It was a fish tale with a happy ending.
Michael Causyn of Kenora and Tim Strempler of Winnipeg had a combined three-day catch of 47.42 pounds to capture first place and a total of $8,000 at the annual Bassin’ for Bucks derby on Whitefish Bay of Lake of the Woods last weekend.
The duo had the highest combined weight for Saturday and Sunday to boost themselves to the title.
Kenora’s Jeff Gustafson and Mike Reid of Sioux Narrows finished second overall with 44.62 pounds and came away with $4,850, while the Sioux Narrows duo of Connie and Dave Lindsay, the latter a two-time winner of the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship, was third (41.52) to earn $2,500.
Sioux Narrows residents Joe Pritchett and Hiram Archibald were fourth (41.42), garnering $1,950, with Havelock’s John Maffei and Keewatin’s Bill Straight taking fifth spot (39.27), collecting $900.
In sixth was the team of Kevin Leung (Winnipeg) and Colin Ivory (East St. Paul), whose $1,950 in earnings was bolstered by a $600 prize for landing the biggest fish of the tournament (4.82 pounds).
Rounding out the top 10 were Greg Zdep (Kenora) and Ray Pearson (Keewatin), Calvin Joseph (Kenora) and Daniel Joseph (Pawitik), Murphy Paypompee (Pawitik) and Alfred Henry (Pawitik), and Rene White (Pawitik) and Howard Kabestra (Sioux Narrows).
Finishing well back of the overall leaders but still earning $1,400, thanks to snagging the biggest fish Saturday (4.52 pounds) and finishing the day with the second-best combined weight total, were Kenora’s Jim Thorgrimson and Arnold Hall.
Genvie Graham and George Parkes of Keewatin had the catch of the day Sunday, landing a 4.30-pound smallmouth.
Terry Wilson of Fort Frances, teamed up with Atitkokan’s Keith Wilson, came in 11th place overall with a 37.26-pound total to take home $300.
Other notable local finishers included Bill Godin of Devlin and Karl Howells of Fort Frances, who had the fourth-best combined weight total Saturday (14.32) to take home $400.
The Devlin team of Wayne Beacham and Jeff Hyatt picked up $300 after having the sixth-best combined weight total Sunday (13.72).
