This weekend I competed in the last Canadian Bass Anglers Federation tournament of the year. I needed a top 10 finish to win Angler of the Year for our Kawartha Lakes chapter.
Weather is always unpredictable at this point in season, and this weekend was no exception. The tournament was scheduled to be on Rice Lake, but with winds forecasted to gust higher than 45 knots from the southwest; the location was changed to a more wind friendly location at Seymour Lake. The day was windy, cold and for the last 2 hours wet. Fishing was extremely tough for most anglers. I knew from my pre-fishing on Rice Lake that to catch fish this weekend you had to slow down to a crawls pace, and the fish would eventually bite.
Throughout the day we caught 15 or so fish, and culled our way up to a 12.75 lb limit. Clown coloured jerk baits, chartreuse and white spinner baits and natural coloured jigs were the tools that got the job done. Our two biggest fish came on a jerk bait and a tube, worked extremely slow. I lost one fish on a jerk bait early in the morning that probably cost us the win, but I was pretty happy that our mediocre limit was enough for 7th place and also enough to win the Angler of the Year award for our local club.
Next week is the last tournament of the year; the Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open. This is the biggest and best 1-day tournament in Ontario (and likely Canada). Lake Simcoe is a cruel body of water to anglers. Winds can whip the waves into 6-8 ft rollers and usually half of the 100 boat field will not weigh-in a 5-fish limit. The best boats will need over 25lbs to crack the top ten. Last year the big fish for the event was an 8.05 pound behemoth smallmouth bass and the winners weighted-in a record setting 31.55 pounds; that is what draws anglers from all over the province to Lake Simcoe in the fall.
My fingers and toes are crossed that the winds and weather cooperate for this one!
Tight Lines,
Andrew
Tags: CBAF, Fishing, Lake Seymour, Tournaments