My good friend Myles West and I recently took part in the 4th Ranger / Stratos Fishing Tournament based out of Rockland on the Ottawa River.  Over 40 teams of Ranger and Stratos boat owners took part; quite a number of whom were “heavy hitters” in the professional Bass fishing tournament scene.  Orleans Boat World, Canada’s top Ranger / Stratos dealership, organized the event and donated over $1,100 in entry fees to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation.  Key logistical support was provided by the Renegade Bass Tournament shore staff.  This included their water-weighing system and live release boat, which helped ensure 100% of the Bass were returned to the river alive.

Whether was certainly an issue with strong winds generated by Hurricane Irene playing havoc on the river.  However, 50km wind gusts and white-caps couldn’t stop a number of the teams from bringing in record weights.

Tom Reid and Troy Bresee manage to beat 2nd place finishers Charles Sim and Nigel Touhey with a total of 23.4lbs.  They also won the prize for biggest fish; weighing in both 6.95lbs and 6.3lbs Largemouths.  Numerous other teams weighed in bags that averaged 13lbs.

Myles and I spent the day in my Ranger RS 1850 skulking around a series of small islands and channels which not only offered us ample protection from the wind, but great access to numerous Largemouth Bass eager to crush our frogs.  We tossed the odd senko and spinnerbait, but the Pike made quick work of these sub-surface baits.  Spending the day fishing frogs really is tons of fun, even if our results placed us in the middle of the pack.  I could go on about the nice ones that got off next to the boat — darn folding net that apparently folds in both directions…, but it would only take away from the fun Myles and I had that day.  I will say that my Snag Proof frogs demonstrated a higher hook-up ratio over that of their competitors’ offerings – including the Live Target frog Myles was tossing.

Driving back to the launch Myles and I enjoyed a relatively smooth ride in spite of the 3-foot waves and powerful winds.  The hull of the Ranger Reata allowed us to keep the hammer down on the 175hp E-TEC, and more importantly, had us passing some of the other Bass boats with their flatter hull designs.  The full wind shield also meant we were warm and dry, even if it did knock a mile or two off our total speed, which averaged 48 mph.

This was my first time fishing the Ranger / Stratos Invitational, and I have to admit, I was expecting it to be more of a family-oriented BBQ with a bit of friendly fishing on the side.  When I arrived at the launch and was greeted by the Renegade shore team my estimation of the event altered, and when I learned the identity of some of the other teams, I knew we were up against some serious competition.  What a tournament such as this proves though, is that serious Bass fishing events and big bags of Bass are possible down stream from Ottawa.  What a great fishery we as Canadians are fortunate to have right outside our doors.