ANOTHER 20 LB. PLUS BAG NEEDED TO TAKE OPENING BASS TOURNAMENT WIN !!

The second tournament of the Quinte Fishing Series 2005 season and first of five bass tournaments went out of the George Street ramps in Belleville on Sunday, June 26^th, 2005. 55 teams from the Quinte area as well as Toronto, Richmond Hill, Peterborough, Lindsay and Kingston, left the George St. site at 7:00 a.m. competing for over $7,800.00 in cash and prizes.

“With the weather over the past week being so warm and humid, some anglers weren’t sure what the bite might be like but the “Bay” is a phenomenal fishery and the Series has some great anglers”, said Tournament Director Pete Thompson, “and like last season, it will take a great weight to claim the first place title.”

At the 4:00 p.m. weigh in time, the early leaders were the Papiest brothers from the Toronto area with a great smallmouth weight of 21.13 lbs.  These primarily smallmouth fishermen are always near the top of the standings and they held the lead until the last few teams weighed in.  When all teams had been to the scales, Corbyville’s Chris Sherman and Dave Henderson took the opening bass tournament of 2005 with another huge bag of fish weighing in at 22.12 lbs.!  These local anglers claimed the first place cheque for $2,500.00 plus two fleece sweaters compliments of Mark’s Work Warehouse and a $50.00 gift certificate from Kelsey’s/Montana’s, Belleville.  In this great weight was Big Fish of the day which also earned these anglers the H2Optixs by Bolle’ Big Fish Award and with that another $1,100.00 in cash, two pairs of H2Optix sunglasses and Big Fish trophy.

The Papiest brothers took the second place spot with that 21.13 lb. weight and earned $1,800.00 and rounding out the top three were the winners of the opening walleye tournament of the 2005 season, Tom and Steve Lawrence from Stirling and Bancroft and they took home $1,100.00 for their weight of 19.09 lbs.  Trenton’s Tom Davies and partner Greg Stacy of Deseronto claimed fourth place and $750.00 with a smallmouth weight of 18.83 lbs. and Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, Rick Morgan from Lakefield and partner Chris Giles from Peterborough took the fifth place spot with 18.69 lbs. and $500.00.

Napanee area anglers, Andy and Darcy Asselstine took $280.00 for the sixth spot with 18.06 lbs. and Stirling’s Art MacConnell and Blair Smith took the final position with 17.97 lbs. and received $150.00 for their effort.  Art and Blair also received the Minnow Shack/Q.F.S. 115 H.P. and under award given to the top placed team for the tournament whose boat is powered by an engine that is 115 H.P. or less.  These local, top ranked anglers also took home an additional $150.00 for this win as well as $50.00 worth of quality plastic baits from Bass Magnet Lures and two cases of bottled water from Mill Valley Natural Spring Water in Napanee.  Mill Valley, a new Q.F.S. sponsor this year, also supplied bottled water for all the anglers and Quinte Fishing Series staff which was greatly appreciated with the extreme heat and humidity.

The next tournament of the 2005 season will be July 16 and 17^th, our first two day event and again will be at the George Street ramps in Belleville.   “It’s great to see 55 boats out for this opening bass tournament of 2005 and we encourage anglers to join this growing tournament circuit here on the Bay of Quinte.  We have a wonderful bunch of anglers, men and women, who love to fish on this great body of water and we hope that other anglers will decide to join this competitive and fun Series”, said tournament director, Pete Thompson.  Anglers are reminded that entries must be postmarked one week prior to the event and any enquiries or information can be obtained from Pete at 613-967-1024 evenings or email him at pthompsontourdir@hotmail.com.

The Quinte Fishing Series will also be assisting with a Pro/Am style tournament on July 9-10th in Belleville put on by The Tips from the Tackle Box.  Weigh in at this event will be at the George St. Ramps at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. so come down and see another great tournament in the Quinte area.