Island View to host bass tourney

Denny Nelson is hoping to hook onto the popularity of bass fishing by running a tournament Sept. 8-9 from the Island View Lodge east of International Falls.
The tournament will feature two-person teams, just like the successful Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship that runs here in late July.
A one-day “charity event” also will be held the day before the tournament begins.
“The tournament is set at 50 teams but we hope for more,” said Nelson, who lives in Edina, Mn. and runs similar tournaments throughout the state.
“I think basically because the Fort Frances tournament has been so successful, I became interested in running another tournament,” he remarked.
Cost to enter is $575 (U.S.) per team, with the first-place prize being $6,000 (based on 50 entries). Payouts will be made to the top 12 finishers, with $500 up for grabs for the big fish of the day as well as the day one leader.
Additional prizes, which have yet to be finalized, also will be awarded.
Nelson said it’s not his intention to steal anglers away from the FFCBC. Rather, he’s simply giving anglers another chance to fish in a tournament before the season ends.
“I don’t think we’ll take anything away from the Fort Frances tournament,” said Nelson, who has fished in the FFCBC.
“I hope there’s no hard feelings. The tournament will do nothing but promote the area,” he enthused. “Since we came up there, we have had nothing but a good time fishing in [the FFCBC].”
FFCBC director Doug Cain agreed the tournament will go a long way in adding to the promotion of Rainy Lake and the area.
“Definitely, that’s the whole reason we do [the tournament] is to promote Rainy Lake,” said Cain, adding they don’t feel threatened by the presence of another tournament.
“We have a waiting list of over 40 people,” he reasoned. “We welcome it.”