Support Grows for
The Kingston Canadian Open of Fishing

Kingston, Ontario:  It took just 1 day to fill the roster of Professional Anglers who will descend on Kingston this July in support of Canadian Troops and in pursuit of big bass prize money at The Canadian Open of Fishing, July 22-24, hosted by the City of Kingston.

In similar fashion, partners continue to jump on board in record numbers to be part of the fishing event of the summer.   The growing list of tournament friends now includes
Lund Boats, Royal Distributing, and Shimano Canada. 

• Lund Boats, a world leading manufacturer of aluminum boats for fishing, water skiing, and cruising, will provide the first prize for the non-boater division:  A Lund 1810 Predator Boat powered by a Mercury 90HP Optimax engine. (http://www.lundboats.com/Showroom/2010/Sportsman/2010_1810_predator.html)

Royal Distributing, Canada’s one-stop source for aftermarket parts and accessories for your snowmobile, ATV, Dirtbike, Cruiser Streetbike or Sportbike, is supplying a shopping spree worth $3750 to the third place non boater.  (www.royaldistributing.com)  

“When this opportunity was put before us, we definitely wanted to be involved.  What a great way to support our Canadian soldiers!   We see time and again that Canadians involved in different aspects of the powersports industry support great causes.  Royal Distributing is proud to be able to say thank you to our troops by supporting The Canadian Open of Fishing.”   Mark Fries, Vice President -Royal Distributing

• Shimano, international manufacturer and distributor of cycling and fishing equipment and accessories, will provide additional prize monies through the Shimano Performance payouts for the top 3 Pro anglers on both Days 2 and 3 of the Tournament (close to $5000 in total each day).  Shimano will also utilize its state-of-the-art Live Release System to ensure tournament-caught bass are returned to the water at the end of each day of competition.  (www.shimano.com)

More partners of the Kingston Canadian Open of Fishing will be announced in coming weeks.  In the meantime, sports personalities from outside the competitive fishing world are throwing their support behind the Kingston event. 

"Let's be there to support our troops,” states Donald S. Cherry, star of CBC Television’s Hockey Night in Canada.

While there are big bucks and prizes up for grabs, the ultimate goal of The Kingston Canadian Open of Fishing is to raise money in support of injured or ill Canadian Forces personnel through the organization Soldier On.  “When the cause is right, the outdoor industry never hesitates to lend its support,” states Tom Brooke, Vice President of Shimano Canada, one of the first partners to support The Canadian Open of Fishing.  Adds Bob Izumi, Canada’s fishing guru, "As a Canadian I am proud to be fishing for our Canadian troops!  Their incredible sacrifices give us our freedom to live in this wonderful country!"

The Soldier On program, and the complementary Soldier On Fund, encourages ill and injured Canadian Forces personnel to attain and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. It supports these personnel in increasing their independence, in developing new skills and in achieving goals.

The Kingston Canadian Open of Fishing will feature Pro anglers teaming up with non-boat anglers for a 3 day bass tournament on Lake Ontario.  The Pros will be vying for a cash prize purse in excess of $100,000 with the top Pro angler walking away with $40,000 in cash! The non-boaters have a chance at an impressive list of prizes valued at over $50,000 including a first place finish worth $20,000 in merchandise.

The tournament will feature Pros such as Bob Izumi, Dave Mercer and JP DeRose.  Pro anglers will provide the bass boat and partner with a different non-boat angler each day.   Prize money will be awarded based on the highest total 3-day weight of bass in each Division.   As mentioned above, additional prize money for Pros will be available through the Shimano Performance payouts for the top 3 Pro anglers on both Days 2 and 3 of the Tournament (close to $5000 in total each day).  An extra $1000 will be awarded daily for the Power Pro Big Fish of the Day.   

Tournament-caught bass will be returned to Lake Ontario each day via the Shimano Live Release System.

The Canadian Open of Fishing tournament will be run by the Competitive Sport Fishing League (CSFL).  For more information, contact the CSFL.  Phone: 905-640-2277; Fax: 905-640-2278; bassmania@on.aibn.com;