2017 MFN Fall Classic winners Terry Bernath and Jamie Robinson.
The fifth tournament of the 2017 NOWT season took place at the Mattagami First Nation this past weekend. Anglers were greeted at the Mattagami First Nation Community Complex with a hot pasta dinner (provided by J & L Lakeview Retreat and Restaurant) and a preview of the generous sponsor prizes. As usual, lots pre-fish chatter and strategies being discussed!
Day 1 of the tournament was delayed approximately 1 hour due to the heavy fog over the lake. The cool morning didn’t help as 188 anglers waited patiently for a clear start. Tournament officials extended the end time to 5:00 pm to account for the delay. It didn’t take long for the temperature to rise as the sun made its way through the remaining fog.
Day 1 Top 3 Teams (weight in pounds):
At the end of the day the 3 teams leading the 94 boat field were:
- J.C. Cayen / John Vrolyk – 14.28
- Jody Villeneuve / Chad Vis – 14.05
- Jonathan Morin / John Labine – 13.52
The largest fish of the day and the weekend was caught by the team of Villeneuve / Vis with a weight of 10.32 lbs!
Despite the weights of the top 3 of the day, the second day tells the whole story!
Anglers woke to fog again on Sunday morning, but was clear enough by the start time to avoid a delay. The team of Cayen / Vrolyk earned the first start as the rest of the anglers followed according to their day 1 rank.
Day 2 weigh-ins indicated a tougher day for many as the weights for the day were generally much lower than Saturday. BUT, for some Sunday was a big pay off as it padded their total weights to earn their final standings.
Day 2 Top 3 Teams (weight in pounds):
- Robinson / Bernath – 15.90
- Belanger / Belanger – 14.56
- Lytham / Bernath – 13.90
The winning team of Jamie Robinson and Terry Bernath sat in 19th place with 9.95 lbs after the first day of fishing. The giant second day bag of walleyes was enough to take first place by only 0.72 lbs!
Final Top 3 Team (weight in pounds):
- Jamie Robinson / Terry Bernath – 25.85
- Mark Lytham / Trevor Bernath – 25.13
- Jody Villeneuve / Chad Vis – 23.98
The MFN Fishing Committee would like to thank all our generous sponsors for their support.
Our utmost gratitude to all volunteers who helped with the setup, operation, and clean up this weekend!
Congratulations to all anglers for participating and supporting the Mattagami First Nation.
Proceeds from our events go towards improvements in the Mattagami First Nation community including recreational programs, equipment, and child/youth initiatives.
Without the support, effort, and participation of our sponsors, volunteers, and anglers this event and our initiatives would not be possible!
Full results are available on the NOWT Tournament Results page. Photos are posted to our Facebook Page!
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