The Perfect Venue for a Friendly Competition: Air-Dale Lodge

After more than four decades on the water, the Fish’n Canada crew has fished just about every scenario imaginable. From remote fly-in adventures to big-water trolling, the show has always celebrated the many ways Canadians enjoy fishing.

But in this episode, the crew decided to return to where it all began.

Long before Fish’n Canada became a national television series, the passion that fueled it was deeply rooted in the early Canadian bass-tournament scene.

In fact, we can confidently say that if it were not for tournament fishing, there would be no Fish’n Canada Show.

So after 40 years, it felt like the perfect time to produce a little fish’n derby of our own.

The stage for this friendly competition was set at Air-Dale Lodge, located on the beautiful Whitefish and Manitouwik Lakes in Ontario’s Algoma Region. These lakes offer outstanding multi-species fishing, making them the perfect arena for a modern Fish’n Canada showdown. The time of year was October… a great time for fishing in Northern Ontario, if the weather cooperates.

Angelo took on the tournament organizer duties. One of his jobs was the participant list… who’s in and who’s not? And it didn’t take him long to come up with a plan. 

Are you ready for this… newcomers Dean Taylor and Steve Niedzwiecki teaming up against longtime veteran Pete Bowman… Wait what??? 

2-V-1??? 

You betcha! And good luck to you, Mr. Bowman, cause you’re gonna need it!

Instead of the traditional bass tournament format in which the fish are individually weighed, Ang decided this competition would be ruled by the total accumulated length of four species commonly found in these waters: walleye, lake trout, northern pike, and smallmouth bass.

To keep things fair and conservation-focused, the crew used modern technology. Fish were measured on official boards and logged using the Anglers Leaderboard app, which uses AI to identify and measure fish from photos. The system allows anglers to record their catches instantly while keeping the competition 100 percent catch and release. No weigh-ins, no stress on the fish, just quick photos and back into the water they would go.

Of course, a derby that was devised and run by Ang would need a little twist, right? Let’s face it, good television is what we need!

So Dean and Steve were given the advantage of getting to fish from the fully rigged Princecraft Expedition 200, complete with 4 Garmin EchoMap screens, 2 LiveScopes, a SteadyCast GPS heading sensor, etc., etc. Pete, on the other hand, was left to fish from a smaller “tiller-boat” provided by the lodge. To help even things out just a wee tad, Pete was allowed to bring along a portable Garmin electronics kit complete with LiveScope. In his words, “I’ll take it!”

With the rules set, the derby began.

Round One: Inches Matter

During the month of October, the weather will always dictate the attitude of the day. As the boys headed northward and despite battling the brisk, cold air early in the day, the anglers still managed to locate some schools of deep walleye. The action started fast, and while many of the fish were on the smaller side, every inch counted toward the final total.

By the end of the first round, Dean and Steve had managed to edge ahead. In a game where even a few extra inches can make the difference, their early consistency gave them the lead.

Round Two: The Next Day Morning Bite

After our competitors chowed down on a fine Ontario fishing lodge bacon & egg ‘brekky’ in Air-Dale’s restaurant at first light, both boats eventually headed toward the north end of the lake, chasing the classic early morning walleye bite. The run was quick and comfortable for Dean and Steve in the Princecraft, but a little slower for Pete in his tinner. 

That early advantage allowed Team Princecraft to get on fish quickly, stacking up inches while Pete worked his way into position. 

Still, the veteran wasn’t about to go quietly.

 Pete soon found a flurry of action, including a couple of decent walleye that boosted his total and kept him firmly in the race.

Round Three: Weather and Adjustments

As the day unfolded, changing weather conditions (typical during the fall in Northern Ontario) began to influence the competition.

A bank of fog separated the two teams for part of the morning. While Pete dealt with limited visibility, Dean and Steve found clearer skies and strong winds funnelling down the lake, which actually helped position fish along certain structures.

As conditions continued to shift, Pete wanted to try and gamble on open-water trolling, hoping to find a better class of fish away from the areas both boats had been fishing. He had caught a couple in close to 300 feet of water (about 20 feet down) in sunny, calm conditions. The problem on this day was the wind and getting back to that area. What started as a calm sunny day saw conditions worsen by the minute.

Meanwhile, Dean and Steve kept grinding away, steadily adding walleye after walleye and the odd pike to their tally, and building what appeared to be a commanding and almost insurmountable lead. So much so, that a confident Stevie muttered the words, “Peter… we gotcha’ baby”, directly to the camera after throwing back an UNMEASURED fish.

But anyone who has fished with Pete Bowman knows one thing. The day, the shoot, the derby, the whatever, isn’t over till it's over. And calling him out… “LET’S DANCE BIG FELLA”!

Forced to avoid heavy winds on the main portion of Whitefish Lake, Pete changed plans and ran the opposite direction to entirely new water that would be protected from the wind. He also decided to switch up everything and targeted smallmouth bass. He knew the lake had them, but he’d be searching blind, kinda like the old tournament days.

And as luck would have it, he found’em.... Lots of em’!

Quickly stacking up valuable inches, Pete pulled himself back into contention. The gutsy move paid off, triggering a sudden burst of fish that closed the gap dramatically.

At the mid-day break back at Air-Dale Lodge, everybody had a good laugh as they realized the derby was tied.

The Final Fish-Off

For the final round, the competitors agreed to meet halfway up the lake for the ultimate finish. With the totals ending up in a tie, they decided the winner would be determined by one simple rule:

The next BIG FISH wins.

Dean and Steve quickly located an interesting scenario on their Garmin, a giant fish that, believe it or not, was hanging around and chasing their hooked walleye directly beneath the boat (hmmm, wonder what that would be…). Despite several attempts, including big minnows directly in front of the fish, they couldn’t quite seal the deal.

Finally, Pete arrived.

He could hear the giddy excitement, along with the sheer frustration, as team Princecraft worked the fish.

When Pete yelled out to the boys, “How’s the fishin’... looks like you lads are torn between loving and hating something below your fancy rig”, they fessed up and called him over.

Pete pointed his LiveScope over and saw the fish holding near their boat and said, “lemme get her fired up for ya boys”. He said he honestly thought that his lure would spark the fish’s attention, and then it would turn on to one of the juicy minnows dangling from the boys.

He heaved a giant 7” Yo-Zuri glide bait, gave it about three half-turns of the reel handle, and his rod doubled over as the boys' “pet” fish struck. It really was a total shocker to everyone.

In true friendly competition fashion, Pete fought the fish (it ended up being a massive northern pike) and let Steve and Dean net it for him… FROM THEIR BOAT! It’s a moment that will likely live on in Fish’n Canada history.

Who Really Won?

After a couple of days of competition, big fish, crazy weather and plenty of laughs, one thing was clear.

The Fish’n Canada derby delivered exactly what the crew hoped for: a reminder of the competitive spirit that helped build the show in the first place.

Did Pete’s last-minute smallie flurry and big pike heroics secure the win?

Or did Dean and Steve’s consistency throughout, plus the final collab netting of Nessy, edge them into first place?

This is something we left to the viewers to decide for themselves.

Two things are certain.

First, after 40 years, the Fish’n Canada crew still knows how to have a lot of fun on the water.

And second, Ang vows to be at Pete’s side in the rematch… oh, it’s on, boys… It’s on!!!

Air-Dale Lodge

Air-Dale’s hosts, Jenn and Martin Wearn, invite you to a complete wilderness experience without having to board a plane. Enjoy fishing, hunting, or simply relaxing at their beautiful and spacious drive-to lodge. They are situated on two of the most scenic water bodies in Northern Ontario, Manitowic & Whitefish Lakes. These lakes flow into the Michipicoten River all the way to Lake Superior and are part of the famous Voyageur Canoe Route chain that ranges from Hudson Bay to Lake Superior. These waters offer some of the best walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, lake trout, whitefish and perch fishing in Northern Ontario. A total of 34 miles for fishing, boating and snowmobiling.

There are a total of 11 private cabins on the property, plus 2 bachelor suites & a penthouse, which are attached to the main lodge. They have 1-3 bedroom lakefront cabins to choose from. Their cabins are cozy with a complete kitchen, dining area and bathroom. All of the cabins have a screened-in porch, hot & cold running water, propane heaters, electricity, bedding, linen and towels. Air-Dale’s housekeeping staff visits each cabin daily to maintain the cleanliness standard and to attend to your comforts. 

The view is breathtaking. The sunrise can be spectacular. Watch the loons, herons, ducks, geese and moose in their natural habitat from the comfort of their lodge. The main lodge was hand-built entirely of log. These logs were cut from trees on the property. It is a beautiful structure and rustic in appearance. It offers 3,600 square feet of interior space. The lodge houses its dining facilities, bar and recreation area. You can relax and enjoy your favourite sports team on the big-screen television, or challenge your friends to a game of pool, darts, checkers or cards.

Air-Dale prides itself on well-maintained equipment. Their boats are outfitted with swivel seats, making all-day fishing more comfortable. Minnow buckets & landing nets, emergency boating kits, 20, 25 and 40 HP outboards & unlimited fuel complete the boating packages. Their boat launch is the finest on the lake. As well, guests are encouraged to bring their own boats. The dockside service rounds out the fine amenities.

There’s a fish-cleaning house on the property for those that are handy with a fillet knife; however, Air-Dale also offers a service to clean, package and freeze your day’s catch.

Check-in time is 3:00 pm on the day of your arrival. Check-out time is 10:00 am on the day of departure.

Gettin' There

To get to this Fish’n Canada mini-derby destination, the combatants first drove north on Highway 400, which eventually turned into Highway 69.

They next turned west on Trans Canada Highway 17.

At the town of Wawa, they turned northeast on Highway 101 and finally turned left onto Whitefish Lake Road, taking them directly to Air-Dale Lodge.

Along with their main lodge, Air-Dale has been offering fly-in fishing and hunting packages in Ontario since the late 40’s.

They operate 18 fly-in camps throughout the Algoma region that are powered by either propane or solar electricity. They have even introduced Starlink into some of the camps.

As you will see in this Fish’n Canada episode, Air-Dale recently opened their drive to lodge on Whitefish Lake for those who want to bring in a few more creature comforts, as well as their own boats.

And finally, they offer a boat-to-camp, as well as a couple of ATV-only access camps.

No matter what you’re looking for, Air-Dale has you covered.

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