strips. So some guys run artificial herring or some guys will just run their spoons and flies and the cost of bait is insane.

Speaker 3:

The cost of lures is bad, but the dead bait or the live bait, like we're running Sockers for muskies and it was $1.15 an inch and it was like three baits for 49 bucks.

Speaker 4:

So it's very expensive. I had a client this year we were crappy fishing and they wanted live bait and I went into the store and I'm like I haven't bought live bait in years like that, live minnows. And remember, this is crappy size and it was $16.99 for a dozen. You know, and when you crappy fish you need like four or five dozens of minimum. Yeah for sure. And I was just like, oh my God, this is I'm just going to use plastics?

Speaker 3:

Do you start off your season, I guess, with the panfish bite?

Speaker 4:

Yeah, so ice out perch on Simcoe is on fire. I mean, 200 fish days, four guys. They get their daily limit, uh, no problem. And there's a lot of big fish, so, um, that is a fantastic bite. Uh, it's the time when they are the fattest and heaviest, so, uh, that bite's really exciting. So that bite's really exciting. And then we move on to different species as different species open up. Right so early May Bay of Quinny opens up. So I'll head down there for a couple weeks, two, three weeks, and guide down there. I do a couple tournaments with Ben who owns Tackle Depot and yeah, we have fun. Clients love it, because you're targeting more eating walleye as opposed to the fall time. You're targeting the larger walleye from the lake, so the smaller walleye definitely tastes a lot better.

Speaker 3:

Oh, I agree, One of my favorite meals to make for sure.

Speaker 5:

Hi everybody. I'm Angelo Viola and I'm Pete Bowman. Now you might know us as the hosts of Canada's Favorite Fishing Show, but now we're hosting a podcast that's right. Every Thursday, Ange and I will be right here in your ears bringing you a brand new episode of Outdoor Journal Radio. Hmm, Now, what are we going to talk about for two hours every week? Well, you know, there's going to be a lot of fishing.

Speaker 1:

I knew exactly where those fish were going to be and how to catch them, and they were easy to catch.

Speaker 5:

Yeah, but it's not just a fishing show.

Speaker 6:

We're going to be talking to people from all facets of the outdoors, from athletes, All the other guys would go golfing Me and Garth and Turk and all the Russians would go fishing To scientists. But now that we're reforesting and letting things freeze.

Speaker 1:

It's the perfect transmission environment to live and be.

Speaker 2:

To chefs If any game isn't cooked properly To chefs If any game isn't cooked properly, marinated, you will taste it.

Speaker 5:

And whoever else will pick up the phone Wherever you are. Outdoor Journal Radio seeks to answer the questions and tell the stories of all those who enjoy being outside. Find us on Spotify, apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Speaker 6:

How did a small-town sheet metal mechanic come to build one of Canada's most iconic fishing lodges? I'm your host, steve Nitzwicky, and you'll find out about that and a whole lot more on the Outdoor Journal Radio Network's newest podcast, diaries of a Lodge Owner. But this podcast will be more than that Every week on Diaries of a Lodge Owner. But this podcast will be more than that Every week on Diaries of a Lodge Owner. I'm going to introduce you to a ton of great people, share their stories of our trials, tribulations and inspirations, learn and have plenty of laughs along the way.

Speaker 5:

Meanwhile we're sitting there bobbing along trying to figure out how to catch a bass and we both decided one day we were going to be on television doing a fishing show.

Speaker 6:

My hands get sore a little bit when I'm reeling in all those bass in the summertime, but that might be for more fishing than it was punching.

Speaker 2:

You so confidently? You said hey.

Speaker 6:

Pat, have you ever eaten a drum? Find Diaries of a Lodge Owner now on Spotify, apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

Speaker 3:

Now, in terms of alternate species, this is one thing we've talked about in our podcast. I know you've got some records Any fish that you like that are kind of off the beaten path.

Speaker 4:

Yeah, I mean I used to love carp fishing. I mean it's it's not a common species, I don't. I used to guide for it. I actually used to guide fly fishing for carp off Toronto Island and you know I've had a few clients, especially some British clients who was really hot on that idea, and just over time I've got too busy with the salmon fishing so I just focused on the salmon. But still fun to carp fish once in a while and switch it up a little yeah, that's for sure.

Speaker 3:

I've done some carp trips too and they're one of those fish like they fight, like health clients catch them, especially a lot of the European clients right like over there. You know they spend thousand dollars to fish different lakes and to come here and it's like kind of an untapped resource it's. Uh, it's a good way for them to get over here and catch some fish. So now I'm thinking what else? Like tell me about your IGFA records. So you've got a couple under your belts, you've got two yourself and you've got three daughters that fish as well.

Speaker 4:

I have a daughter and two boys and my wife also had a record for IGFA. So I grew up a lot more saltwater fishing down south in Florida and IGFA Museum is there and we used to go with the family as kids and I started looking up the records and I'm like, oh, walleye, you know it's 11 and a half pounds. I'm like we catch 12, 13 pounders in Quinney all the time. So maybe I can break that record. And that record was 20 something years old 25 years old. So there was a line class record on two-pound test.

Speaker 4:

Now, if anyone's ever used two-pound test, your hair is stronger than two-pound test. So I had to relearn how to tie knots on two-pound test and IGFA. You have to use tournament line or IGFA approved line, which means that it breaks at two pounds or less. It cannot go over two pounds and then you have a whole bunch of different rules of leader lengths. So I had to do a lot of research and learning how to break it and how to submit it and make sure your scales are certified.

Speaker 4:

And the first time I actually thought I broke the record I didn't do something right, which was actually at the time. I bought the wrong line. The line tested at 3.3 pounds, so obviously over two pounds. So I had to wait another season, spend a lot of time, go through 60, 70 walleye before I can actually get the size I wanted and I believe it was a 12-pound walleye on two-pound test and record got verified. So that was really exciting. We did a whitefish record on six-pound test and then my wife wanted a record so she broke the record herself on the six-pound test. On the six pound test my kids have records from carp to rainbow trout to walleye and, I believe, whitefish as well. So I believe in the family we had 11 IGFA records between youth and adult records.

Speaker 3:

That's amazing. I went through the same thing. I was looking, I started fly fishing really hardcore about 20 years ago when I saw the carp record. I'm like I think I can get that. And sure enough I broke the record by four or five pounds. I didn't feel the fish. I didn't feel the fish take the fly.

Speaker 3:

So I set the hook and it was kind of deep. I got it in, I had certified scale, I had witnesses, I did everything I needed to do. But then, because the fly was deep, I didn't want to. You know, I couldn't get the fly out. So I cut the line, let the fish go. And then you know, they said all you need to do is you gotta submit x amount of line, a little bit of tippet and the fly. I was like, well, the fly's still in the fish so so it didn't get out right. But it's amazing how those records. There's so many amazing fish out there and, as as an angler, it is pretty cool to go to target and try to catch the biggest fish of a certain line. It really helps.

Speaker 4:

It's definitely a thrill and a challenge, right? I mean, I'm sure you didn't get it on the first day and I know I didn't get it on the first day. So it gives you a goal and a mindset to go out and chase that record and you know anybody listening. Go out and break the record, do your research, get two-pound test, igfa two-pound test and break the record. There's 12-plus pounders out there.

Speaker 3:

So by all means, get the record, get a certificate on your wall and, uh, you know it's fun to do that's it, and there's some unique species that we have up here in canada that are bigger than other places in the world, so you can kind of go through the record book. It's one of those good bathroom reading materials. I think I could do that.

Speaker 4:

You know, and yeah.

Speaker 3:

So what's your? What's your show season like this year?

Speaker 4:

Probably busy again. Well, we've got the two Toronto shows. I do help out Tackle Depot. They've got a big booth in all the shows. Tackle Depot has a store called High Files Outfitters in Belleville. They do hunting and fishing, but Tackle Depot is just the fishing part. It's their online store. So we do the two Toronto shows. Which is Andy Pallotta's spring and fishing show it's their online store. Uh, so we do the two Toronto shows. Which is Andy Pallotta's, uh, spring and fishing show. Uh, we do the sportsman show in March, during the March break. Uh, we are doing the Ottawa show again. Um, I will be doing seminars, I believe at the Belleville show this year and uh, I think there's a couple more on the list that we were going to do, but I don't have the schedule in front of me right now and possibly doing the boat show. Maybe hang out in the Lund booth and talk to some clients, since I'm sponsored with Lund as well.

Speaker 3:

Any other sponsors you want to give a little shout out to?

Speaker 4:

Well, I mean, lund is great Tackle Depot. I'm also with Shimano Canada. They've all treated me well Potski, underdog, offshore Planer Boards. There's a lot of great sponsors. They've been, I've been with them for many years. You put your time, your effort into them and, yeah, they've been great. So always support, you know, those companies if you can, and especially Canadian ones, wacom Tackle, for example. So yeah, just happy with them and I'm happy that they support me If you can, and especially Canadian ones, wackham Tackle, for example.

Speaker 3:

So yeah, just happy with them, and I'm happy that they support me as well. I'm sure I'll see you. I'll be at the spring show for Sure in Toronto, the actual fishing show in March, and I'll be in Ottawa too, so we'll be able to catch up and grab a coffee and go for there.

Speaker 4:

So if somebody's in Toronto, they're out there looking for a fishing trip, what's the best way to reach you? So I do have the website. The website is wwwfishingfortailscom. It does have to get revamped, which is hopefully this winter. We'll be working on that. If not, the best thing is call my cell, If I can put my phone number up there it's 416-560-6062.

Speaker 4:

Call me I'm kind of old school that way and get some dates, get some pricing and get your dates in early. We are already booking for the 2025 season and usually salmon goes quick. The walleye dates go really quick. So get your dates in early so you get the right ones you need.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, I'm a guide as well, so I think if you're looking to book Greg, give him a call. Pricing is kind of it depends on what you want to do so.

Speaker 3:

if you want to go on a certain trip, you want to catch a certain species, a certain amount of time, you know, like on my website, I don't put prices on it. I know Greg's the same. Like we'll take care of it. Just give Greg a call. He'll be able to, you know, give you the trip you're looking for, whether it be gigantic. You know quinny walleyes, some salmon, or you know some spring panfish, Like this guy's got it covered from spring to fall.

Speaker 4:

We do corporate guys as well, we do multiple boat charters, and what's really popular, especially at this time of the year, is gift certificates. You know for Christmas time presents. You know it's really been great. So we send those off, you can put a little message on them and yeah. So if anybody's interested, give me a call, yeah.

Speaker 3:

Man. No better Christmas gift. Who needs a pair of underwear or some you? Know another fuzzy sweater with create the memory of a lifetime. Go fishing with fishing for tails man Greg. Fishing with Fishing for Tales man Greg. Thanks so much for catching up, brother. Thank you, jamie, I'm so excited to see you over the winter. And cheers man. Thank you, buddy, take care Thanks so much. On behalf of everybody here, thanks so much for tuning in to Untamed Pursuits on the Outdoor Journal Radio Podcast Network.

Speaker 7:

As the world gets louder and louder, the lessons of our natural world become harder and harder to hear, but they are still available to those who know where to listen. I'm Gerry Ouellette and I was honoured to serve as Ontario's Minister of Natural Resources. However, my journey into the woods didn't come from politics. Rather, it came from my time in the bush and a mushroom. What came from my time in the bush and a mushroom? In 2015, I was introduced to the birch-hungry fungus known as chaga, a tree conch with centuries of medicinal use by Indigenous peoples all over the globe.

Speaker 7:

After nearly a decade of harvest use, testimonials and research, my skepticism has faded to obsession and I now spend my life dedicated to improving the lives of others through natural means. But that's not what the show is about. My pursuit of the strange mushroom and my passion for the outdoors has brought me to the places and around the people that are shaped by our natural world. On Outdoor Journal Radio's Under the Canopy podcast, I'm going to take you along with me to see the places, meet the people that will help you find your outdoor passion and help you live a life close to nature and under the canopy. Find Under the Canopy now on Spotify, apple Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts.