Posted for Renegade.......

December 2006

The ground is covered with snow. The rivers and lakes are beginning to freeze. Surely it’s time to stop thinking about bass fishing. This may be true for most people, but certainly not for the members of Renegade Bass who eagerly awaited the early bird draw which would determine their starting position for the 2007 season. For weeks prior to the draw, the message board was filled with posts speculating on how many teams would be in the draw. Finally, the wait was over. At the December 5th Executive Meeting, the draw was made, and the 57 starting positions posted on the website. While this number was down slightly from last year, it must be remembered that, subsequent to the draw, eight teams withdrew for various reasons. This year, as a result of a decision made by the membership at the October Annual General Meeting, deposits are non-refundable, so it is unlikely that any of the 57 teams will be dropping out. This bodes well for a full field of 85 teams by the time the first tournament rolls around.

The early-bird field boasts 7 new members and 21 returning members who didn’t fish in 2006. The competition should be fierce with a field that already includes 2 previous Classic Championship teams and 5 former Team of the Year winners in addition to a number of other anglers whose names appear on one of the two trophies. This ‘old guard’ will have to face the ‘young guns’ who very successfully challenge for the top prizes tournament after tournament.

Throughout the summer, the anglers compete in a series of five tournaments, with as many as 40 teams qualifying for the Classic and a chance to win the Ranger boat. For 2007, the series has been modified slightly. In response to a suggestion from a number of competitors who felt that they were spending too much time away from family, two of the qualifying tournaments will be held on the same body of water on the same weekend, thereby freeing up the August 1 holiday weekend. Furthermore, the classic qualification has been improved to enable participation from 50% of the field (maximum 40 boats). The 2007 schedule, registration forms, and additional information can be found at the Lake & Trail Renegade Bass website at www.renegadebass.com . In addition to the regular schedule, anyone interested in learning more about tournament fishing is encouraged to register for the Pro-Am, which will be held on the Rideau River on June 30th or the Fall Challenge on Muskrat Lake on September 23rd.

In its on-going commitment to preserving a healthy fish population in the bodies of water that we fish, Renegade Bass will once again utilize the Shimano Water Weigh-In system introduced in 2006. This system ensures that the bass are in water throughout the weigh-in process until they are returned to appropriate locations using the Shimano Live-Release Boat equipped with Aqua Innovations Oxygenators.

As the temperature drops and the snow gets deeper and deeper, at least 57 teams will be preparing for the 2007 season. There are still a lot of anglers, many of them past Renegade Bass competitors, who will hopefully join up over the next few months. With over 40 teams indicating that they will be fishing next season and only 28 available spots, some will be left standing when the music stops. We hope to see you there!