Lindsays looking to repeat as FFCBC champs

Dave and Lee Lindsay hope to add another chapter to an already remarkable story at this year’s Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.
The father-son duo from Sioux Narrows, winners of last year’s FFCBC with a three-day total weight of 51.61 pounds, begin their title defence tomorrow morning on Rainy Lake.
“We’re definitely hoping to repeat last year’s win,” Dave Lindsay said. “It’s always nice to win two in a row.”
The Lindsays will have their work cut out for them, though, as 136 other duos from across North America are gunning to knock them out of top spot.
Still, Dave Lindsay believes they have a good chance of repeating last year’s accomplishment.
“I’m confident in the fact that we know the [lake] well,” he said. “We’ve definitely located some big fish and we’ll definitely be competitive with the rest of the teams.”
Dave’s father, Lee, expressed a more philosophical view concerning their chances.
“I’ve heard the guys [fellow anglers] say that you have to be damn good to get in the top 20 and lucky to be in the top 10,” he remarked.
“You’re shooting for number one and whatever happens, happens.”
The Lindsays will benefit from having learned several valuable lessons from last year—the most important being never to count themselves out.
“It [last year’s win] made us realize that it’s never over until it’s over,” Dave Lindsay said.
His last-minute decision on the final day of the competition proved instrumental in winning the FFCBC title a year ago.
“I made a key call on the last day of last year’s tournament,” Dave Lindsay recalled. “I had a gut feeling on a spot and we ended up getting two fish over four pounds.”
Those two fish proved to the difference, putting the Lindsays more than a pound heavier than runners-up Bill Godin and Norm Lindsay—Dave’s brother and Lee’s son.
In addition to being able to draw on the experience and confidence gained from winning the title, the Lindsays also will have a new boat with which to fish this year’s tournament.
A portion of the $50,000 cheque the pair earned last July went towards the purchase of a brand new 202 Crestliner Tournament Series boat and 250 h.p. Yamaha engine.
And it’s a purchase which, thus far, has exceeded their expectations.
“It’s a better boat than I thought it was going to be,” Dave Lindsay said. “It was a pleasant surprise once we got into it.”
“The outfit isn’t going to put fish in the boat, but it all helps,” his dad added.
Whether the Lindsays can repeat as FFCBC champions remains to be seen. But Dave Lindsay is certain of one thing: he’s looking forward another great weekend spent fishing with his dad and competing against his brother, Norm.
“The best thing is being able to share this with my father and brother,” he said.