06/05/2026
With musky season opening in Southern Ontario tomorrow, I thought I’d share a photo of our last fish from the 2025 season.
Although this fish wasn’t very long, it was by far the most rewarding fish of the year. After more than 100 hours on this body of water, trip after trip, watching fish follow, losing fish boatside, and coming up empty, we finally landed our first fish on Trip 18, with less than two hours left in our season. It wasn’t the fish we were hoping for, but it was exactly the fish we needed.
Moments like these are what keep you grinding. After countless early mornings, long days, launching the boat, loading it back up, unpacking it, and doing it all over again, it’s easy to get tired, frustrated, and wonder if it’s even worth it. But every once in a while, you need to take a step back and remember what this pursuit is really about.
If you asked me whether this fish was worth 100+ hours on the water, I’d absolutely say no. But if you asked me whether spending those 100+ hours in the boat with my old man was worth it, I’d say absolutely, and I’d do it all over again tomorrow.
As much as catching these stupid fish is fun, they don’t come often enough to be the only reason we do this. The real highlights of this sport are the memories made between the fish, whether that’s minutes, hours, days, or even weeks between bites.
So as another season begins, I hope everyone has an incredible year on the water. Remember that these fish aren’t easy. There will be tough days, tough weeks, and maybe even tough months. When that happens, don’t forget that the people in the boat with you and the memories you make along the way are what truly make this sport worth it.
Cheers, and good luck this season 🎣🐉
