I’m channelling my inner Ozzy Osbourne when it comes to the task of selecting the top contenders for the 2017 Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.
Simply put, I’m “Paranoid” about looking foolish and my best guess is simply “A Shot in the Dark.”
As of press time, 82 teams had registered for this year’s FFCBC, meaning in trying to pick five possible contenders, I have a one-in-just-over-16 chance of being right.
These are not odds on which to bet your farm (or your condominium for you more urban types). But why should fortune-tellers get all the fun when it comes to predicting the future?
So I will attempt by best Nostradamus impression and try and provide some insight on who will be the teams to watch at tournament time this year.
I’ll then sit back and wait for the mocking e-mails after I turn out to be laughably off the mark.
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1. Mark Raveling/Mike Luhman
Let’s all take a moment to consider how difficult it is to crack the top 10 at the FFCBC even one time. Then absorb the fact Raveling and Luhman have achieved that feat 10 times.
This clearly would indicate there is nothing even faintly resembling a fluke when it comes to disproving that Minnesotans (Raveling) and Wisconsinites (Luhman) can’t get along and do great things together in the process.
You will not find a hungrier team in this year’s competition than the reigning runners-up and 2012 champs, who probably have chewed on the fact they lost by a miniscule .87 pounds last year.
These are men on a mission and they will use their entire wealth of skills to make the last step back up to the champions’ perch.
2. Joe Thrun/Jim Moynagh
It was the worst of times, it was the best of times, it was almost the comeback of all time.
The all-time winningest team in FFCBC history had everyone wondering whether their ship had sailed for good after a lackluster 11.86-pound bag on Day 1 last year had them way down the leaderboard.
But the Minnesota duo then put it into overdrive on the final two days–turning back the clock to their glory days by bringing in the tourney’s biggest bag (20.7) on Day 2 and a salute-worthy 17.96 pounds on Day 3.
But for their sluggish start, five titles would have been six for Thrun and Moynagh.
I safely would guess there’s not much chance of the pair stumbling out of the gate again this year. And with the way they can deliver in the clutch, don’t be surprised to see the FFCBC’s most accomplished team raise the trophy once again in 2017.
3. Duane Peterson/Travis Peterson
This is one of those teams with some sizable FFCBC pedigree that could put it all together this year to win their first title.
The Bemidji, Mn. father-son team had some early-tourney problems last year that left them outside of Division 1 looking in.
But instead of crying in their beer, they brewed up a dynamite Day 3 bag of 18.43 pounds, which gave them the Division 2 championship.
Put three of those days together and the Petersons will be in for some lengthy time on the hot seat on stage during the final weigh-in.
With two top-10 finishes already under their belts, they certainly could be in the mix come the Saturday.
4. Ryan Hyatt/Karl Wolff
Yes, I know, one top-10 finish in their history does not make this Fort Frances team exactly prime candidates to win the big one at first glance.
But that top-10 was a second place in 2013, where they almost ended the Jeff Gustafson/John Peterson back-to-back dynasty before it started.
Hyatt and Wolff were a steady 12th last year, bringing in two bags in the 15-pound range and one at 14.
That kind of consistency plays well in this three-day showdown on the lake and, with one or two lunkers tossed in somewhere along the way, could make the difference.
Don’t be surprised to see Hyatt and Wolff truck surfing through the tent come the Saturday afternoon.
5. Devin Stromness/Travis Stromness
If you’re going to go out on a limb, unwrap your arms from the main trunk and saunter out onto a completely unpredictable branch.
Before you dismiss this pick out of hand, remember it’s not like there hasn’t been winners from out of nowhere before.
Who saw Dennis Barnard and Clint Barton winning in 2000, derailing the first edition of the “Thrun/Moynagh Express” after those two won back-to-back in 1998 and 1999?
Find me a person (no relatives allowed) who had a hunch Dorian Lindholm and Bill Wilcox were going to rise to the top in 2010?
Oh, and the defending champions this year, Troy Norman and Jay Samsal? How about 137th and dead last among anglers to register a weight in their first FFCBC attempt in 2006?
The Stromness tandem didn’t exactly light the world on fire last year, being relegated to Division 2 after Day 2 and ending up only 28th in that group after being 26th in Division 2 the previous year.
Perfect camouflage for them to emerge among the elite. As the old saying goes, the third time’s the charm.
Besides, the last time I checked, everybody loves a good underdog story.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
