Kenora Bass Invitational
The Kenora Bass Invitational is my goal for the next week.
Celebrating its 26th Anniversary, this tournament is known simply as
the KBI. This year the tournament dates are August 8, 9 and 10. Wednesday the 7th
is a rest day and the lake is off-limits for half the day. The tournament site
is Kenora, on the shores of famed Lake of the Woods, in northwestern Ontario. I
along with my tournament partner, Drew Myers, will be fishing out guts out
trying to best the bass and the hundred plus teams in this three day event.
Having never seen it before, it will be a true test of my personal skill.
Tournament angling is about taking risks and this one is a
whopper. KBI brings the best of the best. For many, it seems remote but don’t
be fooled. Top tier pros from Canada and America will be there. Plus, the lake
is home to hundreds of guides who often enroll hoping to cash in on their years
of local knowledge.
Lake of the Woods is gigantic! Spanning hundreds of kilometers
and home of roughly 15 000 islands, this place will take time and luck to
discover the winning pattern and areas.
This lake is amazing. Scores of record fish are caught from
it every month. Smallmouth should
be king here but the largemouth tend to run a bit heavier. Over the last
decade, green bass have won more often than brown ones. Unfortunately,
largemouth are not found everywhere and are limited to small regions throughout
the lake. Determining which sections are largemouth haunts will be a daunting. We
plan to mix it up and keep and open mind. After spending 3 days at ICAST and chatting
with many FLW and Bass Master Elite anglers, I was reminded that I only have to
catch 5 bass.
Drew Myers is somewhat an old friend. As Ontario OUT OF
DOORS magazine’s Big Game and Musky/Pike Editor, we have known each other for
years. His dad Burt ran the magazine for decades. Drew has a strong pedigree
and is a fun guy to be with. He has been keen to fish the KBI for years but its
no easy feat. Being a two-person team event, finding the correct partner is a
must. I hope I don’t let him down. He is a crack shot on northern smallmouth
whereas I prefer largemouth fishing. Hopefully, each of us will compliment the
other. Even though Drew lives within an hour drive of Lake of the Woods, it is fairly
new to him.
One special mention has to go to John Butts and King Fisher
boats. He was kind enough to allow us the use of a pro-staff boat for the whole
week. Kingfisher will be our ride and it has saved me about 30 hours of driving
my rig up here.
Over the coarse of the week, expect photos, editorial and
maybe a few videos to document our quest for the KBI Title.
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