Big weights at Kid-Pro tourney

Young anglers had the first crack at the bass yesterday during the Kid-Pro tournament held annually in conjunction with the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.
Each participant fished with at least one adult angler who will be competing in the FFCBC later this week, taking pictures of their catch, recording the weight and length, and releasing the fish back into the water where they caught it.
Coming in first place with a very respectable weight of 12.49 pounds for her three bass was Alyssa Kupila, 11, who fished with anglers Guy Johnston and Doug Wright.
“It felt really good [to win] and I was surprised,” said Kupila. “I’d never won anything big like that before.
“It was very fun,” she added. “Guy is really funny, and always singing and doing stuff to make me laugh. Doug is the serious kind of funny, always kidding.”
Kupila estimated they caught about nine fish over the course of the day, weighing in the top three at 4.82, 4.46, and 3.21 pounds.
The first-place prize was a $100 gift certificate to Rainy Lake Sports and Tackle. And the 4.82-pound whopper also earned Kupila recognition for the biggest fish of the day.
Second place went to Kendra Brusven, fishing with Fletcher and Jimmy Klick, who hauled in 11.14 pounds with their three bass.
Kyle Caul, the third-place winner, was just a hair less with 11.11 pounds. He fished with Norm French and Tom Grimes.
Close behind in fourth place was Nicole Beadle (who fished with Bob Limburg and Wayne Howard) with 10.99 pounds, with Donovan Cousineau (Frank and Terry McClymont) rounded out the top five with 10.96.
Taking sixth place was Melanie Scott, who fished with Dave Lindsay and Colin Gluting, with 10.52 pounds, followed by Anthony Veert, with Corey Curtis and Chad Hanson, at 10.50.
Tied for eighth place were Dominique Frenette (who fished with Bill Godin and Norm Lindsay) and Bryce Devoe (fishing with Dean Morken and Shawn Ossachuk), who both brought in 9.92 pounds.
Rounding out the top 10 was Jourdan Loyie, fishing with Jerry Elliot and Vance Allan (9.66 pounds).
Of the 39 kids competing, those who placed in the top 10 got to pick a prize donated by SAAN and Canadian Tire. Among them were fishing rods, badminton sets, camping gear, and portable telephones.
But win or lose, all 39 kids took home a tackle box and tackle, courtesy of Rainy Lake Sports and Tackle and Richard’s Rod and Reel.
The cameras used by the teams were donated by Emo Drugs, with film developing courtesy of the Fort Frances Times.