Wow! It’s been over 20 years of Fish TV! Time flies when you’re having fun—and fishing is always fun, even when you’re not catching anything. The success of Fish TV is thanks to our loyal viewers, and also largely to the relationship with fishing partners on the boat. This is truly something that can’t be replicated on or off the water. When Leo started Fish TV, he shared the deck of the boat with Steve, and the friendly competition started to see who was the better angler. There was never a dull moment, and it was fun to watch!
Then in 2003, Ron James came aboard, and a new friendship and competition began. Leo and Ron have spent countless days on and off the water, and the memories will last forever. Their adventures have resulted in record fish for each of them, and they were able to capture those special moments and share them on TV with all of their fans.
When you think about the destinations that the Fish TV crew has been to, it is no wonder that the fun continues. We have travelled all over the world and found that Ontario has the best fishing by far… from giant muskie like the 65-lb Canadian record holder caught in the Moon River near Georgian Bay to world-class walleye up to 15 pounds caught in the Bay of Quinte, to crazy numbers of fish that are caught in Northern Ontario because there is no pressure. Then there are also giant salmon and rainbow trout caught in Lake Ontario. Ontario is an untouched fishery, and believe me when I say it is the best fishing in the world!
From time to time, the Fish TV crew has had the pleasure of hosting special guests on the boat. NHL players like Owen Nolan, Nik Antropov, Johnny Bower, and Bryan Marchment. NBA player Brian Skinner. Toronto FC star Jimmy Brennan. Great actor Ving Rhames and comedian Russell Peters. Whether they were catching fish or not, it was always a good time.
Then, the youngblood showed up. Jeff Chisholm grew up watching Fish TV and always wanted to be on the show. He made guest appearances in some of our ice fishing episodes, and his experience fishing the waters in the Bay of Quinte area made Jeff an obvious choice to join the Fish TV crew.
At certain times, fishing can be a serious business. If you ask Leo, Ron, and Jeff, they will tell you they are serious about fishing, but the times when you can laugh at the crazy situations they get themselves into are where some of the best memories come from. So, after 20 years of filming, the Fish TV crew went back into the archives and had a lot of laughs going through 20 years of blooper footage.
Sometimes you just can’t believe the things that happen when you’re out on the water, and it’s that unknown factor that helps to make the great adventures we share with our viewers every week.
To this day, people always ask in a light-hearted way, who is the better fisherman: Leo, Ron, or Jeff? Don’t ask them, because you already know what their answers will be. That is the one question that will never be settled, and it’s probably best that way.
The thing about Fish TV is we like to film where our fans like to fish, and most of them fish in Ontario, so we will be filming most of our shows right here in beautiful Ontario.
From starting on two networks in Canada to now airing on 10 networks across Canada and three in the US, the growth of Fish TV has been remarkable over the past 20 years. The combination of our great sponsors, great fans, and, of course, the families of the entire crew has helped to make Fish TV the 20-year success it is today.
So what’s next? Another 20 years? If you ask the guys, they will be fishing for the rest of their lives, so anything is possible. There are some big plans in the works, but you’ll just have to wait and see what comes next.
