Incredible CANADA

Joel Prunty, media manager – I just returned from Regina, Saskatchewan from a meeting of the Tourism Saskatchewan Marketing Advisory Council upon which I am a member. Part of the meeting involved a review of their advertising campaign for 2010.

These advertising materials included a direct mailer, lure pieces, full-page ads and a video, plus www.sasktourism.com…much of which spotlighted fishing and hunting. I’ve been in this business for 20-years and I am still captivated by a well told story of the Canadian wilderness including pristine lakes, the living sky, majestic moose and incredible fishing opportunities.

Canada is so vast and so remote every angler and hunter needs to get out there and experience this unique destination over and over and over again. Is your adventure planned for 2010? If not, get started by visiting the official site of the All-Canada Show AllCanada.com. Enjoy your travels.

May is around the corner - here comes "Spring Trip"

By: Jennifer Young, owner of the All-Canada Show

The Spring flew by with some weird weather, hot as August then cold as December. We never really seemed to get our Spring in stride and now May will be here in a few days.

Rodney is driving up to Ontario for the All-Canada Show version of "Spring Trip" (nothing like the college version). This consists of traveling North and visiting over 100 camps, lodges, and outfitters in a week. Rodney will be attending the annual KDCA (Kenora Disctrict Camp Association) dinner http://www.kdca.ca/ on Friday night, April 30th.

Then he will travel up to Red Lake for the annual Red Lake Sportsman Dinner. www.tourismredlake.ca

Not only is it fun to control the satellite radio and jam out to his own music for a week, Rod will also not have anyone (mostly me) telling him what to do. Best of all he will get to see our show exhibitors face to face and visit new potential customers and see how they have their camps set up. He will also discuss their marketing plans with them. As a final bonus, Rod should be able to fish for some huge pike on Saturday. He will be posting photos very soon. I hope that he catches a big one!

Spring Trip 2010

By Rodney Schlafer Show Director – All-Canada Show - Spring has sprung and the Walleye opener is only a couple weeks away and the lodges have had great weather allowing them time to get their camps ready for their upcoming season. Each spring we travel to NW Ontario for the kick off of the new season. I will be attending meetings and dinners in Vermillion Bay KDCA and Red Lake for the annual sportsman dinner. I will also be stopping at various lodges along the way to say hello and see how they are doing. If I am lucky I might even get a chance to wet a line, and catch some of those early season Pike.
Bill and Maureen Pryndik of Golden Hook Camp enjoy the Sportsmans Dinner Red Lake
Me and Tim Kobelka at Shoal Lake with an early season Pike.

I will post pictures hopefully of a 40 inch northern pike and a report when I return…to be continued!

Canadian Traditions

By: Steve Cegielski, All-Canada Show Operations Manager
Hopefully by now most most Canadian fishing trips are well into the planning stage. Your adventure was book thru the All-Canada Show this winter and now it’s time to prepare the equipment, tackle and food lists to complete the perfect Canadian vacation.

As with any annual event, you develop traditions over the years. Traditions are what we all look forward to each year. As a Canadian fishing group we have developed our own traditions including Steak night each year. My mouth is watering just writing - Porter House Steak. The steak tradition was started over ten years ago by my cousin Kurt on our first trip north of the border as a group, and now it’s just like Christmas….you bank on the last days dinner treat….steak night!

I’m sure most Canadian trips revolve around traditions, like where you stay over on your travels north or where you buy bait. Traditions are important…..give steak night a try this year.

Always looking for new ideas in my Canadian travels….give me some ideas of traditions your group does annually.

GET ORGANIZED

Joel Prunty, media manager - In a few short weeks thousands of anglers will head to Canada on fishing adventures. According to our research, most of you will primarily fish for walleye (72%) and your most likely secondary fish will be either northern pike, lake trout and smallmouth bass.

A big part of any successful adventure begins with an itinerary. An itinerary clearly communicates the key elements of your trip to everyone in your group and loved ones back home. Here is the key information the All-Canada Show includes in our itinerary:
• Complete details on lodge destination including contact info
• Cost of package including deposits paid
• Incidental costs each person is expected to pay
• List of key documents each person should bring
• Contact information on each person on trip
• Departure and travel details

Likely you have more information on your group and adventure to include, but this will get you started. Our website AllCanada.com has an itinerary for to get you started here is a link our ITINERARY. If you have any good ideas on how to improve this form post a comment. Have a great adventure!

Don't Forget Your Card

Joel Prunty, Media Manager - U.S. residents 18 and older are required to purchase a Outdoors Card to fish in Ontario. You may have purchased the card last year – which is good for three years – if you did do not forget to bring it along on this years trip.

If you have never had an Outdoors Card, you can purchase a "Non-Canadian Resident Temporary Fishing Outdoors Card and Application" from one of more than 1,800 licence issuers across the province. The Non-Canadian Resident Temporary Fishing Outdoors Card and Application does not include the fishing licence tag. The fishing licence tag will be a separate paper permit.

The temporary Outdoors Card and paper licence are effective immediately. Your plastic Outdoors Card will be mailed to you by year end, and is valid for three calendar years (including the year of purchase).

Non-Canadian resident hunters can also fish under the authority of their Outdoor Card (hunting version) with the appropriate fishing licence tag.

You can also get more information on the Outdoors Card by calling the Outdoors Card Centre at 1-800-387-7011. This toll-free number works from all of North America, from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time). Or visit the Ontario MNR website.

Canada Bound

By: Steve Cegielski All-Canada Show Operations Manager
It’s the time of year I call the “lull.” Inland fishing is still closed, I’m tired of the river, and my Canadian trip is still a few months away. I can’t stop thinking about that first Canadian walleye. Our office discussions revolve around trips that we’ve all taken, past adventure stories that will live on forever. Over the past 28 years All-Canada Show staffers have taken over 150 Canadian hunting and fishing trips….every type of trip imaginable. Everyone has their favorite type of Canadian adventure. We all share the common bond to Canada, but each see the perfect trip differently. Some enjoy the remoteness of a outpost, while others relish in the service of an american plan lodge.
There are so many variable to the perfect Canadian trip to discuss with your group that sometimes fisherman get overwhelmed and give up. Don’t give up…just break down your trip priorities by answering three simple questions and act. Fly-In, Boat-In, and Drive-In should be your first decision -- affects price most drastically. Then your level of service desired….American Plan, Housekeeping or an Outpost trip. Lastly what’s your favorite speicies of fish….Walleye, Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Muskie etc.
You can answer all those questions quickly and AllCanada.com can help you search out the camps that best fit your dream Canadian adventure. Make 2010 the year you act on your Canadian adventure….just plan the adventure and you’ll find fellow anglers to help fish.