Lucas Punkari
Even though the annual Safeway KidPro tournament is not taking place ahead of this year’s Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship, local youngsters still are having a chance to learn about fishing from the pros.
In the lead-up to this year’s tournament, which gets underway next Thursday (July 25), a number of anglers are hitting the water during pre-fishing with a kid in tow.
And they’re hoping to give them a memorable experience.
“It’s not a tournament or an event. It’s just taking a kid out fishing,” stressed long-time FFCBC angler and KidPro participant Phil Bangert.
“Basically, it’s just taking any kid out at any day, any time, and for as long as they want to be out there,” he noted this morning.
“I know I am hoping to have a ringer in the boat with me,” he joked.
So far, a number of FFCBC anglers have expressed an interest in taking part and already have kids lined up to go out with them, such as Troy Norman of Fort Frances.
“I know a lot of us will be going out on Sunday, but everyone has a chance to go with an angler prior to the end of the pre-fishing on Wednesday,” he noted.
“The town puts so much into this tournament every year that the least that we can do is to give back to it,” Norman reasoned.
“And for those youngsters that want to learn more about fishing, us anglers are the perfect examples to help them catch a few fish and to enjoy the benefits of Rainy Lake.”
Anyone looking for more information about having their child fish with a pro is asked to contact Linda at 274-5373 or Shelly at 274-2221.
