Many anglers enjoy ice fishing thoroughly. Others are starting to attend boat and fishing shows in anticipation of warmer weather, open water, and the second Northern Ontario Walleye Trail Championship.
This year's event will be hosted by the Kapuskasing River Walleye Tournament (KRWT ) on Aug. 14 and 15 in Kapuskasing, Ont.
In the following months, I'll start featuring some of the 2020 NOWT Championship qualifiers as we get closer to the event.
This week’s angler has qualified for both of the NOWT Championships with his partner Steve Gravel.
Unfortunately, I haven't had the pleasure of meeting this angler yet, so I reached out to his tournament partner Steve to see what it was like to fish with him.
Steve responded, “He’s easy to fish with, unlike me. He is easy going and goes with the flow. One downfall is that he enjoys catching birds. During our pre-fish last fall for the Mattagami Fall Walleye Classic, my partner just happened to catch a loon while live bait rigging. We both thought he had a big one on until it came straight out of the water. That just happened to be the second one he has caught while pre-fishing for a tournament.”
It is my pleasure to introduce this week's featured angler and two-time championship qualifier, Kevin Robineau.
Q: Where were you born?
A: I was born and raised in Kapuskasing, Ont.
Q: Who played a role in getting you started in fishing?
A: My grandfather Al Sim taught me how to fish. From an early age, all I wanted to do was to go fishing. He always set me up on the dock with minnows, hooks, and my fishing rod. He definitely instilled the passion of fishing in me.
Q: As a youth, where did you fish and for what?
A: When I was young, my family and I camped at Rufus Lake, about an hour away from Kapuskasing with my grandparents Al and Adelle Sim. I spent countless hours at the end of the dock fishing for anything that would bite! It was all exciting, no matter what it was. From the smallest perch to the biggest pike! My heart skipped a beat every time a fish would bite, and it's still like that today!
Q: What age did you start fishing?
A: I started fishing as soon as I was able to hold a fishing rod on my own at a very young age.
Q: How did you get into walleye tournament fishing and why?
A: I had just moved back to Kapuskasing for work, and I started working with Derek Brooks, another angler. We started talking about our passion for fishing, but we were not at all experienced anglers. We decided to enter the 2010 Kapuskasing Walleye Tournament. Although we did not rank high in the standings, I became addicted to the competition of fishing. After my first fishing tournament, I was hooked. I love the challenge of trying to catch fish in all types of conditions on different bodies of water.
Q: What was your most memorial fishing experience and why?
A: My most memorable fishing experience was winning the Dubreuilville Magpie Walleye Tournament in 2016 with my fishing partner, Steve Gravel.
Q: List any anglers that helped you learn more about fishing over the years.
A: My partner Steve Gravel has taught me a lot throughout the years. Steve is also addicted to fishing, and as soon as the fishing season ends, we are already calling each other to talk about next season's fishing plans.
Q: List sponsors and tournament finishes.
A: I am lucky and thankful that Dufour Waste Disposal and Quality Food Hampers have sponsored me over the years. I have fifteen top 20 finishes in the last 10 years, which nine of those are top 10 finishes and one win.
Q: Biggest fishing supports over the years? (example: wife, family, and friends)
A: My grandparents Adelle and Al Sim have always supported me throughout the years and have always shown an interest in my fishing experiences.
Q: What are some of your favourite fish you like to fish for and why?
A: I love walleye fishing! That's all I think about, and that's all I concentrate on. Walleye, walleye, walleye!
Q: What is your favourite fishing technique for walleye?
A: I love jig fishing, but lately, I've been trying to troll paddle tail swimbaits, and when they hit it, there's nothing like it!
Q: Why do you fish walleye tournaments?
A: I like visiting and learning different bodies of waters and competing against top anglers in our region. It feels rewarding to finish in the top 10, but finishing worse then 25th seems to leave a sting and hurts the pride a bit LOL!!
Q: Why did you agree to have your bio done?
A: Everyone has a different story or experience, and I enjoy reading every angler's biography and their stories about their passion for fishing, so I thought I would share some of mine.
Q: Any tips you would give to a new walleye angler looking at fishing the NOWT?
A: Do not be intimidated to compete in tournaments against the pros. Anyone can win on any given day. The longer you fish, the better you will become. When I first started competing, I didn't know what a bottom bouncer was. I have since grown from there!
Q: What would be some of your greatest accomplishes over the years of fishing?
A: My most significant accomplishment was finishing 1st place at the Dubreuilville Magpie Walleye Derby in 2016 with my partner, Steve Gravel. I am also proud of my partner and me for qualifying for the top 25 in the past two years for the NOWT Championship.
I want to take this time to thank Kevin for agreeing to have his angler profile done.
If you haven't already competed in one or more of the Northern Ontario Walleye Trail events and would like to compete against some of the best anglers in the northeastern region of Ontario, please visit here for the tournament's dates and times. You'll not only enjoy yourself, but you'll also have the opportunity of meeting and making new angling friends like yourself.
