Matt Belzil and Jason Clay Win the 2017 Jack Link’s Lake Simcoe Open!

Pending new Canadian tournament record caught!

Matt and Jason hoist part of their winning bag.
(Photo: Derek Strub)

Anglers were greeted to a breezy and wet morning early Saturday morning at Port of Orillia. Each of the 47 teams knew that late October can be cruel. The last few years, this tournament had seen brutal conditions: massive waves, freezing temperatures and fickle bass. But as this year’s tournament progressed, the wind changed direction and slowed dramatically making conditions ideal.

As the teams filed passed the stage, the crowd was treated to some of the heaviest 5-bass limits ever weighed in Canadian history. Third place went to Steve Robotham and Sabastian Roy who netted 30.13lbs. Ryan and Callum Johnson brought even a heavier bag totaling 31.06. The brother’s sack was anchored with a 7.29lb mammoth smallmouth to grab second. But the day’s best limit went to Niagara Falls residences, Matt Belzil and Jason Clay who collected a record breaking limit of 31.84lbs.

Matt and Jason were elated with the win and but soon were met with a weird twist of luck. According to the Lake Simcoe Open rules, any team who sets a new Canadian record is entitled to an additional $20 000. But, the new weight of 31.84lbs is in dispute. Being only a sliver more than the old record of 31.55lbs set by Joey Muszynski and Mark Moran at the 2010 Open.

According to the Aurora Bassmaters Club, the host of the event, no official results have been released. The official standings and decision on the new record will be release shortly after verification. IBASSIN.com will keep you informed as this story transforms.

New Canadian 5 Bass Tournament Record Set at the 2017 Jack Link's Lake Simcoe Open.

Jack Link's Lake Simcoe Open set new Canadian record. Jason Clay and Matt Belzil win the Open and record with 31.84 lbs! Three teams had over 30 pound!

(Photo:Derek Strub)

Renegade Bass Tour Announces New Elite Tournaments for 2018

Renegade Bass Tour will host 4 Elite qualifier events in 2018 bass tournament season as well as the 2018 Tour Championship.  Each Elite tournament will be capped to 50 teams. One of motivations to a limited tournament field is to build upon RBT TV and the opportunity for anglers to showcase their talents for Canadian and US television and our growing library of digital streaming content online.  Teams will continue to compete for a $5000 first prize purse and priority registration is given to teams or anglers who competed in an RBT Tour or RBT Open event in a previous season. 

The tour will launch on Big Rideau Lake June 23rd, 2018 hosted by Rideau Ferry Marina. The historic Big Rideau Lake is a popular destination for recreational anglers from across Canada and the United States and one of the jewels in Rideau Lakes system. The RBT then moves to our most Eastern destination with a return to Cornwall, Ontario on July 7 on Lake St. Francis, one of the most diverse bodies of water in Ontario and Quebec and the traditional lands of the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne and the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation. The battle for the RBT Team of the Year continues on July 21st as the Town of Morrisburg and welcomed by our gracious hosts; the North Dundas Chamber of Commerce to the historic town bordering what is arguably the best smallmouth bass fishery in the world.  The tour will finish up where it started in the Rideau Lakes system (and the site of the 2016 RBT Championship) on the combined lakes of Dog and Cranberry. The event will be hosted August 18  by the beautiful village of Seeley’s Bay, Ontario.
  The RBT Canadian Championship will be held on Sept.8 & 9 and the body of water will be announced at the RBT Tour Event on July 21st. Registration will open on October 28, 2017 at the 2017 RBT Anglers General Meeting and it is expected the field will fill quickly for the 2018 qualifiers. Entry fees and details are available on the Renegade Bass Tour website.

CSFL to Run FLW Canada Tournaments in 2018

CSFL & FLW join forces in 2018
By Luigi De Rose

On Friday, October 20, 2017, FLW formally announced that CSFL will be taking over FLW Canada tournaments. The FLW Canada Cup will be held on August 16-18, 2018 on Bay of Quinte (bay only). The full schedule and event locations have yet to be released.  All FLW Canada tournaments will be open to all anglers and no FLW Canada membership is not required.

Here is the official press release:

FLW has reached an exclusive licensing agreement with the Canadian Pro Bass Tour to assume operation of FLW Canada bass tournaments. The agreement was signed by FLW President of Operations Kathy Fennel and Andrew Pallotta, president of the Canadian Pro Bass Tour.
“Canadian bass anglers are among the best in the world, and they deserve world-class events in which to showcase their talent,” Fennel says. “We are excited to announce Andrew Pallotta as our new partner in Canada. We are confident that his extensive background in tournaments and sport shows will further elevate the status of FLW Canada tournaments and provide a promotional platform befitting such a talented group of anglers.”

FLW Canada will continue to advance two pros and two co-anglers to the Costa FLW Series Championship each year, where they will compete against the full field and other International Division anglers from China, Korea, Mexico and South Africa. The highest finisher in the International Division will advance to the Forrest Wood Cup.

FLW Canada in Jeopardy Next Year

By Luigi De Rose

According to FLW Canada's Facebook page the 2018 season will have some major changes. Shootout Fishing League (SFL) and Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) were unable to come to terms. FLW has yet to officially announce who will be running their tournaments in Canada. Considering the series has only run two seasons, they were well attended and well run.  

Here is their statement:

Shootout Fishing League (SFL) and Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) were unable to reach a contract renewal agreement. Even though SFL will no longer be operating FLW Canada, there is an organization that will be taking over these operations and continue with the FLW Canada tournaments. An official announcement will be made by FLW soon.

“It has been an honor to work with such incredible anglers over the past three seasons, and we are looking forward to building on our existing SFL brand and running events in the same ethical manner we always have with FLW and SFL. It is unfortunate that an agreement could not be reached, but we are excited for the future and growth of SFL while continuing to put our anglers first.” - Cory Banford

Justin Patti Wins the 2017 WON Bass U.S. Open

Arizona pro survives late charge from Brett Hite to win in Wire-to-Wire Fashion 
WON BASS PRESS RELEASE

The discussion leading up to the 35th Anniversary edition of the WON Bass, Bass Cat / Mercury U.S. Open were the changes. The addition of Bass Cat Boats as a key partner, and the change of dates to October were the hot topics.

Change became the focus of discussion on the third and final day of the event.

While the first two days of the event featured bright, bluebird skies with light breezes, day three brought high clouds that made for darkened, calm conditions. The result was tougher conditions as the fish scattered a bit more, making it harder for the field to relocate the fish that had served them over the first two days of the event.

2017 WON Bass U.S. Open Day One Pro Standings

Place	Name	Hometown	Weight	Big Fish	Total
1	Justin Patti	Phoenix AZ	36.30	3.87	36.3
2	Brett Hite	Phoenix AZ	35.79	3.75	35.79
3	Mike Williams	Mesa AZ	34.07	3.21	34.07
4	Steve Tosh, Jr.	Modesto CA	34.05	4.59	34.05
5	Nick Salvucci	Paso Robles CA	32.93	3.44	32.93
6	Kyle Grover	Trabuco Canyon CA	31.23	3.84	31.23
7	Travis Jewell	Sandy UT	31.05	2.92	31.05
8	David Kemper	Tempe AZ	30.25		30.25
9	Cody Murray	Nampa ID	29.79	3.18	29.79
10	David Baca	Prescott Valley AZ	29.55	4.01	29.55

No matter the conditions, good anglers will always figure out a way to overcome difficulties, and someone is always going to win. The angler that was able to master the conditions well enough over the three-day event to earn the title of 2017 WON Bass U.S. Open Champion was Phoenix, Arizona's Justin Patti, who won the event in wire-to-wire fashion with a total weight of 36.30 pounds.

Patti withstood a late event charge from fellow Phoenix resident and Bassmaster Elite Series pro Brett Hite, who caught an 11.66-pound limit on the final day to weigh 35.70 pounds for the event to finish second.

2017 US Won Bass Open Day 2: Justin Patti Leads on Lake Mead with 27.71lbs!

Bigger Weights on Day 2

WON BASS PRESS RELEASE

Justin Patti extends lead. (Photo WON BASS)

A little over a year ago, Justin Patti left Callville Bay Marina on the second day of the WON Bass U.S. Open in the lead. By the end of the day, he had succumbed to the wild swings that Lake Mead's fishing is known for.

2017 has proven to be a different year for the Arizona pro.

After opening the event with a stellar 14.71-pound limit, Patti took last years' experience and made all the right moves to post a 13.00-pound limit that pushed his two-day weight to 27.71 pounds. His second consecutive strong day increased the margin of his lead to nearly three and a half pounds over second place pro Kyle Grover of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.

His performance helped him nearly match the goal weight he set for himself for the three day event - in two days. "I started this event hoping to catch 10 pounds a day to have a shot to win," he said. "I didn't expect to be catching this quality of fish, I've had two great AAA partners, and we've worked really well together to make it happen."

2017 WON Bass U.S. Open Day One Pro Standings

Place	Name	Hometown	Weight	Big Fish	Total
1	Justin Patti	Phoenix AZ	27.71	3.87	27.71
2	Kyle Grover	Trabuco Canyon CA	24.25	3.84	24.25
3	Brett Hite	Phoenix AZ	24.13	3.47	24.13
4	Travis Jewell	Sandy UT	22.99		22.99
5	Sean Coffey	Mesa AZ	22.73	3.57	22.73
6	Cody Murray	Nampa ID	22.65	3.18	22.65
7	Carl Jocumsen	Reseda CA	21.55		21.55
8	Steve Tosh, Jr.	Modesto CA	21.51	4.59	21.51
9	Marvin Barellano	Monterey Park CA	21.46	2.88	21.46
10	Clayton Meyer	Henderson NV	21.36	2.9	21.36

2017 US Won Bass Open Day 1: Justin Patti Grabs Lead on Lake Mead with 14.71lbs!

Place	Name	Hometown	Fish	Weight
1	Justin Patti	Phoenix AZ	5/5	14.71
2	Travis Jewell	Sandy UT	5/5	13.22
3	Nick Salvucci	Paso Robles CA	5/5	13.07
4	Josh Bertrand	San Tan Valley AZ	5/5	12.74
5	Kyle Grover	Trabuco Canyon CA	5/5	12.51
6	Paul Hodges	Glendale AZ	5/5	12.20
7	Marvin Barellano	Monterey Park CA	5/5	11.70
7	Kevin Hugo	Chino CA	5/5	11.70
9	Steve Tosh, Jr.	Modesto CA	5/5	11.62
10	Noah Cook	Lancaster CA	5/5	11.59

 


For full stats link here

Andre Dickneite Wins 2017 Costa FLW on Lake of the Ozarks

Locals dominate in Missouri
by Jody White
FLW PRESS RELEASE

The final day of the Costa FLW Series presented by Evinrude on Lake of the Ozarks was brutally tough on much of the top 10, but Andre Dickneite stayed steady to earn his first Costa FLW Series win on a lake he’s called home for the last 20 years. Weighing 16 pounds and change each of the first two days, the Freeburg, Mo., pro started the final day in fourth place. Adding another 15 pounds even for a 48-4 total, Dickneite moved up to first for a $40,000 payday.

Black jig key to win. (Photo: FLW)

Lake of the Ozarks is a big pond, and Dickneite passed up a lot of good water on the way to his fishing grounds. Running far up the lake to a selection of coves near Proctor, Mo., Dickneite didn’t bother with the more crowded sections down near the dam or the State Park or Hurricane Deck.

“I fish there, that’s just where I fish all the time,” says the Missouri pro, who has nine top-10 finishes in T-H Marine Bass Fishing League (BFL) competition on Lake of the Ozarks. “The BFL Super Tournament here was a few weeks ago and I had one of the most incredible practices I’ve ever had and I caught one keeper. It’s a feast or famine deal – you have to figure them out just like anywhere else on the lake and I got dialed in to one area up there and I got the right bait.”

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South Africa Wins World Bass Fishing Event!

FLW PRESS RELEASE

South Africa raced to the top on the third and final day of the XIII Black Bass World Championships to earn the gold medal of world bass fishing while the United States surged to silver.

The South African team, dressed in green and gold country colors for the final tourney day, might have been twice a bridesmaid the last two years, earning silver in both Italy and Portugal, but it now owns the title of world champion.

The elite American team ended day one in sixth position, and by day three scratched its way to a second-place finish. The anglers on Team USA gained strength from the first day to the last. One can only be reminded of the Vince Lombardi quote, “I’ve never lost a game, but have upon occasion run out of time.”

“Our approach for the tournament was to stay consistent and be in the hunt. We wanted each of our boats to bring in 8 to 10 pounds a day,” says the U.S. team manager Lionel Botha. “I think we did a pretty good job.”

Italy, a strong competitor who held top spot on day one, lagged on the final day and remained unable to outmaneuver the powerhouse American team, finishing third and earning bronze. It became a game of ounces on a South African day of mixed clouds, thunderstorms and heavy rain.

The European country of Spain made a surprise appearance on the leaderboard and unseated Germany for fourth place. Germany held a top-five position throughout the tournament before being toppled on Saturday and falling to eighth. Fifth place was awarded to Zambia, an African country much closer to the equator without bass.

Here are the final top-10 rankings for the XIII Black Bass World Championships:

1. South Africa

2. USA

3. Italy

4. Spain

5. Zambia

6. Zimbabwe

7. Namibia

8. Germany

9. Swaziland

10. Mexico 

CHAMPIONSHIP TACTICS

The South Africans have put together a crackerjack bass team over the last few years, consisting of top anglers capable of competing anywhere in the world. Team captain Justy Varkevisser is widely considered to be the best bass angler in the nation. Varkevisser has won virtually every bass title in the southern Africa region and competes often in the U.S.