Steve, the quest for the golden fish

Steve Goupil is originally from Boucherville, Quebec, on the south shore of Montreal, but spent every summer of his childhood at the family fishing camp on the North Shore, in the woods, far from civilization and only accessible by boat. A spark ignited inside him, and fishing became his favourite activity. The lake, teeming with speckled trout and landlocked salmon, was his playground.

At the age of ten, he came across a newspaper article reporting the discovery of a lake sturgeon over 2 metres long washed up on the banks of the St Lawrence in the Montreal area. This news had a profound effect on him, as it confirmed that giant fish were in the vicinity. It was at this time that he began wading the river near his family home. He spent the next few years gaining experience and honing his boat-fishing techniques. It was a period that confirmed his unconditional love for the St. Lawrence River.

Introduced to fishing at an early age, Steve is now a specialist in multi-species fishing on the St. Lawrence River. He also likes to fish for landlocked salmon and lake trout on Lake Champlain in the United States. Some of his personal records, caught on these waters, are proof of this: a 30-inch. walleye, a 40-inch. pike, a 69-lb. lake sturgeon, a 5.96-lb. smallmouth bass and a 14.85-lb. malachigan.

Over the years, Steve has developed into an excellent tournament angler. He takes part in numerous competitions, accompanied by his faithful teammates Mélanie Fontaine, Alex Lynch and Yann Papillon. Since their debut, they have collected numerous 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishes in the Big Bass Challenge. They also won the 2016 and 2023 editions of the Club APRIL Marine fishing tournament, as well as the 2022 edition of the Muskies Canada pike tournament, Montreal chapter, in which more than 200 teams took part.

Steve has a number of goals in mind for the coming years. He wants to continue to develop his knowledge of the behaviour, environment and seasonal migration of the fish he targets, helping him to continue his quest for new personal bests. He also wants to remain competitive in his field and continue to pass on his passion for fishing, exchanging ideas with amateurs and enthusiasts as he meets them. He regularly shares his tips and advice in the pages of our magazine.