It’s early in the morning, and we’ve just left the narrows and headed to one of Bobby Belmonte’s favourite fishing spots on Lower Buckhorn Lake. I’m using a wacky rig, a type of lure that flutters as it sinks. The theory is the motion will attract bass, and on my second cast it proves true. The rod bends sharply, and there’s serious resistance as I reel my catch in.
“A nickel!” Bobby shouts. That’s fishing-speak for a five-pounder, an impressive weight for a largemouth bass in this lake at this time of year. I hold it towards the camera, grinning, but I can’t really take credit. I’m a novice fisherman, and I’m relying on Bobby’s guiding skills to know where to fish and what to use.
As the owner of 2B Fishing Guiding Service, Bobby has parlayed his passion for the sport into a career. With the knowledge he developed working at Peterborough Pro Tackle and a special expertise in the lakes around Kawarthas Northumberland, he’s now living his dream of getting out on the water most days—a dream he’s held onto for over two decades.
“I’ve always just loved the outdoors. I first started fishing when I was probably five or six years old,” he says. “When I was young my family went to a resort up in the Muskoka Lakes. And there were all these different activities for the kids to do. Water park, mini golf, you know, all that stuff. And all I did was fish for the whole trip. I think that was when it sparked, when I knew that this was my thing.”
The enthusiasm is infectious, and it’s clear Bobby has the right disposition to be a guide. He’s full of fishing insights but also easygoing and a natural storyteller. Now that 2B Fishing is in its second year of operations, he’s had some practice boosting the confidence of newcomers like me.
“I have some people that are very new to fishing and need some education before we start,” he explains. “We go out and fish a bunch of spots, have a good time. And depending on what the client wants, we try to achieve a goal, right? If they’re new to fishing and they just want to catch some fish, we try to make that happen.”
On the other hand, Bobby also goes out with seasoned anglers looking to refine their technique. He recommends reaching out via his website or social media profiles to talk about goals, so that he can best tailor the experience. “If it’s a more experienced angler and they’re looking for a personal best, a giant, we adjust our fishing and try to make that happen.”
Bobby himself is a regular fixture of tournaments, and a recent partnership deal with Shimano is good example of his bonafides. He describes himself as a homebody, however, and remains staunchly local when it comes to his preferred fishing areas. “It’s funny—I went to school for fish and wildlife at Fleming in Lindsay, and a lot of my friends went way up to Northern Ontario and worked at different lodges and stuff as guides,” Bobby says. “It was something that I never ended up doing because I didn’t want to go away from the Kawarthas.”
That hometown advantage comes in handy in terms of knowing the best spots. After we’ve released my prize catch—Bobby is an advocate for catch-and-release fishing to promote the sport’s sustainably—we decide to try another spot. Bobby keeps a sharp eye out for a healthy weed bed, choosing a large rock shoal with some particularly vibrant green weeds to one side. Within a few minutes, I’ve caught my first smallmouth bass of the day.
I compliment Bobby once again on finding the perfect spot to cast, and he replies that the thrill of discovery is what made him want to be a guide in the first place. “It’s been going great,” he says. “It’s making me feel like this is what I was meant to do, you know?”
To book a fishing trip with Bobby Belmonte, visit the 2B Fishing Guiding Service website
To read Bobby’s advice on fishing in fall, visit our site site fallroutes.ca
