File

September 2011
BERKLEYB1
N E W S L E T T E R
2011 BERKLEY B1 CANADIAN BASS OPEN
Young
guns Jason
Gramada & Nicolas
Gendron raise the
hardware and
become the
ONES.
Tournament fishing at the highest level in Canada. Enter the B1 phenomenon.
Story by: Ben Woo Photos by: Every1Media
The 2011 edition of the Berkley B1 Canadian Bass Open
played out like a well oiled machine complimented by
near perfect weather conditions. In only three short
years, the inaugural event has catapulted itself to the
upper echelon of competitive fishing in Canada and has
arguably become the premiere tournament of its genre.
Just ask the 300 bass anglers who participated in the 2day competition, some hailing from as far as Nova Scotia
and even Edmonton, Alberta. An incredible showdown of
mammoth proportions highlighted by the determination
of two young anglers who set their sites on the prize and
did what they had to do to seize it. Here’s how the
adrenaline-packed weekend unravelled.
When the 2011 Berkley B1 opened its registration back in
February, it was evident that it had won over some
anglers from the previous years, as within hours, over 75
teams were already signed up. The momentum was so
strong in fact, that the complete field of 150 teams would
be posted by the end of March. Not only was the field
now complete, but it featured a star-studded cast of
participants, setting the stage for yet another ultimate
shoot-out for bass supremacy.
Fast forward to the Friday Mandatory Angler Meeting,
what is considered to be the official kick-off to the event.
The Empire hall of the Plaza Hotel in Valleyfield buzzed
with excitement and anticipation. For only once a year
does a gathering of Canada’s fishing elite assemble for a
common, undeniable purpose. Namely, to settle the score
as to who are truly the best bass anglers in the country.
To launch the weekend, special guest Andrew Marks,
senior marketing manager for Pure Fishing USA, made
the trip from Texas to address the anglers and whose
presence further demonstrated Berkley’s commitment to
the event. Tournament direction took this opportunity to
communicate any last minute information to the
competitors and starting positions to Wave One and Two
were drawn. By default, the pack would be led by none
other than 2010 B1 champs Jacques and Stéphane
Chopin.
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MTL BASS PROS
The weather on the morning of Day
One featured blue bird skies and 10k
winds that welcomed 143 teams at the
Valleyfield Marina. With stable
conditions throughout the week, one
wondered if the famous shallow bigfish bite that Lake St-Francis was
renowned for would be a factor?
There had been numerous reports that
the largemouth bite had also turned
on, producing quality buckets in
creeks and off of wood cover.
C o nve r s e l y, wo u l d t h e d e e p e r
“drifting” strategy come into play as it
had last year, when the stained water
and heavy rainfall pushed t he
smallmouth into a deeper pattern? As
expected, a vast majority of the field
headed to Cornwall, an area located
at the opposite end of the lake and
known for its generally deeper bite
and calmer waters. Not all anglers
took this approach however, as
several teams were spotted flipping
grasslines and targeting isolated
weed patches in the central portion of
the lake. Some teams stuck to powerfishing tactics, working shorelines and
current breaks with moving baits such
as spinnerbaits and jerkbaits. Others
chose to hunker down and dropshot
specific structures with a strictly
vertical presentation on offshore
A word from the champs .
“We’d like to thank
family,
friends
especially our wives
their incredible support
our passion...
our
and
for
for
The B1 experience is the
ultimate platform where all
anglers,
young
and
old,
experienced or newcomer can
truly
come
together
to
celebrate this great sport.
We
are
humbled
by
the
grandeur,
respect
and
support from all our peers.”
[2]
humps and holes.
One thing was
certain, fish were being caught
ever ywhere and in ever y wa y
imaginable. St-Francis had finally
turned on in a big way which meant
only one thing, big fish.
By the time of the weigh-in, the
anticipation had reached a boiling
point, as more and more reports
began t o sur f ace. Rumours of
absolute giants being caught had the
anglers both excited and nervous at
the same time. What happened next
could only be explained as
extraordinary. Over 10 teams would
bring in 20lb+ bags to the scale. 4lb
smallmouth star ted to become
standard issue, as the cheering
crowds were treated to a showcase of
prime specimens.
Gracing the hotseats on Day 1
included the likes of Chris
Vandermeer and Mike Loughlin, who
weighed in a solid 21lbs even. Just
barely edging them out would be the
team of Terr y Holder and Ar t
Cunningham, also bringing to the
scales an impressive
limit that went
21.04lbs.
Nic & Jay won
Lunker with their
6.53lb!
The game would quickly change
however when the duo of Norman
King and Peter Burns stepped to the
stage and unveiled a monster bag
that would tip the scales at 22.69lbs
anchored by a huge beast of a
smallmouth bass that weighed an
unprecedented 6.46lbs. Enter next the
team of Jason Gramada and Nicolas
Gendron, both age 26, a young pair
that have been making waves this
season for t heir exceptional
performance in the Renegade Bass
series, coming in a close 2nd place at
the Classic on the same body of water
only 2 short weeks before. The crowd
cheered their arrival as Gramada and
Gendron would ultimately weigh in
what is now officially the heaviest bag
in B1 history. 5 smallmouth bass
measuring a titanic 25.75lbs
starring a super lunker of
6.53lbs! With a 3.5lb
lead going into Day 2,
and no less than 5
teams all within
striking distance,
Gramada and
Gendron would
have their hands full
for a repeat
performance. Would
they crack under the
pressure or did they
truly have a pattern
that would hold up for
2x 2011
another day? The Day 2
Evinrude E-Tec
cut-off weight was set at
250HO outboards
for the winners!
an impressive 13.78lbs as
72 teams would advance
to fish on Sunday.
The weather on Day 2 would remain
constant, partly cloudy skies and a
fair west wind lead anglers to
continue on their pattern established
from Day 1, hoping to zone in and
really pick apart their spots. The
national anthems played and one
could really sense the buzz
emanating from the anglers. At 7am
sharp, the boats blasted off headed
westward. Throughout the day, teams
that were still in contention such as
David Chong and Doug Brownridge
were seen casting spinnerbaits on
flats, working for a shallow bite that
would keep them in the top 10.
Another notable team would be the
veteran
ensemble of
Mike Desforges and
Jay McCormack, seen meticulously
working tubes on interesting offshore
structure just out of the current. Even
the 2010 B1 champions Jacques and
Stéphane Chopin were hard at work
casting jigs to a deep flat and finding
schools of bass ready to play. 2nd
place team King/Burns continued
their Day 1 strategy as they were
seen literally anchored down at the
mouth of a river, which apparently
they did for the entire 2 days of the
event. All different tactics, different
locations and very different scenarios.
But which team had the winning
combination and the solution to catch
up to Gramada/Gendron?
Winning Weights
Lunker
Stats
1st Place : 48.02 lbs
2nd Place : 44.59 lbs
3rd Place : 41.38 lbs
1st Lunker : 6.53 lbs
2nd Lunker: 6.46 lbs
3rd Lunker : 6.30 lbs
Total Teams : 143x
Day 2 Cutoff : 13.78 lbs
Fish Survival : 100%
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Hundreds of bass fans lined the waterfront at Parc
Sauvé anxiously awaiting the return of the boats.
Record crowds filled the grandstands as the B1
team was hard at work preparing for the exciting
Day 2 top 25 drive-by weigh-in ceremony. In
proper order from 25th to 1st place based on Day
1 results, the top 25 teams waited impatiently for
their turn at the scale. The crowd was dynamic and
demanded to see big fish. Hosts Anthony Badham
a n d B e n Wo o we re e a g e r t o p l e a s e by
encouraging teams to showoff their catch to the
spectators, arms raised and fish in the air. Not to
disappoint, the anglers showed off their catch in
spades, as eight teams would bring in 20+lb limits.
Finally, it would be the team of Barry Graves and
Joe Muszinski that would take over the hotseats with a
CHRIS VANDERMEER & MIKE LOUGHLIN
weight of 21.70lbs for a total of 37.91lbs and set a
precedence of what was to come. When the team of
George Saliba and Pete Garnier rolled up to the stage,
they gleamed with confidence and rightfully so. The
duo showed off an impressive bag of fish weighing
21.48lbs, surpassing their Day 1 bag of 18.55lbs with
authority! But before they even had the chance to get
comfortable in the hotseats, it would be the team of
Chris Vandermeer and Mike Loughlin that would take
the lead with a consistent performance weight of
19.64lbs, securing them a top 4 standing with a total
weight of 40.64lbs.
JOE MUSZINSKI & BARRY GRAVES
only behind the leader by 3.5 lbs and had 2nd place
lunker to boot.
The five fish all looked the same so it was difficult
to tell what the weight would be. They would
ultimately weigh in an impressive 22.30lbs totaling
44.59lbs, more than enough to take over the
hotseats and an outstanding testament to their
pattern. Last but definitely not least, the team of
Jason Gramada & Nicolas Gendron approached
the stage. The crowd was eager to see their fish so
the team gave them what they wanted. Four big
bronzebacks got some airtime as the weighmaster
Paul Shibata announced that they would only need
18lbs and change to be the ONES! With baited
breath, host Ben Woo asked the audience to draw
nearer to the stage and asked the two remaining
teams to position themselves at the centre. The
moment of truth had finally arrived. The young team
from Les Cedres/Ste-Barbe could barely stand, hoping
desperately that they had brought in enough weight. The
It was now down to the final three teams. First up, the
seasoned team of Mike Desforges and Jay
McCormack. They would go 20.76lbs for five fish,
giving them a total 2 day weight of 41.38lbs and
enough to take over the hotseats. Next up, the team
of Norman King and Peter Burns, who on Day 1 were
GEORGE SALIBA & PETE GARNIER
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BERKLEYB12011
September
“There is no feeling better than hooking into a
monster St-Francis smallie, especially when it
counts like at the B1...”
[5]
-Nicolas Gendron
22.27lbs flashed on the LED screens,
more than enough to take the lead
making the team of Jason Gramada
and Nicolas Gendron the undisputed
2011 Berkley B1 Champions! The
crowd cheered and the hardware
was awarded to the winners. Taking
home two 2011 Evinrude 250HO ETec outboard motors, a value of
$60,000.00, custom made B1
Championship rings, the Berkley B1
Cup as well as trophies, t he
Champions were overjoyed as they
popped the champagne and tasted
victory in front of applauding fans,
media and perhaps most
importantly, their peers. Since they
also weighed in the heaviest fish of
the weekend, the team also won 1st
place for the Salaberry-deVa l l e y fi e l d B i g B a s s A w a r d ,
presented by Yokohama Tires that included a cheque for
over $2,500.00 and two brand new sets of tires for their
trucks.
“Coming 2nd place at the Renegade Classic hurt real
bad,” said Jason Gramada, 2011 Berkley B1 Champion.
“But coming back and overcoming that defeat to win at
the B1 makes this victory just that much sweeter.”
By the time the sun set on Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, the
celebration could still be heard throughout the town. Not
only were the new B1 champions crowned, but there was
truly a sense that a new page had been turned in the
Canadian sportfishing book. Simply put, the Berkley B1
Canadian Bass Open is no longer just another
tournament. But rather a special, annual tradition where
the fishing industry and community come together to
celebrate the passion for the sport, and to accomplish a
common and distinct goal. Young or old, green or
veteran, it appears that the ONES may come in different
forms.
RUNNER UPS NORMAN KING & PJ BURNS
The 2012 edition of the Berkley B1 will return to Lake StFrancis next fall so start making plans now. Congrats once
again to the champs, for they have certainly earned a full
year of bragging rights.
Are You Ready to B the 1?
- BW
JAY MCCORMACK & MIKE DESFORGES
[6]
The champs
posing with B1
President, Ben
Woo
One on One with the Ones. How and what they won it with.
B1: How was your pre-fish?
J & N: Excellent, it was basically a continuation from a pattern we developed from our practice for the Renegade Classic.
B1: What was your pattern?
J & N: We specifically targeted less obvious sand flats which we discovered to hold mammoth smallmouth.We then
proceeded to determine a cycle of spots during the event.
B1: So what was the magic component?
J & N: The magic for us happened when we discovered the spots on the spots actually during the tournament.
PRIMARY BAIT
SECONDARY BAIT
REEL
ROD
LINE
Wacky Sinkworm
3/8oz 3.5” tube
Pflueger Patriarch
XT
St-Croix Legend
Extreme
Spiderwire
Fluoro-braid
POWER
RIG
ELECTRONICS
UP FRONT
OPTICS
Evinrude 250HO E-Tec
Ranger Z21
Humminbird 9
series
Minn Kota
Fortrex
Maui Jim
Banyans HT
Green
[7]
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For more photos, results
and info, please visit:
www.BerkleyB1.com
[9]
ARE YOU READY TO B THE 1?
What Can Woo Doo For You?
www.BerkleyB1.com - Tel: 514.909.7185 Email: info@berkleyb1.com
The 2011 Berkley B1 Canadian Bass Open is a production of Woodoo Marketing Inc. All rights reserved.
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