10th annual Morson Bass Classic casts off Saturday

Ken Johnston
Editor

Bass boats will be screaming across Lake of the Woods this Saturday as the 10th annual Morson Bass Classic gets underway!
Tournament co-organizer, Rob Gate, said Monday that they already have 25 boats entered and he expects at least another 20 by the weekend. “They can enter right up until Saturday morning,” said Gate.
Every year there is a flurry of last minute entries and for the past couple of years the tournament as leveled out at about 45-50 boats.
This year the tournament should be even more interesting than previous years as the lower water levels have changed the geography of the lake. “Reefs that guys fished on last year are now out of the water,” explained Gate. The lower water and hot temperatures has changed the normal large mouth bass habitat. “Guys just aren’t finding them (large mouth bass) this year.”
However, Gate said that on Sunday one angler reported that he had landed a 5 lb. small mouth. “That is a very big fish,” said Gate.
He said that the small mouth bass have been moving onto the reefs and anglers have been catching them. In previous years the tournament’s top guns did well with large mouth bass. But now everyone will have to bring in some nice smallies to do well.
Several past champions of the event have already registered; including Frank McClymont and Rick Savage who won it last year with 29.24 lbs. over two days. That earned them $4,000 in prize money. Gate expects the top prize to be close to that amount, but it is based on how many boats enter the tournament.
There is a free pancake breakfast for the anglers Saturday morning and then they take to the water at 8 a.m. Weigh-ins on both Saturday and Sunday will take place at Buena Vista Resort at 4 p.m. The public are welcome to come and cheer for their favorite anglers and socialize with other folks.
The Morson Women’s Institute will again be serving up food at the weigh-ins.
For more information on the tournament or to register a team call Rob or Rick Gate at 488-5652.