Owen Nolan
Owen Nolan

Ex-NHL Player Owen Nolan’s Fishing Hot Spots

Advertisement

An all-round outdoorsman and former co-host of Fish TV, retired NHLer Owen Nolan has returned to the small screen as the star of his very own fishing and hunting program: Sportsman360TV on Wild TV.

Team: Retired (most recent: Minnesota Wild 2009–10)

Advertisement

Position: Right wing (#11)

Born: February 12, 1972; Belfast, Northern Ireland

Years fishing: 35

Advertisement

Favourite fish to catch: Bass

Biggest fish: 160-lb. marlin

Advertisement

1. Pacific Coastline, B.C.

Why: The incredible power of the chinook salmon.

When: July.

Where: I prefer to fish the inlets away from the choppy water.

HOW: Trolling cutplugs and lures.

2. Lloyd Lake, Saskatchewan

Why: The lake is loaded with pike and walleye—it’s easy to have 50- to 80-fish days.

When: June and July.

Where: For walleye, target rock piles, drop-offs and points. For pike, focus on bays, flats and weedbeds.

How: For walleye, use jigs and rip baits. For pike, nearly anything you can tie to your line will work.

3. Bay of Quinte, Ontario

Why: The chance to catch 10-pound-plus walleye.

When: November.

Where: Near the town of Picton.

How: Trolling Reef Runners and Rapala Deep Tail Dancers with downriggers and planer boards.

4. Lake Erie, Ontario

Why: The opportunity to catch numbers and sizes of smallmouth bass.

When: Summer.

Where: I have a lot of success at the mouth of the Niagara River, but it’s not the only place you can catch them.

How: It’s a great place to try any technique, but I can’t stop fishing topwaters.

5. Lake Ontario, Ontario

Why: Great Pacific salmon fishing.

When: Fall.

Where: Port Dalhousie is a good launching point.

How: Trolling rip baits.

6. Lake Simcoe, Ontario

Why: It’s fun catching jumbo yellow perch, and nothing beats the fish fry.

When: Spring.

Where: This is another one of these places where it’s hard not to find fish.

How: Spinning gear with light line and soft-plastic minnows.

7. Niagara River, Ontario

Why: The challenge of fighting steelhead and brown trout in a strong current.

When: November and December.

Where: Queenston and the Niagara River Whirlpool.

How: Nine- to 11-foot rods, light line and roe or yarn.

8. Lake Scugog, Ontario

Why: The chance to fish for bass, crappies, walleye and muskies in just one location.

When: Summer.

Where: Weedlines.

How: Too many tactics to list!

9. Port Colborne, Ontario

Why: Fun fights with big carp.

When: Summer.

Where: Along the Lake Erie shoreline.

How: Use spinning gear with light line and dough balls, corn or worms.

10. Shelter Valley, Ontario

Why: Small streams and big steelhead.

When: End of April.

Where: Any streams that run into Lake Ontario usually hold steelhead.

How: Nine- to 11-foot rods, light line, floats and roe bags, yarn or flies.