This is the 25th anniversary for the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.
It’s become one of the premier tournament in northwestern Ontario, attracting anglers from across Canada and the US.
Over one hundred teams are taking part this year.
When it first started out there were 47.
Norm and David Lindsay of Sioux Narrows were the inaugural winners.
The former Rendezvous Trail Travel Association helped get it on its feet. Bill Boulton was its executive director at the time.
“It came to us looking for a community event. That was one of the things the Rendezvous Trail was to do. Fishing tournaments were always talked about and we wanted to find one and create one that was the bigger and better, an elite sort of fishing tournament,” says Boulton.
Boulton says they spent two years gathering information and advice before putting it into place.
Local businessman John McTaggart took over as chair in year two and remained until 1999.
He says it was an exciting time for the tournament.
“We brought together just an outstanding board of directors. It was really a dream team,” says McTaggart. “By the end of the third year, we were at 130 (angler teams) with a waiting list,” says McTaggart.
McTaggart says the event also quickly become a community event, not only on the angling side but with lots of entertainment and community events for the whole family
Both McTaggart and Boulton also attribute that early success to the support of the hundreds of volunteers, the many sponsors and community.
