Hunt Lake Manitoba Narrows

When Ryan Bonin goes to work, he always makes sure he packs his camera and fishing pole.

As a cameraman and editor for Dave Mercer Outdoors, the Frogmore resident has the type of job most anglers dream of. Not only is he traveling to some of the best fishing spots in North America, he is also learning to be a better angler with tips from television angler Dave Mercer.

Bonin came into the job in a roundabout manner. Originally from Sudbury, he followed his brother’s footsteps showing an interest in video.

“It was the only thing I really enjoyed in high school other than fishing, and there’s no courses in fishing,” he joked.

Although he did a co-op placement with a conservation officer and loved it, his mind was made up for a future career when he was told job prospects, as game wardens were thin. He attended Fanshawe College and took television and broadcasting. There, he met his wife Ginny, who was from the Langton area.

After graduating, Bonin was working at Technicolor in Toronto on commercials, when he chatted with Mercer through a message board on

OFN. At the time, Mercer had produced videos and was looking at starting a television show, which launched in June 2007.

“I was in the right place at the right time and was lucky,” he said. “He sent me a message on WFN and the rest is history. We worked well together so he asked me to come work full-time for Dave Mercer Outdoors.”

Mercer’s Facts of Fishing television show aims to be more entertaining then other fishing shows. It’s also unique it is shot in one location in one day.

Bonin is one of two full-time camera operators and the editor of all the footage.

The show has taken him to the west coast of Canada salmon fishing, to northern Manitoba fly-in fishing for pike and walleye, the east coast of Canada shark fishing and to the Bahamas bone fishing. He also fished for bass in Alabama and alligator gar in Texas.

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When the filming is taking place, Bonin is behind the camera and isn’t fishing. But, when the work, is done he can play – or in this case fish.

On Bonin’s first day fishing with Mercer, he caught two six-pound smallmouth.

“I’d never seen a six-pound bass before,” he admitted.

That trend continued, and he has set his personal best in every species fishing with Mercer.

“I learned more with Dave in the first month than in my entire life,” Bonin said. “He’s an endless pit of knowledge. Just when you think he can’t do anymore, he throws out something else.”

Asked if this was his life ambition, Bonin answered, “Always, in the back of mind, thought it would be great. My final project in college was a full half-hour fishing show.”

With today’s technology, the Internet allows Bonin to live wherever he desired. He and Ginny decided to buy a house in Frogmore, near her parents. Bonin does all the editing from his home office

Besides Facts of Fishing, Bonin is also kept busy editing Mercer’s tips and short video clips for the web site. http://www.tillsonburgnews.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1769772

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