Among the 136 teams competing in this year’s Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship, there are many with world-class credentials and big-purse wins. But there will be none with a more intimate knowledge of the “playing field” than Team #41.
Dale LaBelle and his son-in-law, Jody Shypit, have a combined experience on Rainy Lake that exceeds the life expectancy of most people. LaBelle was born and raised in the district and has been the owner of Birch Point Camp on Northwest Bay for 22 years—much of that time with Shypit by his side.
So it should come as no surprise if the man who finished fourth at this year’s Emo Walleye Classic, and third there last year, comes through big time on his own “turf.”
But if it weren’t for a disastrous attempt to steal a base in a fastball game more than 30 years ago, LaBelle might not even be the pro angler he is today.
LaBelle was born near Devlin and from the time he was a small boy, demonstrated exceptional athletic ability. Although not big, he was an outstanding hockey player for the Fort William Canadians of the Ontario Junior Hockey Association, where his speed and puck-handling skills caught the attention of the scouting staff of the Boston Bruins.
In 1969, the speedy centre was drafted and invited to training camp, but that’s where fate intervened. The speed that made him so effective on the ice also was put to use on the ball diamond and during a game in early summer that year, LaBelle had a base hit that changed the course of his life.
“I told the catcher I was going to go on the first pitch and to take his best shot,” LaBelle recalled. And he did.
“The ball came up short, so I decided to try for third, but the shortstop swung around just as I was planting my foot and he kicked me and broke my leg.”
LaBelle spent the whole summer in a cast and didn’t find his skating legs again until December, so his opportunity passed. He was invited back the next season, but would have had to provide his own transportation to Niagara Falls with no guarantee of a contract.
And since he was newly-married, he decided to pass.
Instead, LaBelle returned to working in the bush and guiding when he could. Then he bought Birch Point Camp—and hasn’t looked back.
LaBelle approaches fishing with the same intensity he did hockey and although his hands have been toughened from a lifetime of working in the bush, the same soft touch that made him so deadly around the net continues to serve him well on the water.
“Getting your bait exactly where you want it is so important,” LaBelle stressed. “That’s especially true when you’re working in tight quarters or you’ve seen a fish.
“You can miss an opportunity by missing your target.”
LaBelle has proven his skill on the bass circuit and, as a result, has accumulated a long list of blue-chip sponsors, including Yamaha Canada, Tompkin’s Hardware, Nestor Falls Marine, T.J. Kaemingh & Sons, St. Croix, Richard’s Rod & Reel, Baker Graphics, Tammi’s Flower Garden, and, of course, LaBelle’s Birch Point Camp.
He has competed in the FFCBC every year but the first one. He’s finished as high as 19th and has never failed to qualify for the following year. Four years ago, he and his partner, Karl Howells, went their separate ways and LaBelle has been fishing the tournament with his son-in-law ever since.
LaBelle said he will approach this year’s tournament much the same way he always has—stick with the spots he knows should be productive and try to get off to a good start.
“Here, you can’t afford to get behind,” he remarked. “In order to have a chance to win, you pretty well have to be in the top three or four after the first day.”
LaBelle has two prime locations, and about 15 other particular spots in mind just in case his first choices come up empty or someone else gets there first. He said he plans to go initially with his tried-and-true favourite lure—the tube jig.
Of course, he has other tricks up his sleeve, not all of which he will reveal, but most probably are no secret to experienced bass anglers.
Unlike some anglers, LaBelle claims he places no real stock in solunar tables, which supposedly indicate the prime times for fish activity over a 24-hour period.
“I have only so much time each day and can’t afford to worry about those things. Either the fish are biting or they’re not,” he explained.
Many anglers also are known for being superstitious—and LaBelle is no exception here.
“I don’t wear the same socks every day or anything like that, but I do have a lucky hat I always wear in this tournament,” he admitted.
Of course, he does. After all, the man was a hockey player.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
