Team Ontario - Highschool - Eastern Divisionals - Connecticut River

 Just got home from the Connecticut river this past weekend with Team Ontario, and it was a blast. We arrived in CT on Saturday night and pre-fished sunday-wednesday. Our coach didn't show up till monday night so we fished sunday with Team member Frank Ramsay and on monday we fished with Doug Brownridge who also made the team last year when we fished on the St. Lawrence River! Doug and Frank have both fished the Connecticut River before and we learnt a lot from them in the 2 days we fished with them. I've never fished tidal water before and it was pretty cool learning it. We had 2 days to pre fish with our coach Forrest Weiller and it was a grindddd. This time of the year is one of the toughest time to fish on the river. 5 bites a day would be awesome. Going into day one, we had some spots that we were confident in. We hit most of our weigh points, and didn't catch a fish till about noon when we went back to one of our spots at the same tide we went to it during pre fish. Prefish was nothing like our tournament day. Durring pre fish we were doing a lot of casting and winding with chatter baits, spinner baits, crank baits, and jerk baits, but day one the fish decided to slow down for some reason. We really had to slow down and we caught 4 fish on our one spot on texas rigged senko's. We were fishing a main river flat with rock, sand and weed with heavy current. We caught 4 fish really quick before we had to make our I hour run back to weigh in. Ive never been so pumped to not even catch a limit.. Day one we lead the tournament with 5.5pounds.. but did not have much of a lead and needed to get a limit on day 2 to have a chance at winning this thing. Day 2 comes around and we hit all of our spots we had fish on during practice. We spent the majority of our day on the same main river flat but just couldn't get them to go. The fish were there, but we couldn't get them to bite. Sometimes thats just how it goes.. We ended up going from Ist place to last place.. Just goes to show if your leading day one, it means nothing, but to work your butt off day 2 and try to catch em again. You gotta catch em 2 days in a row, but we just couldn't get them to go like we did day I. Even tho we finished last for the Highschoolers, words can't describe what it feels like to get back up on that BASS stage. I get the chills every time I walk up onto it. It was our last year to fish as Highschool students, but we made Team Ontario again as seniors for 20I6!!! We could be travelling as far as florida, and I am pumped! Im super lucky, and without the help of my parents and friends, this wouldn't be possible. A HUGE thanks to our previous high school coaches David Chong(Sturgeon Lake OBN high school Qualifier) , Tony Chimiri (St lawrence river Team Ontario) , Stan Pilarczyk (B.A.S.S high school Nationals) and Forrest Weiller (Connecticut River Team Ontario), our youth director Doug Ferguson, Laurie Charlebois for all her hard work with the team the last few years, my parents, all the guys from Team Ontario, B.A.S.S, Ontario BASS Nation, Port Perry bass masters, and everyone else who helped out! The list is HUGE, wooooooooop and a Massive congrats for Charles sim for winning for our team and will be heading to the nationals within the next 2 months at a shot at fishing the Bassmaster Classic.. Go Charles!

Ontario B.A.S.S Nation Qualifier - 2nd place

Just got home, What a weekend! We went up to Lake Erie for the Ontario BASS Nation Qualifier. We were originally going to fish as high school students again and try to make the team, but found out we were too old for the program now so we had to fish as seniors. Going from a high school student to fishing against kids our age was a lot different than fishing as a non with all the seniors.. I was pretty pumped going into this event as I have never fished as a non before. The day before our tournament we were told we might not be able to fish the tournament because 4 boats backed out, and we were the last ones to sign up. Because of all the amazing guys from OBN, the local marina, all the boaters and volunteers, they got most of the boats fixed and ready for day one. There was an even amount of nons and boaters and me and Dan found out we were able to fish. We were pumpeeeed! Day one I drew Joey Turk. We started at a underwater point in about I0 feet and fished all the way in to about 3 feet. We caught lots of fish in the morning and had our limit before 9. We saw a couple big ones cruising but couldn't get them to bite. both our limits were small so we decided to move, fish deep and try to get some bigger bites. We tried to dropshot and drag tubes out deep but couldn't get anything to go so we went back in shallow to a big shoal. I was throwing a spinner bait and a decent fish followed me to the boat, so I dropped that rod, picked up a tube and the fish went right up to my bait, sniffed it then swam away close to a big boulder. I tried to through a senko and nothing... so I threw my tube back down, started to drag it and a fish picked it up. I set hook and a fish close to 5 jumped out of the water. I was so pumped because I caught the bigger one I didn't even see. I got lucky. If it weren't for that big fish, I would have had a small weight. I ended up weighing in just under 9 pounds for a three fish limit day one, sitting in I6th place. Big shoutout to Joey for the fun day on the water.

Went home, re tied all my leaders/knots and got ready for day 2. I figured that I would need at least ten pounds to make the team. Day 2 I drew Jeremy Baird. Jeremy Baird only got 4 pounds day one, but we figured them out day 2. We came up to Jeremy's first spot, and started to dropshot. We marked a big school underneath us, but they were all I2 inch fish. We gave it about half hour and left. We went to another spot with beautiful chunk rock and sand. We had a good feeling about the area. Within just a few minutes Jeremy lost one over 4 on a spinnerbait. It was a little cloudy in the morning and was harder to spot the fish below the boat so we were just trying to cover some water. I caught three half decent fish pretty quick, and got my limit early. I ended up getting one good one in the boat around 4 pounds and I had a good feeling I could make the team with the weight I had, but I needed 2 more good ones to seal the deal.. I was throwing a brown tube pretty much all day. I would long bomb it, let it hit bottom, drag it for about 5 feet, then reel in and cast again. I got most of my bigger fish doing this. The fish were so aggressive that if there was one there, it would hit within just a couple seconds. Almost every fish we sight fished we caught. I got lucky, we fished a big flat with lots of fish that were aggressive and were biting all day long. At one point I forgot I was even in a tournament! haha, it was honestly such a fun day on the water! The day panned out perfectly, and I ended up getting the weight I wanted. A HUGE thanks to Jeremy Baird for the fun day on the water. I ended up weighing II.5 pounds. I had a very good feeling I made the team, but I was hoping Danny got another good bag too. After day one, Danny was leading the event as a non with just over I2 pounds. We both wanted each other to do good so we could make the team together again like we did together as high school anglers. Danny got a decent bag day 2 and we both had a chance. I ended up climbing the leader board from I6th to 2nd place to make the team, and Danny also made the team coming in 4th. I did a lot better than I hoped and I was beyond excited. I would have never thought of making the Team 2 years in a row fishing the Highschool series then fishing as a non and making it again. I have been really lucky, and have had tons of support from tons of people. The list is ginormous. Thanks to everyone who has helped out and made this possible, especially my parents.

Team Ontario 20I6 has an awesome bunch of guys, and I am PUMPED for next years championship. 

Coop 

Marshalling the B.A.S.S Elites on the St. Lawrence River

 A couple of months ago, a fellow angler, Dave Spence had brought up that he was going to Marshal the Elites on the St lawrence River at the end of July. It really made me think about doing it. Since I loved the St. Lawrence so much when I fished the B.A.S.S Eastern Divisionals last year, It really made me want to try and go. I talked to my parents, and being the awesome parents they are, they let me apply. I got excepted and was super pumped. I really didn't know what to expect. Hotel was booked at the Northern Family Motel, Bags were packed, and off we went. Registration was on the Wednesday, and the tournament started on the Thursday. Day one I drew Fred Roumbanis "BOOM BOOM". He caught a I9 lb. bag that day of smallies.. Day 2 I drew Brandon Card, and he had a I9 lb. bag of largemouth... and day 3, I drew David Walker and he got I believe another I8 pounds.. and on the final day I was not a marshal. Edwin Evers ended up taking the win, and Brandon Card made top I2 with green csh on the St Lawrence River...I drew amazing guys, who talked to me all day long, and even shared some info with me. I learnt a ton, and had an absolute blast. It really was one of the best experiences I have ever had. I liked it so much, that I convinced my parents to go to Michigan, Detroit to marshal another of the Elite events on Lake St. Clair. Gotta thank the parents, if it wasn't for them this wouldn't be possible, wooooooop, I can't wait

4th place - Balsam Lake

Super fun day on the water last week with Kris fishing a little event on Balsam lake.. We started off the morning trying to find some smallies, but couldn't get anything to go so we hit some docks for quite a while. Docks were also slow so we decided to go to a bay and fish some slop, grass and undercut banks. Right when we got there, I pulled out one over 4 and finally had a nice kicker in the boat. We then decided to hit one more smallie spot, and it was the right decision.. Right when we got there, Kris brought 2 good smallies to the boat so I threw a follow up bait right at them, and the bigger one came right up to my bait and ate it. We ended up getting 2 more keepers at our smallie spot and decided to spend the last half hour where I caught my big largie. We fished it for half our and didn't get another fish and had to pack up and head to weigh in. I took one last flip into a big grass patch and I heard a fish jump in the grass so I set the hook, and we probably culled about a pound, and got rid of our cute smallie. We ended up weighing in just under I5 pounds to take fourth place. Was a super fun day on the water
Woooop
Also a huge thanks to Kris for taking me out

B.A.S.S National Highschool Championship

What a trip to Kentucky Lake for the BASS High School National Championship. We had another tough day today and could only manage to get one fish in the boat. We were really hoping to get a limit to make it for a second chance tomorrow. We fished our butts off, and it just didn't work out. We didn't have a fish in the boat until later on in the day. The thing we wanted most was to just get on the stage one last time in case we had to head home. We ended up catching a keeper, and we were super pumped just to get back on the stage for one last time. The ledge fishing is really different, and it makes me want to stay here for another week to try and figure them out! I definitely want to come back. We didn't have a coach until 3 days before official pre fish, and we want to thank Stan Pilarczyk for taking his time to come up with us, supply a boat and be our coach! We also want to thank our parents for helping us out, without them it wouldn't be possible! The list of people to thank is HUGE and it means the world to us! What a week, and an experience to remember! Heading home tomorrow morning, and then off to the 2015 Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River to Marshal the Elites Next wednesday!!! woooooop ><> 

B.A.S.S Highschool Championship Win - 20I5 - Sturgeon Lake

Well... What a week/weekend! My and Danny went up to Sturgeon Lake a week before to pre fish for our Highschool tournament to try and make it to the states again this year. We spent all week from pretty much sun up to sun down, finding and eliminating a bunch of water. In total of the 4 days we pre fished, we only stung one fish, and it was painful, lol.. It was finally nice to start stinging them today! Our coach was David Chong. In the morning we fished smallies, caught a few dinks before 8Ish, we stuck around for a bit and started to hook into some good fish. Danny caught two good ones on a popper, and i got a smaller on on a jerk bait. We gave it till I0 and moved from the spot to go try and find some largess we had shook off from our pre fish. We fished this one stretch of docks we had some fish on, but we couldn't get them to go. We ended up going to our second spot, a stretch of beautiful looking docks with slop pushed right up to shore and against the docks. I was throwing a one ounce tungsten with a brown/Gold flake tube and punching it right through the matts beside the docks and letting it soak for a while. We came up to a nice, deeper dock, covered with slop and i had a good feeling. punched my tube into the slop about 3 feet from the dock and and let it soak for a long time..... Shaking it, bouncing it off the top of the slop, Deadsticking it, and finally THUMP, Danny grabbed the net and net it as the hook popped out right when it got in the net. We were pumped.. At this point we had 3 decent smallies, a decent largemouth, and now we were trying to get rid of the I3 incher.. We had some frog fish so we ran across the lake. It wasn't as good as we thought and was starting to get worried. We kept fishing our butts of and Danny had a 2 and change explode on his horney toad. We continued to fish till it was time to go in, didn't cull again, but was enough to take the win! Me and Danny would like to thank our parents for helping us out with everything, my dad getting my boat done just in time for pre fish, Our coach David Chong, and our high school director Doug Fergoson and MANY more, You guys rock! This tournament qualified Danny and myself to fish the B.A.S.S Highschool Championship on Kentucky Lake on the 22nd of July, and get to go to conneticut to represent Team Ontario,
WE ARE PUMPED
Coop <><

Strip, Strip, Pause, Strip BOOM!

Man that was fun! headed up north after school to fly fish for some Brook Trout! Strip, Strip, Pause, Strip, BOOM! All night long.. Was so much fun, and to be honest, my first ever Brook Trout outing! Those little Brook Trout put the Streamside Tranquility to work tonight! That was a BLAST! headed out to my local river tomorrow with some friends from Quebec in search of some more Lake Ontario Tributary Steelhead! Can't wait,
COOP ><>!