Sept. 30, 2009

After the success of starting and running the first Canadian college fishing team, Matt Pezzetta will be bringing the first “Collegiate Fishing Event” to Canadian waters. Pezzetta, who is currently attending Conestoga College in the Bachelor of Architecture Project and Facility Management program, states,

“Being a student, it is easy for me to identify the limitations and issues that students may encounter on their way to fish a high profile tournament. By identifying these limitations, I can, hook and tackle them (pun intended), to make competing in a tournament achievable for everyone.”

The event is going to take place in the central Kawarta Lakes region. This is a very diverse fishery for both large and small mouth bass. The tournament will be held early to mid August in the 2010 fishing season. In order to compete, participants must be a full time or part time student registered in a post secondary institution in Canada. The maximum number of students per team is two, with the option to register as an individual. Students in a team of two must both be registered in the same school. There is no set maximum to the number of individuals or teams that can be entered per school.

Why is it called a Fishing Event?

The tournament will be only one day, but other events will be taking place over a two day period. Other events include a college/ university fair intertwined with a fishing trade show, skills competition, launching, and champions ceremonies. There will be something for everyone, including anglers and audience.

Boater Program

The support of local anglers and pro staff is 100% essential to this event. The biggest obstacle with a collegiate angler is the availability of a boat and the cost of running one. Local anglers and pro-staff are encouraged to support this unique event by bringing their boat, be a driver as well as a scrutineer. This will cost the team a gas surplus charge on top of their entry fee but in the end, it will be cheaper than bringing a boat. There will be a lottery draft for pairing the college anglers and their boaters. After the draft, there is a 4 hour on water consulting session with the boater and the collegiate anglers that have been drafted. The volunteer boaters are welcome to participate in the skills competition.

The Payout

The number of payout spots will be determined by the number of entries received. On an outline basis the breakdown will be as follows.

• 1st Place Team- 55% of total+ prizes
  
• 2nd Place Team- 20% of total+ prizes
  
• 3rd Place Team- 15% of total+ prizes
  
• 4th Place Team- 10% of total+ prizes
  
• 5th Place Team- Prizes

Overall, school champions prize to be determined by the number of booths filled for the college fair + Prizes.

This event is a one of a kind experience, and its success is dependent upon our generous sponsors and volunteers! All inquiries can be directed to Matt Pezzetta and the Conestoga Fishing Team at conestoga_bass@hotmail.com   or keep an eye on the Big Fat Bass Forum in the Collegiate Fishing section.

NOW IN CANADA

Finally a line of clothing for the pros to the joe’s and everyone in between. Bassaholics Lifestyles Apparel combines a unique style with durability and function. This is not only geared for people who love to fish but to everyone who wants to look good in the outdoors despite what their activities might be. Products and styles are constantly changing with the times, but never behind them.

Bassaholics is a company based out of San Marcos California and is now expanding to places like Japan, Europe, Australia , and now it is in Canada. Bassaholics Canada is operated by Paul Clark and Roger Stephan of Kawartha Lakes Distributing. Retailers across Canada are now being established to sell Bassaholics Lifestyles Apparel in their stores. Look for Bassaholics Lifestyles Apparel in leading retailers near you.

For dealer inquiries please email us at paul@bassaholics.ca or roger@bassaholics.ca

Making History For A Great Cause

Professional angler and host of Facts of Fishing THE SHOW® Dave Mercer has made the Major League Baseball (MLB) history books. On September 21st at 7:00pm Dave became the first person in the history of the league to “cast” (with rod and reel) the opening pitch, kicking off the game between the Toronto Blue Jays® and Baltimore Orioles.

UPDATE: The video of Dave at the ball game is on You Tube, it is now listed as the 52nd most popular video!! See the note Dave sent out about this below.

The historic cast took place at the Rogers Center® in downtown Toronto, and created an excellent opportunity to raise money for a great cause. In conjunction with the Blue Jays a “Facts of Fishing” section of seats was created where $5 from every ticket sold was donated by the Jays to Dave Mercer’s Casting for a Cure charity benefiting the Canadian Cancer Society. Casting for a Cure was created by Mr. Mercer in honour of his late mother, Ann Mercer who lost her battle with cancer and has since raised over $100,000 for cancer research.

Not the first place one would expect to see a “cast”, Dave continues to be a great ambassador for the sport of fishing. By putting the sport in front of mainstream audiences such as those watching the game Dave has been able to introduce new people to the sport who otherwise would never have given it a chance. Dave stated, “My most vivid memories from my childhood were the times spent with family in the boat. So many people never get the opportunity to experience all the things this great sport has to offer. My goal is always to get one more person out there to give it a try.”       

You Tube

Hi All,

Well, coming in 52nd may not be good at most things. Believe me, I know. That is usually where I finish at most tournaments lol! But coming in as #52 on You Tube's most watched video list is pretty good. We just found out that our First Cast video was the 52nd most watched video on You Tube last week!

When we agreed to work with the Blue Jays on the First Cast we hoped our great sport of fishing would get this type of exposure. But never imagined it would happen so fast. I am sure many people were exposed to fishing through this video last week that had never picked up a rod their whole life. So for those of you that came out to support me at the game-thank you! For those of you that watched the video on You Tube last week-thank you. If you did not do either of those, don't worry I will still love you! BUT only if you click on the following link and watch the First Cast video. Better yet, please forward this email to your friends, or share it on  your website, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
http://www.youtube.com/user/factsoffishing

I know this is just a fun video, but I feel its all of our jobs to get the word out about our sport. The more this video continues to spread, the more people are thinking about fishing.

2009 Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open
Oct. 24, 2009, Couchiching Beach Park, City of Orillia.
1st Place Tops $50,000

September 14, 2009

With the resounding success of the 2007 and 2008 Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky and BoaterExam.com, Bass Pro Shops and its partners continue to commit the needed resources to the Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open on Oct. 24 based out of Couchiching Beach Park, City of Orillia.

Of note, the 30lbs Toyota Truck Record payout eluded 2008 Champions, (brothers) Howard & Mike Gifford who weighed in 28.36lbs. Their weight was shy of the previous all-time Canadian one-day tournament record of 29.90lbs set in 2006 by partners John MacDonald & Steve Hawkins. With no team topping 30lbs, the Toyota Truck Record Payout will increase by another $5,000 for the 2009 event - a total bonus valued at $15,000 over and above the guaranteed (with 100 boat field) 1st place prize of 25,000!

As other respective contingencies fall into place, the 1st Place Team at the 2009 Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open has the opportunity to walk away with $50,000 or more!

“This event holds tremendous promise.” says George Wallace, Canadian Market Manager of Bass Pro Shops. “From day one, we’ve let the grassroots aspect of our business drive the demand and success of this tournament. From the outset, we’ve committed to making this the premier bass tournament in the country and we’re doing that like no other tournament in Canada. Where else can you find a one day tournament with a 300% payback for just a $320 entry fee, asked Wallace? That fee includes entry into the Yamaha Big Fish pot which could total as much as $5,000.  “The results of negotiations with a number of key organizations and agencies will be announced within the coming weeks, announced Wallace. “For now though we’re extremely thankful to all our current sponsors and anglers for their continued support,” he concluded.

Herb Quan president of the Aurora Bassmasters who host the event added, “One thing’s for certain, the Canadian bass fishing community deserves a tournament like the BPS Lake Simcoe Open.  Thanks to George Wallace, BPS, a host of hard working volunteers and tremendous corporate support we plan on delivering a world class tournament that others can only aspire to have in their own backyard!”

Applications Still Being Accepted but Limited Field is Filling Fast

Anglers are encouraged to apply ASAP as the 2009 field is filling fast and will be limited to just 100 teams. Complete a 2009 Application Form (available from www.simcoeopen.com) and send a $320 non-refundable cheque or money order (payable to Aurora Bassmasters) to Simcoe Open Application - 10 Laurwood Court, Aurora, Ontario L4G 5C2. All anglers must read and agree to follow the General Rules, Regulations & Liability information found on the site.

In order to maintain the highest level of communication between tournament organizers and anglers prior to the event itself, it is mandatory for all applicants to include their email addresses on the Application Form itself so that all notices and event-related messaging can be relayed directly to all interested parties.

Much more information and late breaking updates are posted on the BFB Forum in the special Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open section.

Fish TV will be holding our 6th Annual Celebrity Showdown tournament on Wednesday July 1st 2009, in Palmer Park, Port Perry, ON.
This Charity event is for the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation. 
Come meet the players and have a chance to win fantastic prizes and autographed memorabilia in our celebrity raffle and live auction. Don’t forget about the kids activities all day long.  It all begins at noon, with the weigh-in, auction and raffle starting at 3:15pm.
Visit our website for more information.  www.fishtv.tv

Some of the Celebrities that are confirmed so far:

Local Anglers form a new Tackle Distributorship

EdgePoint Incorporated Launches.

TORONTO, Ontario (June 5, 2009) – The launch of EdgePoint Incorporated was announced today by co-founders Eugene Ghounarides and Craig Butler.  EdgePoint Incorporated is a full service outdoor & recreational sporting goods distribution centre, serving Canada from their Toronto office.  Focused on the fishing industry and recreational sports, the company represents top brands, such as Bioline Fishing, Laser Lure, Mizmo Bait Company, Poor Boy’s Baits, and Secret Weapon Lures.

“We offer some of the worlds most prominent brands in the industry and we are extremely pleased to be representing these world class organizations.  We have quickly recognized that organizations are looking to EdgePoint to service their requirements in providing focused, high quality turnkey services.” says Eugene Ghounarides, co-founder. Unlike traditional distributors’ services, EdgePoint Inc. has added a suite of marketing and sales service offerings.  The two co-founders have been tasked to develop the Canadian Bioline Fishing and Secret Weapon Lures Pro-Staff team.  Details will be revealed in a future announcement.

Craig Butler, co-founder, adds “We believe there are significant opportunities for future growth in the outdoor and recreational sporting industry and our mandate as a distributor is to help fuel and  increase this growth.”  Craig has been the Canadian Pro-Staff Manager for Mizmo Bait Company for the past three years.  Craig Butler, says, “As we continue to build the organization, we will be adding to our product and service offering. At EdgePoint, our organization is 100% completely customer driven and at all times we will deliver unprecedented service!”

Lowrance Announces Side-Viewing Sonar Option for New High Definition Systems

Innovative HDS Multifunction Displays to Offer Advanced Fishfinding Technology

Tulsa, Okla. – Lowrance, a world-leading brand in marine electronics since 1957 and GPS navigational systems since 1992, announced today, at the Bassmaster Classic in Shreveport, Louisiana, its introduction of a new side-viewing sonar technology option for its powerful line of HDS (High Definition System) multifunction displays. Available in 2009, the Lowrance sideviewing sonar technology depicts the underwater world of bottom and structure in photo-like presentations.

Presenting an advanced new dimension in bottom and structure viewing, Lowrance side-viewing sonar delivers the same legendary total-sonar performance that anglers have come to expect from Lowrance. In addition, the side-viewing sonar works in tandem with existing high-definition 2D sonar displays – powered by the built-in HDS Broadband Sounder.

A simple, cost-efficient add-on module, the new side-viewing technology is easily networked using Lowrance Ethernet connections, allowing anglers to enjoy the Lowrance sonar advantage on all HDS displays mounted on their boat.

More details and availability should be released later this summer (2009).

Facts of Fishing Casting for a Cure

We are pleased to announce the inaugural season for the Facts of Fishing Casting for a Cure Campaign. Casting for a Cure is a non-profit initiative endorsed by the Canadian Cancer Society and operated by Dave Mercer Outdoors Inc.

Complete article here...