International bass tournament underway in Cornwall

Image of Nick Seebruch
By Nick Seebruch
International bass tournament underway in Cornwall
Bob Izumi's team out on Lake St. Francis during the 2019 Pan American Bass Championship (Nick Seebruch/ Seaway News).

CORNWALL, Ontario – After a rainy start, the 2019 Pan American Bass Championships are underway in Cornwall.

The tournament officially began on Oct. 18 in the morning, with 26 teams competing. Canada was represented by eight teams, eight were also from the USA, seven from Mexico and four from Akwesasne.

Canadian bass fishing legend Bob Izumi was out on the water on Friday morning.

“It is another day at the office, and I love being at the office,” Izumi said when asked how his morning was going.

One of the teams competing in the 2019 Pan American Bass Championship reeling in a three pound bass (Nick Seebruch/ Seaway News).

Izumi and his teammate had caught 15 fish by 10 a.m. Friday. Under tournament rules, each team could only have five fish on their boat at a time. When a sixth fish was reeled in, the competitors had to toss their smallest one back.

The sky was cloudy on Friday with a forecasted high of 10 degrees Celsius, but according to The Weather Network it felt more like five or seven degrees.

The tournament will see two outings on Friday, the first running from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and the second running from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

At the end of each session, each team will have the chance to weigh up to five fish, with the results being live streamed on the Competitive Sports Fishing League (CSFL) Facebook page at 11:45 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. respectively.

“This historic event in Cornwall is the starting point for the Canadian International Sportfishing Association and is an exciting challenge for all the anglers from the Americas,” reads a statement from the CFSL.

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