Staff
Their 20/20 vision gave Trevor Zimak and Glenn Leroux a clear view of what being champions looks like.
The Thunder Bay tandem were the only ones in the 110-team field to record 20 pounds or more on each of the two days of the Atikokan Bass Classic over the weekend.
That, in turn, earned them the championship with a two-day total of 40.79–an almost two-pound victory over runners-up Zack McBride of Fort Frances and Mike Wilson from International Falls, Mn. (38.82).
Zimak and Leroux, the 2011 Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship co-winners, only were fourth after Day 1 despite an impressive catch of 20.45 pounds.
But bringing in the biggest bag of Day 2 (20.34) was enough to vault them into the “hot seat,” where they remained anchored the rest of the way.
Devlin’s Bill Godin almost made it two titles in two weekends after claiming the Kenora Bass International the previous week with partner Dave Lindsay of Sioux Narrows.
But Godin and Matt Goldamer of Fort Frances couldn’t budge from their third-place position after Day 1, finishing in the same place with 37.95 pounds.
Two all-Atikokan teams rounded out the top five, with Jeff Veenbaas and Jim Ferguson in fourth (37.81) and Rene and Debora Cadene in fifth (37.77).
Day 1 leaders Cole and Jason Mattson (Atikokan) couldn’t maintain their advantage after a terrific opening weight of 21.73 pounds, ending up in sixth (36.89).
The Thunder Bay duo of Brad and Bill Rissanen were seventh (36.76), followed by Todd and Steven Bryk of Atikokan (36.36).
Bryan Gustafson of Fort Frances and Kenora’s Jamie Bruce landed in ninth place (35.39).
Jared and Cody Wood of Atikokan used the big fish of the tourney–a 5.90-pounder–to nail down 10th (35.35).
Many of the anglers who fished in Atikokan will be crossing the border for the International Falls Bass Championship this Friday and Saturday (Aug. 25-26).
Nathan Brigham and Brett Meyers of Emo are the defending champs in what will be (as of press time) a field of 62 teams vying for the $10,000 (U.S.) first-place prize.