Heather Ogilvie
Fort Frances Times

FORT FRANCES—“Fish or No Fish,” a game similar to NBC’s hit show, “Deal or No Deal,” will take place tonight (Monday) under the big tent at the Sorting Gap Marina in conjunction with the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.
And it’s not too late to get in on the action as tickets will be available at the door for $16 for adults and $7.50 for those under 19.
Doors will open at 6 p.m., with the first game starting at 7:30 sharp.

By Beth Caldwell
Fort Frances Times

The atmosphere under the big tent at the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship later this month will have a different air about it as organizers prepare to comply with the Smoke-Free Ontario Act.
The act, which went into effect across the province May 31, prohibits smoking in enclosed workplaces and enclosed public places in Ontario in order to protect workers and the public from the hazards of second-hand smoke.

Time is quickly running out to register for youth events at the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.
Event organizers June Caul and Diane Maxey stressed that Monday, July 17 is the absolute last day to register.
The list of events in which organizers are looking for more participants includes; 3-on-3 basketball tournament, hockey tournament and the skateboarding demonstration.
If you would like to enter a team in any of these events, please contact June Caul at 274-2209.
Also, there are currently no entries for the Battle of the Teenage Bands.

Local residents have come to recognize the big tent with white and yellow stripes at the Sorting Gap Marina each July as a sure-fire sign that the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship is underway.
But while it may look this year to be the same tent as the one that appeared at the first bass tourney here 11 years ago, the Rainy River Future Development Corp. has, in fact, purchased a new one, which will start going up at 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 20.

By Bud Edwards

Fish/No Fish, modeled after the hit NBC television game show Deal/No Deal, joins the Tournament night time entertainment schedule Monday evening thanks to title sponsors Clinic Pharmasave and Downtown Pharmasave, Director of Special Projects Bud Edwards announced this week.

Kim Metke, pharmacist and owner of both Pharmasave pharmacies, has been a Tournament supporter since 1995 and quickly saw Fish/No Fish as an excellent marketing opportunity.

By Bud Edwards

Two representatives of the International Falls bass tournament attended the last FFCBC board of directors bimonthly meeting bringing a message of ‘Thanks’.

Newly elected FFCBC chair Jim Cumming, presiding over his first meeting, introduced guests Gary Potter, President and Vice-president Scott Crowe from the Falls bass tournament extending a warm welcome.

The Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship board of directors asked Doug Cain to change roles at their bimonthly meeting January 10th and announced that Jim Cumming is the newly elected chair, retaining his angler services directorship.

The 2005 Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship drew to a close on Sunday with a familiar name on top of the leader board - one that has been there twice before in the 11 year history of the tournament. Although Dave Lindsay has won the big prize before (1995 & 1997) this is the first time he has shared the podium with this father Lee.

“We got taken to school by Rainy Lake today!”

That opinion was shared by more than one angler in the second day of the 11th Annual Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship. The total number of fish caught was down, but more importantly, the total weight of fish was down by close to 60 pounds.

As a harbinger of good things to come, a Bald Eagle hovered overhead excited anglers early this morning as they awaited the starting gun. And what a great day it turned out to be! Large crowds, great entertainment, fantastic weather and fabulous fishing! The gods were truly smiling down on day one of the 11th Annual Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship.

Expressing the attitude of many fisherman, Dan Thorstad of Ray, MN said, “We’ve had better days, but at least I‘m not at work!”