Staff
Donovan Cousineau and Dave Chambers may have missed their calling as investment bankers.
Anyone that can turn $22 into $5,000 has a firm handle on how to make a profit.
The Fort Frances team topped the 52-team field at the annual “Castin’ for Cash” tournament, hosted by Lake Despair Lodge on Friday and Saturday, with a winning haul of 29.40 pounds.
Using a smaller boat and motor than most of their competitors, Cousineau and Chambers (more known for their hockey pasts as a former Fort Frances Laker and Fort Frances Muskie, respectively) needed only a $22 fill before starting out on the water for Day 1.
The pair then decided to stay closer to the launch site to try their hand–and the decision worked out beautifully both in terms of gas conservation and fish production.
Cousineau and Chambers were second after Day 1 with 15.06 pounds, trailing the Emo team of Dallas Mosbeck and his nephew, Cam (15.13).
But showing they had what it took to deliver in the clutch, the eventual champs came up with the biggest bag of anybody on Day 2 at 14.32.
The Mosbecks, meanwhile, were held to 11.50 pounds and slipped to fourth overall at 26.63.
Larry Foss and Joel Pagnac from International Falls, the last team to leave the launch site in the morning rain on Day 1, put together two good days of work to wind up second (27.95).
Taking third was the Fort Frances father-son combination of Darren and Kobi Ward, who moved up one spot from Day 1 and finished with 27.06.
Cody McKinnon and Tyler Christianson of Fort Frances rounded out the top five (26.40).
One half of the two-time defending champs, Fort Frances native but current Kenora resident Bryan Gustafson, replaced unavailable partner Brian White with girlfriend Breanne Becker and still came away with sixth place (24.59).
Ryan McDowall and Mike Badiuk of Devlin were seventh (24.07), followed by Zack McBride and Mike Wilson of Fort Frances (23.87).
Atikokan’s Dave Williams and Mike Krassey finished in ninth place (23.57), with Jeff Bragg of Devlin and Braedon Keast from Fort Frances settling for 10th (23.24).
