Reeling in good times

Alycia Douglass
Reeling in good times
Top teams came out to Marina 200 for Renegade Bass Tour's final fishing competition of the season. (Alycia Douglass/TC Media)

CORNWALL, Ontario – The Renegade Bass Tour (RBT) wrapped up at Cornwall’s Marina 200 this Sunday, Sept. 10. In the final tournament of the season, stakes were high, with anglers competing for the chance to win a Ranger Z519 boat valued at $65,000.

Four qualifying tournaments took place prior to this weekend’s competition, which featured the top 40 teams from the year. Competitors were required to catch their best five bass of the day, with the highest weigh-in taking home the prize.

“It’s quite a challenge…so much comes into play,” said Tournament Director, Todd Morton. “Many of the different weather patterns will impact whether or not the fish want to feed.”

Morton says that most of the anglers competing at this level come out with a well-established game plan.

“Most of them have their specific spots,” said Morton. “They take it very seriously – many of these guys were here during the week to pre-fish.”

Having first started organizing tournaments 20 years ago, Renegade Bass has a longstanding commitment to environmental advocacy. One of the largest catch-and-release organizations in the country, they pride themselves highly on how they catch and manage fish.

Using two boats specifically designed for catch-and-release fishing, RBF is diligent about returning the fish to their proper habitat.

“Our environmental impact is something that’s really important to us,” said Morton. “Within a tournament like this, the fish are never really out of water.”

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