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KIWANIS WALLEYE TOURNAMENT

Credit: Anthony Bumbaco

Consistency was the key as Sault Ste Marie Natives Rob Laframboise and Jason Doyon claimed the $10,000 grand prize in the 2nd Annual Kiwanis International Walleye Tournament held over the weekend at the Roberta Bondar pavilion.

The two combined to catch ten healthy wall-eye, five each day, with a final weigh-in tally of 44.44lbs. They also received a $1,000 bonus for having the Big Fish on Saturday with a weight of 7.11lbs.

The big movers on day 2 of the tournament were runners-up Joe Guliani and Norm Thorkilson. The two sat in 9th place after the first day with a modest 11.56lbs. But the two were able to skyrocket up the leaderboard into 2nd place with a day two- high 21.12lb weigh-in. This included the big fish prize on Sunday weighing in at 6.15lbs.

Allan Tourigny and Frank Vena also used an excellent 2nd day to boost themselves into third place for the event with a final weigh-in total of 31.47lbs, 20.99 of which came from the five wall-eye they were able to snatch on the second day.

Overall, the tournament hosted held for the 2nd-year by Shawn Turcotte was a major success with 38 different angler boats participating in the event. It was directed not
only at the anglers but also families and children with a fishing simulator, inflatables for kids, a fishing seminar taught bu famous angler Italo Labignan from TSN’s Canadian Sport Fishing.

The tournament was a great way to exemplify the wonderful walleye fishing that can be accommodated by the St. Mary’s waterway and that nearly anyone can be successful using a variety of different techniques. Organizers were also careful to stress that all fish would be caught and released after being weigh-in and the goal was to ensure that all fish remained alive and healthy before being returned to the St. Mary’s River.

All involved were pleased with the turnout of both participants and spectators and hope to make the event bigger and better in the future.

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