Anglers split on new venue

After the decision to move the weigh-ins for the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championships from under the big tent at the Sorting Gap Marina to the Memorial Sports Centre, there has been a stark difference in opinions. Although FFCBC chair Tom Fry knew the tournament would be losing the allure [...]

After the decision to move the weigh-ins for the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championships from under the big tent at the Sorting Gap Marina to the Memorial Sports Centre, there has been a stark difference in opinions. Although FFCBC chair Tom Fry knew the tournament would be losing the allure of the waterfront, he also realized the change was a necessary one. “We know we are losing the ambience of being on the river, certainly that was one big factor that we considered,” Fry stressed.

“But from the perspective of not having weather interrupt out activities, that’s a key factor, as well. “Weather has caused us some problems in the past and definitely reduced revenue intake,” he noted. The plan is to use the Ice For Kids Arena and ’52 Canadians Arena for the majority of the events, with one rink being used for weigh-ins while the other will be used for entertainment.

For those who still want the outdoor aspect of the Sorting Gap location, there will be a tent set up outside for barbecuing, among other things. “It was the cost of setting up on the arena, both as financial cost and in terms of time for volunteers,” Fry explained. “It took somewhere in the neighbourhood of 16 days in total for [the] set up and tear down of the tent.

“We are looking at reducing that footprint to seven or eight days at the arena.” Still, with the new venue come a new set of challenges. “One big issue is the transportation of the fish in the boats from the landing at the Sorting Gap to the arena, and we have considered that and I think we have a plan in place that will reduce undue stress on the fish,” Fry said.

“A number of other tournaments do transport fish for a quite a long way, Emo Walleye [Classic] for one and Atikokan [Bass championship], which actually transports their fish for close to 23 km. “We are only dealing with a few blocks, so we are hoping we can maintain our low level of fish mortality that we have had in the past,” Fry added. In past years, the FFCBC has lost around one percent of the total fish caught, which translates to about 20 fish.

“That’s a very acceptable mortality rate,” said Fry. “We certainly have had lots of discussions. Certainly the plans are in place for what we want to do, it’s just a matter of putting it in place, which will be trial by fire on the whole thing,” he conceded.

“It’s brand new,” he stressed. “We know what we want to do, and we may have to make changes along the way to our plans if things don’t go according to the plan. Fry said the fish care set-up is the same—it’s just a matter of providing proper oxygen and ice to keep the water cool and circulating the water.

“It’s not a heck of a lot different than what we have done in the past,” he remarked. “The only difference we have is that we have to transport from the arena back to the river. “It shouldn’t be a longer wait time because now we will be pulling the boats right out of the water when they used to have to sit out on the [river] some of them for two-and-a-half hours.

“Now they aren’t going to be sitting out there. They will be pulled out of the river at the dock and start moving over to the arena. “We will require a few more volunteers because we have fish being moved in two locations compared to one, but that’s not a really big issue,” he added.

There has been a definite difference in opinions about the change among the tournament anglers. “Like everyone else I’m sure, it’s preferred to have it down at the Sorting Gap on the waterfront, but we have to do what we have to do fully with how expensive everything is,” said 2001 FFCBC champ Kent Ballan, who is competing in his 10th FFCBC this year. “They [organizers] need to save money on the extra security alone,” he noted.

“I completely understand where they are coming from with the changes that need to be made. “I really didn’t care for the idea at first when I heard it last year, with an immediate gut reaction of ‘This is really going downhill,’” Ballan admitted. “[But] I got to thinking about it a little further, and Emo Walleye uses the arena, Atikokan has to truck [the fish 23] km or so,” he noted.

“They do it, and we have been in arenas before. “They are still going to have the area outside where they can socialize out in the parking lot, so I think it will turn out just fine,” Ballan said. Paul Jewiss was a little more up front with his opinion.

“I think it’s about time,” he declared. “At the Sorting Gap, it’s a lovely day when there is nice weather and no wind and no rain, but it’s not when the weather is bad,” he reasoned. “I think you get a [smaller] crowd because it’s too cold.

“You’ve injected something into the formula which is predictable with a roof over your head, the rain won’t get in there. “You actually got control of something at the arena which you don’t have at the Sorting Gap. “Can you imagine, if we had a big wind like we had on [Canada Day], what would happen?”

Jewiss added. “It could happen with winds like that, what would they do down [at the Sorting Gap] then.

“That chases people away because they don’t want to go down there. “We hear people say it’s nice to have it out on the water, but if they want to make money on the events after the fishing in the evening with the bands, people are more inclined to go if it’s going to be nice,” Jewiss argued. “People don’t want to go if there are mosquitoes or if it’s cold.”

Jewiss also thinks the move will make it easier to recruit volunteers for the festivities. “It’s hard to get volunteers for the tent set up and tear down,” he noted. “That’s not an old man’s job, that’s a young-man-with-a-lot of muscle kind of job.

“I think the split arena, with one for entertainment and one for fish weigh-ins, certainly cuts down for volunteers with chair set up and clean-up. “I think it’s something to see how it works out, and I think everyone should be positive about it and see if the change is good,” he reasoned. But Mandi Olson believes the fish mortality rate is going to increase with the change.

“I think that a lot more fish are going to die in the meantime cause of the wait,” she warned. Olson understands the tournaments in Emo and Atikokan have to travel long distances with their fish but, “not a lot of them have the wait [times] that our tournament does because they aren’t on such a large scale.”

“Bass are way hardier then walleye, and they [organizers] have such excellent fish care strategies with the tanks and biologists there,” refuted Jewiss. “I don’t think it will be an issue.” But even if the mortality rate is the same this year, Olson still will miss being at the Sorting Gap Marina.

“It’s always worked the way it is,” she remarked. “With the big tent as for the community, it’s always been that way with the camaraderie.” Only time will tell how the FFCBC plays out, but some of the anglers are optimistic about the outcome.

“I think it will go off without a hitch,” said Ballan. “The committee is good. They always make the magic happen, so I think it will turn out just fine,” he added.

“I’m optimistic and looking forward to seeing how it will change,” echoed Jewiss.