Continued success for Mitchell’s Bay Open bass tournament; organizers excited about future

MITCHELL’S BAY – A heavy downpour of rain couldn’t dampen the continued success of the Canadian Tire Mitchell’s Bay Open bass tournament on the weekend.

The winning team of John Kopcok, of Maidstone, and TJ McLarty, of Belle River, took home more than $25,000 in prizes and money with a two-day, 10-fish weight of 40.71 pounds. They won by the slimmest of margins over Mark Thomson and Lynda Slater of Guelph who landed 40.50 pounds of bass.

The team of Thomas Johnson, of London, and Terry Wilson, of Tillsonburg took hope $2,000 for catching the biggest bass of tournament weighing 6.34 pounds.

“Saturday’s final day of competition made for very difficult conditions,” said Tom Beaton, a CTMBO co-chair in a media release.

“Big waves and intermittent downpours were the order of the day,” he said.

Beaton said the weigh-in stage was set up two hours earlier on Saturday to accommodate anglers who felt they need to come to shore.

The weigh in stage was set up 2 hours early to accommodate anglers who felt they needed to come to shore.

“A number of boats did come in early but the majority toughed it out and came back according to their scheduled return times,” he said.

Ohio Angler Steve Clapper, who is in the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame, had a strong showing finishing sixth with fishing partner Robert Stanley. A catch of 21.77 pounds on Saturday helped improve their catch of 16.65 on Friday.

“We went back pretty much in the same area, they bit better for us today,” Clapper said Saturday. “It was fun day.”

Clapper, who has fished the CTMBO several times, said, “This is one of the best run tournaments I’ve ever fished and I’ve fished some really big ones.”

“Everybody is so hospitable, it’s just great being here,” he added.

Last year was the first time the tournament returned to regular operations following the COVID-19 pandemic, and Beaton said a lot has happened with the tournament since then.

“This year, the CTMBO became recognized as not only the largest bass tournament in the Canadian tournament circles, but we are now officially recognized as a qualifier in the Ranger Cup Series Rewards Program,” he said.

In addition to the more than $60,000 in payouts and prizes the CTMBO offers, Beaton said Ranger Cup Series gives anglers an additional $8,000 in prize money.

Blenheim natives and long-time angling professionals, brothers Bob and Wayne Izumi, took part in the weekend fishing tournament with other partners.

Bob Izumi said having CTMBO become part of the Ranger Cup Series is great for anglers registered with the Ranger program.

Izumi said last year he won a bass tournament in the Thousand Islands area and picked up the Ranger Cup bonus money, which was paid in US funds.

“It was good bonus money,” he said.

Wayne Izumi has fished the CTMBO for several years, noting Lake St. Clair “is such a great fishery.”

Having fished numerous tournaments for about 50 years, Wayne Izumi said he’s seen “the good, the bad and the ugly.”

He added the CTMBO “is obviously the good and it’s grown so dramatically.”

Izumi said the sponsorship for the CTMBO is impressive, because a lot of tournaments don’t get that kind of support.

Bob Izumi, who only fished the tournament for the first time last year with his son Darren, said he heard from his brother Wayne how good it was “and from all other friends that I have that fish it.”

He said the tournament conflicted with others ones he fishes, but last year he decided to cancel a regular tournament and go in the CTMBO.

“Here I am back again with my son,” Bob Izumi said.

Beaton said the CTMBO tournament committee will start to work on next year’s tournament, which will be the 10^th anniversary.

“With interest from new sponsors, the Ranger Cup Series and the support of our faithful sponsors and volunteers, the future is looking bigger and brighter for next year’s event,” he said.