Reel Fishing TV
Biography

Jay Lamothe

A life shaped by Northern Ontario water, long seasons in the southern United States, and more than two decades on the professional tournament trail.

The Early Years

Fishing was in the family before it was ever a career

Growing up around Hamilton, Jay spent his formative summers with family in Larder Lake and Mattawa, Ontario. Those places put him on the water constantly. Days with cousins chasing bass and pike, plus time around relatives who treated fishing as second nature, built the foundation for everything that followed.

One of the earliest images from that time shows Jay in a jacket his grandmother made for him around 1976 or 1977. Even then, the connection to fishing was already deep.

Jay Lamothe as a child with fishing rod
An early photo from the Northern Ontario years.
Tournament Beginnings

Third place in a salmon event was the spark

In the late 1980s, Jay entered a salmon tournament and finished third despite not even being a specialist in that fishery. The competition was serious, but he was having a blast. That energy stood out. Soon after, he began fishing Renegade Bass and smaller bass events in the Ottawa area, which opened the door to a much larger circuit life.

1970s • Northern Ontario summers

Family water time in Larder Lake and Mattawa built the obsession early.

1987–1988 • First tournament breakthrough

A third-place salmon finish helped push Jay toward competitive bass fishing.

1989 • First U.S. season

Jay headed south and began living more of the year around the southern tournament belt.

The Year They Thought He Died

A mistaken identity story no one forgets

Early in Jay’s U.S. tournament years, his wallet was stolen. Later, a man carrying that wallet was involved in a severe car accident and authorities believed the victim was Jay. With no internet and no cell phones, the news made its way back to Canada and his family went through hell believing he had died. In reality, Jay was alive and still down south on the circuit. The truth only came out when he returned home on St. Patrick’s Day the following year.

Newspaper clipping about father wrongly informed son had died
The newspaper clipping that documented the story back home.
Envelope addressed to John Lamothe
The envelope tied to the official correspondence.
Letter from Michael D. Harris
The Mike Harris letter that followed the ordeal.
Southern U.S. Years

Florida to Texas, with stops all over the circuit

Jay’s base years in the United States centered on the South. He fished from Florida to Texas, with additional time in Tennessee and other major fisheries whenever opportunity came up. Monroe, Louisiana became his first real base down there, followed later by Guntersville, Alabama.

The tournament trail was part challenge, part lifestyle. Some years were excellent, some were rough, but the draw was always the same: new lakes, hard competition, and figuring fish out under pressure.

Jay Lamothe by boat in vintage style photo
An image from the road years that pushed the career forward.
Influences & Legacy

Red Fisher, local mentors, and the next chapter

Jay grew up on television shows like Red Fisher and the work of anglers such as Hank Parker. Closer to home, Bob Izumi, Wayne Izumi, and Henry Wajczuk all played a role in shaping how he viewed fishing. Henry in particular remained an important influence, both on and off the water.

After 2014, the urge to stay on the tournament road was gone, but the urge to share what he learned never left. That is where Reel Fishing TV moves now: into clear teaching, sharper media, and practical instruction for anglers who want to learn how to truly read water and find fish.

Jay Lamothe holding bass
The same passion, just moving into a new form.