Stewner, Carlson defend Rainy Lake title

There’s something about fishing in the fall that brings out the best in Ted Stewner and Al Carlson.
It was a case of déja vu for the rest of the 71-team field last weekend at the second-annual LaBelle’s Rainy Lake Bass Classic as the Winnipeg and Kenora residents (Team #19) swept to victory for the second-straight year.
“We’ve already got our room booked for next year,” said a jovial Carlson, who teamed up with Stewner for a two-day total of 42.26 pounds to reel in the top prize of $5,000.
They also earned an automatic berth in next year’s 10th-annual Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship, which will have $50,000 up for grabs for the top team.
“Just to be able to do it two years in a row . . . the competition here is absolutely phenomenal,” Carlson added. “Anyone can turn it on at any time.
“To be able to hold it for two years is mind-boggling, it really is.”
“It always feels good to be No. 1, it always feels the same—it feels great,” echoed Stewner.
The pair, who won last year’s event with a total of 39.12 pounds, were sitting in fourth place after an opening-day mark of 20.80 on Saturday.
That left them trailing Devlin’s Doug McBride and Steve Ballan of Fort Frances (Team #60), who had weighed in 21.52 pounds, and the two teams tied for second with 20.84—Sioux Narrows couple Norm Lindsay and Kari Hicks (Team #35) as well as Tom Pearson of Fort Frances and Devlin’s Eric Lessman (Team #58).
But although they didn’t snag the big fish for either day, Stewner and Carlson managed to put together the only two 20-pound baskets in the field, posting a total of 21.46 for the biggest basket Sunday to solidify their hold on the championship.
“We just went run and gun,” said Stewner about how he and Carlson approached Sunday. “We actually didn’t think we’d catch Steve Ballan and [McBride].
“But we pulled up about 18 pounds in about eight casts in the first spot, and after that, we just started to roll.”
For McBride and Ballan, who hauled in 18.88 pounds Sunday to finish in second place with 40.40, they knew heading into the dock they were in trouble.
“We just couldn’t [get] as big of fish as we got yesterday [Saturday],” said McBride, who shared $2,800 with Ballan for their weekend’s work ($2,500 for second place and another $300 for Saturday’s big fish of 5.28 pounds—the largest of the tournament).
“We had lots of fish, a lot of 17-and-a-halves, but we couldn’t get those 18s, 18-and-a halves-today [Sunday]. That was the difference.
“A couple of more big ones and it would have put us up over 20 for the day,” McBride added.
Ballan had no ill will to his conquerors, whom he and McBride shared congratulations with after the final weights had been announced at LaBelle’s Birch Point Camp on Northwest Bay.
“Ted and Al are great guys, great fisherman,” he lauded. “Stewner can catch fish anywhere he goes.”
McBride said it’s no secret as to why—in just its second year—the chance to take part in an autumn fishing derby is catching on so quickly.
“You catch bigger ones in the fall, they’re feeding up for the winter,” he reasoned. “It’s easier to catch the four-plusers and the big weights. They don’t just nibble, they bang it.”
Al McTaggart of Fort Frances and Ryan Haines from Sioux Narrows (Team #52) had a less-productive Sunday in terms of weight, but outperformed teams ahead of them to jump from fifth to third with a total of 39.56 pounds, earning $1,400 for their efforts.
Pearson and Lessman wound up fourth for the second-straight year with 38.92 pounds to win $1,000. Meanwhile, Lindsay, a three-time winner of the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship, and his wife took home $750 for fifth spot with 38.76 pounds after only managing to bring in four fish Sunday.
Big fish magic worked wonders for Corey Curtis and Todd Grennier of Emo (Team #53) on Sunday as their top catch of 5.26 pounds vaulted them from eighth to sixth overall—and actually outearned Lindsay and Hicks with an $800 payday ($500 for sixth place and $300 for the big fish).
Michael Graham and Daryl Begin (Team #66), both of Fort Frances, finished seventh with a total of 37.20 pounds to collect $450, following up their third-place result of the previous year.
Shawn Ossachuk of Fort Frances and Dean Morken of Devlin (Team #6) were eighth at 37 pounds flat to earn $400.
Steve Mattson of Brainerd, Mn. and Tom Burri from International Falls (Team #38) were the top American entry in the field this year, claiming $350 for finishing ninth with a total of 35.92 pounds.
The 10th through 15th-place finishers each received their entry fee of $300 back, with the Emo duo of Richard Veldhuisen and Wayne Howard (Team #5) leading the way (35.72).
They were followed by the Sioux Narrows couple of Roger and Dorese Harrison in 11th place (Team #46, 35.68 pounds), Kent Ballan of Fort Frances and Davis Viehbeck from Thunder Bay in 12th (Team #54, 35.50), Winnipeg’s Jerry Millar and Scott Cook in 13th (Team #18, 35.22 pounds), Mike and Sandy Salvador from Sioux Narrows in 14th (Team #64, 35.02), and Larry and Erik Bollig from Ham Lake, Mn. in 15th (Team #17, 34.98).
There also was fishing equipment prizes awarded to Devlin’s Paul Jewiss and Emo’s Dale Strachan (Team #49, 16th, 34.84), Vince Godbout and Ron Tucker from Fort Frances (Team #61, 17th, 34.70), and the Devlin pairing of Pat Steele and Ralph Galusha (Team #9, 18th, 34.48).
A total of 553 fish were recorded as being caught during the tournament, with a combined weight of 1,716.55 pounds.