You lie in bed with wide eyes and a busy brain in anticipation of what your day will be in front of you; some sleep was had, but not nearly enough. Your alarm clock sounds, allowing you to finally make your way out of bed. The excitement brings you to life, knowing that there's a chance at bragging rights and a prize purse—all for those fish you can’t stop thinking about! Your boat is quickly in-tow, loaded with all your trusted rods, reels, lures, and baits.
Tournament Day is here! The anticipation is one of my favourite parts of tournament fishing. Once you experience it for yourself, you'll truly understand.
The fishing season is here and tournament season has begun across Northeastern Ontario. There are events to suit all ages, styles, techniques, and stakes. Events range from pro-level events all the way to the casual weekend angler. This list is only a sample of what Northeastern Ontario and its many tournament series and clubs have to offer this season. If you've yet to partake in a tournament-style fishing event, take a look close to home and see what tournaments are on.
You never know, but you could get hooked!
https://www.fishmanitoulin.com/
July 29, 2017 to August 27, 2017
An event that is rivalling many of the top Salmon Events across the province, the Manitoulin Expositor Salmon Classic is back for another year. Not only is this event held in one of the most beautiful places within our region, it has a spectacular fishery within and surrounding its shorelines. Manitoulin Island is the largest freshwater lake island in the world, and with that distinction come some very fishy waters!
This year, the tournament directors have decided to extend the tournament by an additional week, meaning another weekly big fish $1,000 payout and another week of BIG fish. If the thought of being able to compete in an event on these waters doesn’t have you excited, then the prize payout may motivate you that little bit further.
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Heaviest Salmon |
Heaviest Trout - $2,500 |
Child/Youth Big Fish - $500 |
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1st - $12,000 |
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2nd - $4,000 |
Daily Big Fish - $100.00 |
Out Fish Dave Patterson - $500 |
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3rd - $2,000 |
Weigh in a fish larger than Dave when he goes fishing and you get an entry into a draw for $500 |
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4th - $1,000 |
Weekly Big Fish - $1000.00 |
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5th - $500 |
http://www.horwoodlakelodge.com/
August 11-13, 2017
Horwood Lake Lodge (located between Timmins and Chapleau near the town of Foleyet off of Highway 101) awaits your arrival. This unique two-day, live release event is sure to make your weekend getaway memorable for all the right reasons. This is an all-natural, grassroots-styled tournament in which the boats are restricted to a 30 HP maximum and the competitors are sure to have an absolute blast! Teams must have at least one child in the boat to participate.
Prizes will be paid out for the top 10 teams, with a maximum of 50 teams being registered. Be sure to check this event out today or book a trip to this fantastic fishery.
The Northern Ontario Walleye Trail is one of Northern Ontario’s top fishing series and its events are held within our beautiful, walleye rich landscape. Many anglers seek out this series to compete against the best walleye anglers across the province. With each event spanning over a two-day period, it's as even a playing field as any.
The 2017 Dubreuilville Magpie event showcased this, with the winning team of Robinson/Bernath (pictured above) sitting in 66th place heading into Sunday, and coming out victorious with a 20.65 lb bag of northern walleye! That is quite the feat, and this is often the draw for many anglers to enter these events.
Take a look at the remaining events on the schedule this year, and maybe you could be victorious on your favourite walleye fishery!
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Mattagami Lake First Nation Walleye Tournament |
Gogama |
June 3-4, 2017 |
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Dubreuilville Magpie Walleye Derby |
Dubreuilville |
June 10-11, 2017 |
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Geraldton Walleye Classic |
Geraldton |
June 24-25, 2017 |
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Kapuskasing River Walleye Tournament |
Kapuskasing |
August 12-13, 2017 |
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Mattagami Fall Classic Walleye |
Gogama |
September 9-10, 2017 |
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Sagamok Walleye Classic |
Massey |
September 22-23, 2017 |
The Top 50 Pike Series is a true northern staple that brings many tournament anglers from across the entire province in pursuit of big payouts and aggressive fish. This series is hands down the most sought-after tournament series in the region, and each event sees big fields and even bigger payouts. Northeastern Ontario is very well known for its healthy northern pike populations, which make for a very exciting day on the water. The events are held on abundant waters, where many times boats of all sizes and HP ratings can compete to put the winning bag of fish on board.
Take a look at the schedule and plan your upcoming season:
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Honey Harbour |
Honey Harbour, Georgian Bay |
May 6, 2017 |
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Parry Sound |
Parry Sound |
May 7, 2017 |
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Gloucester Pool |
Port Severn |
May 13, 2017 |
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West Arm |
St. Charles |
June 3, 2017 |
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Nepewassi Lake |
Markstay |
June 10, 2017 |
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Whitewater |
Azilda |
June 11, 2017 |
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Cache Bay / The Museum |
Sturgeon Falls |
June 17, 2017 |
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Nipissing |
Lavigne |
July 8, 2017 |
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Nipissing Open |
Sturgeon Falls |
July 9, 2017 |
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Callander Bay |
Callander |
August 12, 2017 |
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The Classic |
TBD |
August 26, 2017 |
Bass tournaments are extremely popular across the continent, and are also starting to regain popularity within Northeastern Ontario. The Temiskaming Smallmouth Bass series has paved the way as the longest running series in our region, supported by local clubs in both Sudbury and North Bay—Nickel City Bass and North Bay Bassmasters.
Bass are a very unique species that are often not given the credit they deserve. Many anglers feel that their abundance and fierce attitudes make for easy pickings, but putting together a winning bag is often quite the daunting task. There are so many nuances and variables that come into play and affect these fish that a tournament bass angler must be able to adapt to the changing conditions and mood of the fish. If you put in a bit of time and listen to what each bite is telling you, a successful day can be had on the waters very close to your home.
http://www.temiskamingsmallmouthbass.com/
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Lake Sesikinika |
Sesekinika |
May 27, 2017 |
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Larder Lake |
Larder Lake |
May 28, 2017 |
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Lake Temiskaming |
Temiskaming |
June 24, 2017 |
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Bay Lake |
Latchford |
June 25, 2017 |
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Lake Nipissing |
Hunters Bay |
July 29, 2017 |
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Lake Nosbonsing |
Astorville |
July 30, 2017 |
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Lake Temagami |
Temagami |
August 12, 2017 |
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Cassels Lake |
Temagami |
August 13, 2017 |
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Mattawa/Ottawa River |
Mattawa |
August 26, 2017 |
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Trout Lake |
North Bay |
August 27, 2017 |
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Lake Temiskaming |
Temiskaming |
September 16-17, 2017 |
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Ramsey Lake |
Sudbury |
May 13, 2017 |
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Onaping Lake |
Onaping |
June 3, 2017 |
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Pickerel River |
French River |
June 24, 2017 |
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McGregor Bay |
Manitoulin |
July 8, 2017 |
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Apsey Lake |
Espanola |
July 9, 2017 |
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Agnew Lake |
Webbwood |
August 19, 2017 |
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Penage Lake |
Whitefish |
August 20, 2017 |
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Pickerel River - Classic |
French River |
September 9-10, 2017 |
http://www.northbaybassmasters.com/
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Lake Nosbonsing - Pike |
Astorville |
May 22, 2017 |
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Lake Nipissing |
Collins Bay |
June 25, 2017 |
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Trout Lake - Evening |
North Bay |
July 12, 2017 |
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Talon Lake |
Bonfield |
July 16, 2017 |
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Lake Nosbonsing |
Astorville |
August 20, 2017 |
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Lake Nipissing - Classic |
Hunter’s Bay |
September 10, 2017 |
The opportunities available in the BIG Northeastern region have been presented to you. The rest is in your hands to compete for a wide variety of species on many of our world class bodies of water. Call up your fishing partner, select an event or club to join, and hit the water with hopes of coming out on top.
Tight lines and stay safe this tournament season!
