Bass derby has human touch

What is it that makes the Fort Frances Bass Championship the big hullabaloo that it is?
Is it the $25,000 first prize? Not really. While that seems like a lot of money for three days of fishing, weigh master Lionel Roberts said other tournaments offer much bigger prizes.
“Money wise, we’re pretty small, especially in Canadian funds,” he noted.
Is it the fishing? Partly. Perry Dubchak was down with a bunch of friends from Kenora, home of the Kenora Bass International, one of the biggest bass tournament in Canada. He had a lot of praise for the FFCBC.
“The weigh-ins are phenomenal,” he said Sunday. “The weights are about one-fifth bigger than Kenora.”
But that wasn’t the main reason Dubchak and his buddies were in town.
So what is it that gets residents from Fort Frances and the surrounding communities so worked up? In a word, people.
It’s because of people that every seat under the big tent at the Sorting Gap Marina was occupied 30 minutes before the final weigh-in Sunday. Dubchak’s crew was there to make sure they had a good seat to cheer on their friends, Del and Darryl Burton.
And they weren’t the only ones. As Roberts worked the crowd before the weigh-in, he discovered people from British Columbia, Kentucky, and Florida, many with connections to the anglers.
Combined with the myriad of local residents under the tent, Roberts said these people provide a reaction at the weigh-ins which just isn’t there at most tournaments.
“Here in Fort Frances, compared to other places, it’s very easy [to get crowd reaction],” he said. “They’re very receptive.
“Some tournaments, forget it. They do not have the enthusiasm of the crowds there, not like they do here,” he added.
That crowd enthusiasm was evident once the weigh-in started. They “oohed” when Denny Nelson and Dave Smith showed off their 5.94-pound bass. They gave a standing ovation to Steve Luhman and Glen Getschel of Wisconsin when they donated their day one big fish prize of $1,000 to the Canadian Cancer Society.
They roared when Mike Luhman and Mark Raveling weighed in a basket of bass that tipped the scales at 20.48 pounds. And they positively went wild after Jim Moynagh and Joe Thrun grabbed the lead in the final minutes and held on to it.
“I’ve spoke to a lot of the Bass Masters circuit fishermen and they said this is the best show by far,” Roberts said.
In a way, it’s that same show which keeps attracting local residents to the tournament. Laurie Kehler admitted she’s not really enthusiastic about fishing but was more than willing to spend most of Sunday under the big tent.
“Everybody’s here,” she said. “The crowd gets riled up and it’s fun.”
Benny Beck, also from Fort Frances, has attended three of the four bass tournaments here, this year cheering on two of his sons-in-law.
“It’s a good tournament,” he said. “Lots of fish, lots of good-sized fish, and plenty of participation.”
“Everybody’s getting together and having a good time,” echoed Tracy Smith, who hasn’t missed an FFCBC yet. “It’s a lot of fun.”