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.
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).