Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open
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The Aurora Bassmasters are pleased to announce an exciting new partnership between their club and Bass Pro Shops Canada, Inc. The partnership will focus around the club’s well established Lake Simcoe Crackle Cup Bass Tournament, which has been breaking records since the inaugural event in 2000. This is the same event that currently holds the one-day, all-time Canadian tournament record at 29.90 pounds for five bass (smallmouth) set last year by John MacDonald and Steve Hawkins.
Beginning this year, Bass Pro Shops will become the new title sponsor of the event. The Crackle Cup will now officially be called the “Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open”. “On Saturday, October 27th, the 2007 Lake Simcoe Open will see an array of prizing, cash awards and incentives for competing anglers in a team format” says George Wallace, Canadian Market Manager, Bass Pro Shops. “We have been looking for an event that can offer outstanding market appeal for all tournament anglers, sponsors, and the community alike. We believe that the Lake Simcoe Open will fast become the grand finale of the Ontario tournament season and with such a tremendous history of record sized bass it will be a great showcase for the sport of competitive fishing here in Ontario and Canada as a whole. We look forward to growing this annual event into the future.” Wallace concluded.
Herb Quan president of the Aurora Bassmasters added that, “On behalf of the entire Aurora Bassmaster chapter I’d like to thank BPS for the commitment they have demonstrated to our club and this tournament. Not only will BPS and their proven marketing abilities be able to achieve incredible exposure for the tournament itself, but it will now also heighten awareness for our bass research project - which is a very important part of the tournament itself.” Quan is referring to a bass-tagging project spearheaded by the Aurora Bassmasters and supported by MNR’s Community Fisheries Wildlife Improvement Program. The conservation project sees bass caught during select Simcoe tournaments, tagged, measured and aged, with valuable data collected and sent to the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Des Barnes the founder of Crackle - a gel capsule loaded with a crackling-sound crystal that becomes activated when in contact with water, remarked “For over five years Crackle has proudly been the title sponsor of this unique bass tournament and I am thrilled that Bass Pro Shops will now be able to take over that role in order to move this tournament to levels we would have otherwise never have reached. Crackle will remain an integral sponsor of the event and free packages will still be offered to all competing anglers so that they can continue to insert that bit of magic sound into their tube jigs to catch all those monster sized Simcoe bass”.
Limited Field … Early Registration Encouraged:
All anglers competing in the BPS Simcoe Open are encouraged to pre-register as the field will be limited to ~ 50 teams. To entice early registration, a special prize package consisting of two Mustang Classic Floater suits will be up for grabs to all those who sign up prior to August 31st 2007. Total entry fees per team will be $250 including $20 for Big Fish and $10 for Launch at Monto Reno Marina in Lefroy. Anglers wishing to pre-register should send either a $50.00 non-refundable cheque as a deposit or the entire amount payable to Aurora Bassmasters to: 58 English Ivy Way, Willowdale, ON M2H 3M4. Please be sure to clearly mark your co-angler in the “re:” line of the cheque itself.
Taste of Incentives for 2007 BPS Lake Simcoe Open
BPS Record Payout: The BPS Record Payout will be held in trust by the Aurora Bassmasters and awarded to the Team that breaks the 30.0lb mark. If, in 2007 this one-day, all-time Canadian bass tournament record is not broken it will continue to be held in trust until the following year when an additional $2,500 will be added to the BPS Record Payout. Furthermore, when the BPS Record Payout is awarded, the contribution ($2,500 annually) will renew and again be considered the BPS Record Payout for subsequent years to the Team that successfully breaks the new Record as established.
Outside the traditional 80% payout structure, additional announcements are pending in support of the BPS Lake Simcoe Open by participating sponsors including Minn Kota, Humminbird and many more in association with Big Fish, a potential All-New Ontario Smallmouth Record Payout and much, much more.
As new information is made available, it will be posted on Bass Pro Shops’ website at www.basspro.com or the Aurora Bassmasters site at www.aurorabass.com in the coming weeks and months. Registration Forms and a complete listing of General Rules, Regulations & Liability will be made available online through the Aurora Bassmasters. The Aurora Bassmasters are one of ~30 clubs across the province belonging to the Ontario BASS Federation Nation at www.ontariobass.com . This tournament is an OPEN event where tournament anglers from any bass circuit are invited to attend.
Press Release prepared by:
Wil Wegman
wil.wegman@aurorabass.com
