Lucas Punkari
Although the cooler temperatures are a relief after the hot, humid conditions of last week, anglers getting set to compete in the Fort Frances Canadians Bass Championship this week have a bit of a headache as a result.
As pre-fishing wrapped up today, many of the anglers have found things to be slow going out on Rainy Lake, which was a lot different than some had been anticipating leading into this year’s event.
“We were hoping for some stable warm weather like we have been having up here lately, but it has kind of changed around over the last few days,” noted Ryan Teigen, who once again is fishing the FFCBC with his dad, Mike.
“It’s been pretty slow out there, to be honest with you,” he said. “And while we have had a little bit of luck here and there, it has been pretty tough with the changes in weather.”
One of the major challenges the anglers have had to deal with has been with the wind on Rainy Lake, which means some of the strategies that certain tandems have during the course of the day are forced to be switched up on the fly.
“You can only fish certain spots out on the lake because of the wind, and there are other spots that you can’t fish at all because of the wind,” said Jim Picha, who is fishing with Paul Kielb.
“You just have to deal with it, though,” he reasoned. “And you have to keep trying different lures out there to see what the fish will be biting on.
“Although we are hoping for it to be clear, sunny, and calm, I do prefer it when things are like this as it makes the fishing challenging for everyone,” Picha added.
While things are tough for some of the veteran teams, those who haven’t fished the FFCBC in a few years, such as Theo Degroot, are having to get used to how Rainy Lake is once again under some less-than-ideal conditions.
“It’s almost like you have to figure out where everything is again,” stressed Degroot, who is paired up with Greg Stahn again.
“Although it’s challenging at times, we have been able to catch a few fish at times, so I guess we are doing okay,” he added.
“I do like it how it is right now, though, as it is good for the body compared to when it is blazing hot.”
As of press time, thunderstorms were possible for tomorrow, with mainly sunny skies forecast for Friday and Saturday, with the temperatures hovering near the 20 degree C mark.
“Right now, I think we are just hoping for things to be stable more than anything out here for more than one day,” Mike Teigen remarked.
“With these colder temperatures, it really throws a wrench into putting the patterns together that you need in order to have a strong showing,” he explained.
“But there are a lot of good fishermen here at this tournament, and they will all figured it out.”
As for what it will take in order to hoist the FFCBC trophy Saturday evening under the big tent at the Sorting Gap Marina, the anglers are expecting that outcome to be the same as it’s usually been.
“I think in order to win this year, you will need to have 55 pounds or more like you’ve seen in the past,” Degroot noted.
“And to get into the top part of the standings, you will need to have at least 45 pounds.”
This year’s tournament, which had 88 teams entered as of press time, gets underway tomorrow at 7 a.m. when defending champs Mark Raveling and Mike Luhman launch from the Sorting Gap Marina.
The Day 1 weigh-in starts at 3:30 p.m. under the big tent.
