• 2013 Hank Gibson Qualifier Returns to The Bay of Quinte

    Quinte West, Ontario: The 18th annual Hank Gibson Provincial Qualifier will be heading to Quinte West, formerly Trenton, on August 24-25. Up to 200 anglers from the Ontario B.A.S.S. Nation will compete for the opportunity to represent both Ontario and Canada at the Eastern Divisional in 2014.

    Each year the top 12 anglers from over 20 OBN clubs vie for a coveted spot at the Bassmaster Classic. No one has ever represented Ontario except the late Hank Gibson, to which this event was named, in 1990. The road to the Classic begins at the Qualifier by making Team Ontario who then must compete against teams from New York, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut and New Hampshire at the Eastern Divisional. The top angler from each team then qualifies for the Nationals; from there the top angler from each Division will move onto The Classic.

    The York, Hawgtown (Toronto) and Port Perry Bassmaster Fishing Clubs have put together an event in Quinte West that they hope will leave both the spectators and anglers in awe. As the competitors spend the week leading up to the tournament pre-fishing, other activities will take place including tournaments for soldiers from CFB Trenton and Junior Qualifiers from OBN Clubs. A Kids Fishing Derby will take place for local youth on the Saturday leading up to the Day One weigh-in as well as a food drive for the local food bank. Vendors will on hand as well as celebrities like radio, television and web broadcaster Reno Viola who will emcee the event. Future announcements will be made through the local media and on www.ontariobass.com, Twitter (@ontarioBASS) and Facebook.

    Quinte West Mayor John Williams stated “On behalf of Council and the Citizens of Quinte West, it is my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to participants and visitors attending the Ontario B.A.S.S. Nation event this August. We are pleased to have been selected as the venue for this tournament. It’s the perfect setting for this event.”

    Quinte West was chosen for the 2013 Hank Gibson Provincial Qualifier because of the beautiful location on the Bay of Quinte, the exceptional fishing opportunities and its capacity for holding tournaments of this size every year.

    The Ontario B.A.S.S. Nation, affiliated with Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), serves as an organization in which the individual B.A.S.S. chapters in the Province of Ontario encourage youth fishing, promotes and supports approved conservation policies while practicing the highest standards of sportsmanship. The OBN is united in the benefit of their common interests and causes.

    For any questions about the Ontario B.A.S.S. Nation or the Hank Gibson Provincial Qualifier please contact the Media Director, Chris Kilgore (media@ontariobass.com).