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Testing the waters

Paul Svoboda
Local Sports - Wednesday, August 01, 2007 Updated @ 7:34:13 AM

Homework.

For a student, there's no getting around it.

And it's the same for anyone competing in the Quinte Fishing Series. Except, most anglers enjoy their homework.

Art MacConnell and Blair Smith, both of Stirling, won the second bass event of the 2007 QFS season last Sunday with a one-day haul of 20.60 pounds. MacConnell said doing homework - known as pre-fishing or advance scouting in the angling world - is a must for serious competitors.

"There are good spots all the way from Trenton to Picton but you have to get out and do a lot of scouting and eliminate some spots," said MacConnell. "You might find a weed hump that's holding fish and go back there two or three days before the tournament and the weeds are dead and the fish are gone.

"It's important to have a lot of spots. We have quite a few we go to. It's kind of like a milk run."

Using jigs and plastic lures, MacConnell and Smith enjoyed a productive day on the water Sunday.


"We caught all of our fish deep and the last one I caught that I threw back weighed 3.10 pounds," said MacConnell. "That's a pretty big fish to be throwing back."

The Stirling tandem won the top cash payout of $3,200 plus prizes and took home another $500 from Stratos Boats and Belleville Sport and Lawn for winning the tournament in a Stratos watercraft.

There wasn't a whole lot to choose from between the first- and third-place teams as Dean Thompson and Mike Burris of Napanee finished second with 20.50 pounds while John MacDonald of Peterborough and Steve Hawkins of Whitby took third with 20.45 pounds.

"The top three were really tight," said QFS tournament director Pete Thompson.

Glen Thompson and Joan Whalen of Belleville finished fourth with 19.70 pounds. While MacConnell and Smith have been partnered on the water for a dozen years, Whalen is a relative newcomer to the sport but has caught on quickly.

"I love it," she said. "I started fishing off my brother-in-law's boat (three years ago) and it just went from there. I like the anticipation of the bite coming. What can I say? I'm pretty much addicted to it."

In just her second year in the QFS, Whalen agrees with MacConnell that teams have to test the waters prior to most tournaments but she said conditions also play a huge factor in tournament success.

"My partner has the boat so I do a lot of fishing off shore," she said. "But we go out as much as we can. A lot depends on the weather and if the water is calm or rough."

Whalen said she and Thompson have no qualms about hitting several different spots to fish on tournament day.

"But," she said, "you don't move if you're catching fish."

On average, she said, her team might visit six or seven spots in a day.

Meanwhile, Pete Thompson said 70 boats were entered in Sunday's one-day event, down just two from the opening bass event in June but still well over the average of 40-50 boats in last year's tournaments.

The next event is Aug. 12 and Thompson said there are already more than 40 boats registered. Weigh-ins take place at South George Street.

Thompson said last Sunday's tournament paid prize money to the top eight teams for a total of $9,200. Rounding out the money positions were: 5. Jason Sexsmith of Marlbank and Richard Campbell of Courtice, 19.55; 6. Trevor and Tom Davies, Napanee, 18.95; 7. Rob Paterson of Baltimore and Mark Bruce of Bowmanville, 18.60; 8. Mike and Mary Nabulsi of Napanee, 18.55.

The husband-and-wife Nabulsi team won the opening bass event of the QFS season in June and also netted the Big Fish award. Although they dropped to eighth Sunday, they retained their Big Fish title with a 5.10-pound beauty to earn an extra $1,400.

Joe Humenick and Rick Bain won $150 and prizes for finishing first among anglers using boats powered by 115 HP motors or less.


 
Trevor and Tom Davies-6th Rob Paterson and Mark Bruce-7th
Mike and Mary Nabulsi -8th and Big Fish winners Joe Humenick and Rick Bain 115hp &Under Award

Art MacConnell and Blair Smith -1st

Dean Thompson and Mike Burris-2nd

John MacDonald and Steve Hawkins-3rd

Glen Thompson and Joan Whalen-4th

Jason Sexsmith and Richard Campbell-5th




 
PLACING NAME NAME PENALTIES
DEAD FISH=DF, LATE=L		 BIG FISH TOTAL WEIGHT
1 ART MACCONNELL BLAIR SMITH   4.45 20.60
2 DEAN THOMPSON MIKE BURRIS   4.9 20.50
3 JOHN MACDONALD STEVE HAWKINS     20.45
4 GLEN THOMPSON JOAN WHALEN     19.70
5 JASON SEXSMITH RICHARD CAMPBELL     19.55
6 TREVOR DAVIES TOM DAVIES     18.95
7 ROB PATERSON MARK BRUCE L 1 MIN  O.50   18.60
8 MIKE NABULSI MARY NABULSI   5.10 18.55
9 TROY MARACLE LARRY PRINGLE DF O.25   18.45
10 ANDY ASSELSTINE DARCY ASSELSTINE     17.85
11 JOE HUMENICK RICK BAIN     17.35
12 TERRY MARKS       17.30
13 ROB MITCHELL PAUL LEGACEY     17.20
14 PEPE PARISIEN LEE LEROUX     17.10
15 BILL TRIPP FRANK MONDERVILLE     17.00
16 MATT SEELEY CHRIS SHERMAN     16.95
17 RON SKEVINGTON COLIN JOHNSON     16.70
17 DEREK SCHRUDER KEN MAYFIELD     16.70
18 PETER MCINROY BRIAN TIPPING     16.65
18 DAN ELLIOT LEON MARCOVITZ     16.65
18 MURRAY BRYDSON MURRAY HENDERSON     16.65
19 RICK BOWEN ROB BOWEN     16.60
19 BILL SCUILLION JIM LACEY     16.60
19 MICHAEL BROWN FRANK DOHERTY DF 0.25   16.60
20 LUCAS HEY CORY FLEMMING     16.55
21 RON ELLERY JOHN O'BRIEN     16.35
22 MARC TEPFENHART JUSTIN WILLSHER     16.15
23 BOB MACKIE ROY NEWLANDS     16.00
24 SCOTT ASHURST JOHN HARMSEN DF 0.25   15.95
25 BRIAN HADLEY TERRY LANGSTAFF     15.85
26 KEITH SEIZER LARRY JEWELL     15.55
27 CHRIS FRAZEE MARYANN FRAZEE DF 0.25   15.50
27 JAMIE COE CHRIS HAUG     15.50
28 DAVID MCCOLL GUS FERLAND     15.40
29 JASON SEMARK SHELDON YUKE DF 0.25   15.35
30 PAUL RICH JOHN DACIUK     15.25
31 BRUCE TUFTS LEE SPRAGUE     15.20
32 JEFF MACDONALD MIKE MACDONALD     15.05
33 BART LUCAS DEB ARMITAGE     14.85
34 LARRY COUTRICE RYAN SOMMERVILLE     14.80
35 NEIL FARLOW MATT PELOQUIN     14.65
36 PETER SELO BUCK TYTLER     14.60
36 RANDY SCERO MARKUS BARDY     14.60
36 BRYAN MCCAW NICK MONGER     14.60
37 MIKE CHESTERTON CARL CHESTERTON     14.55
38 RANDY CONKWRIGHT PHIL DEFOSSE     14.40
39 DANIEL STOROZUK SEAN STOROZUK     14.15
40 WAYNE BARNES DAVID REID DF 0.25   13.95
40 ALEX MELETIS KEITHCHESTERTON DF 0.25   13.95
41 BRETT MILLER ANDY DAFOE     13.85
42 MIKE LUKASHAL CORY KIMMOND     13.80
43 MIKE LLYOD JIM WATSON     13.65
44 RICK RODO BRIAN POLLACK     13.55
45 CHAD HARRINGTON MARK GARRISON     13.35
46 SHELLY MORRIS STEVE NIX     13.30
47 TIM BIRCH SCOTT BOYER     13.15
48 BRAD ARNOTT SALLY ARNOTT     13.10
49 TOM BROOKE DAN CRAWFORD L 3MIN 1.50   13.05
50 MICHAEL JORON KEN BUGDEN     13.00
50 TOM LAWRENCE STEVE LAWRENCE     13.00
51 JON MANNERS BRENT GILES     12.65
52 GRANT ELLIOTT KARL NEUMAYER     12.55
53 RAY RODDEN RICK VAN WORT     12.30
54 JOHN MAFFEI PETER LISTRO     12.05
55 MIKE PARKER ART SAUNDERS     11.70
56 ROB COOLAHAN GRAEME TUBBS     11.65
57 JACK RENSHAW JOHN RENSHAW     11.55
58 MIKE SANTORO DARIN AVERY DF 0.25   11.50
59 DUNCAN KINMOND JASON VAN SLYKE     10.05
60 DAN VAN HOEK ANDY VAN HOEK     2.25
61 LARRY KOMIDAR KEVIN LAVERS     0.00
62 JOE FIGUEIRA TOM STREEK     0.00