Author of the article:
Madeline Mazak
Published Jun 27, 2024 • 2 minute read
Fifty-two of the world’s top kayak-anglers cast their lines, and their hopes, for the largest smallmouth bass and a shot at glory in a Lake St. Clair tournament this week.
Tec*mseh is hosting the 2024 Hobie Fishing World Championship from June 25 to July 1, marking the first time the international event has made its way to Canadian waters. Destinations as varied as Australia, Sweden, China and the Netherlands have hosted the tournament since it launched in 2011.
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Richard Ofner, a participating local angler and three-time world championship who played a key role in bringing the tournament to Windsor-Essex, said this was a “huge” win for the area.
“A fisherman knows what Lake St. Clair is and how good of a fishery it is,” Ofner told the Star.
“Lake St. Clair is the destination, not just for bass, but also muskie, walleye, even panfish and perch. It is well-known.”
Just last week, Bassmaster Magazine named Lake St. Clair the fourth-top destination in North America for bass.
The catch-and-release tournament, hosted off the shores of Lakewood Park, combines the 10th and 11th annual events impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing anglers from 15 different countries — the furthest traveling from China, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Each angler is provided with a fully equipped kayak, which they must paddle through waves to reel in five of the longest-measured bass to claim the championship title.
According to Ofner, a 20-inch smallmouth bass is the most coveted catch.
“The smallmouth bass at this time of the year is lights out,” he said. “It’s the best time to fish and they’re fairly close, so kayaks can get to them.”
Ontario’s smallmouth bass fishing season opened on Saturday. Since the fish have not yet been “pressured” by an over-concentration of anglers, Ofner said it makes for prime fishing conditions.
That pressure might soon be coming: the province announced Ontario residents can fish without a licence on Canada Day. Family Fishing Week runs from June 29 to July 7.
mmazak@postmedia.com
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