Husband and wife team win Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open by Bob Sexton
Weighing in with a five-fish bag totalling 28½ pounds, husband and wife team Wayne and Gail Misselbrook took home top prize at this year’s Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open bass tournament. Besting runners up Scott Murison and Paul Hecking by only three ounces, the Brooklin, Ontario, residents won $20,000 for their first-place win. They also tacked on the Shimano Pay to Play win worth almost $5,000.
“We had a really good day out there,” said Wayne Misslebrook at the
tournament weigh-in on October 22. “We didn’t catch as
many fish as last year but the ones we got counted.”
Wayne Misselbrook attributed the pair’s win to a lot of hard work, adding
that they spent four full days pre-fishing the lake. And they fished efficiently
on the day of competition. “During the event we didn’t waste time eating or
drinking.” He also stressed their strategy of staying mobile. “We had several
waypoints that produced big bass in pre-fish and we ran to about a dozen of them
during the day. We’d give the area 15 or 20 minutes and if it didn’t produce
we’d be off.”
Total cash payouts for this year’s tournament were over $53,500. The biggest
smallie overall weighed 7.05 pounds and was caught by Bob Boomer and Paul Bryn,
who took home the big fish prize of $2,200.
Hosted by the Aurora Bassmasters, the Open is billed as Canada’s premier
one-day bass tournament. It attracts some of the country’s top bass anglers.
This year there was a full field of 110 boats with 220 anglers. Last year Mark
Moran and Joey Muszynski set the all time Canadian record with 31½ pounds worth
of smallmouth bass. This year, they placed 6th.
A longtime angler and competitor, Wayne Misselbrook said the recent
achievement is an honour he gladly shares with his wife.
“To win a premier tournament like the Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open is
something that you dream of accomplishing,” Wayne Misselbrook said. “To be able
to do it with my wife who has supported my fishing for the past 20 years,
allowing me to go out and prefish and prepare for these tournaments, is even
better.”
For the complete list of winners go to BPS Lake Simcoe Open
tournament weigh-in on October 22. “We didn’t catch as
many fish as last year but the ones we got counted.”
Wayne Misselbrook attributed the pair’s win to a lot of hard work, adding
that they spent four full days pre-fishing the lake. And they fished efficiently
on the day of competition. “During the event we didn’t waste time eating or
drinking.” He also stressed their strategy of staying mobile. “We had several
waypoints that produced big bass in pre-fish and we ran to about a dozen of them
during the day. We’d give the area 15 or 20 minutes and if it didn’t produce
we’d be off.”
Total cash payouts for this year’s tournament were over $53,500. The biggest
smallie overall weighed 7.05 pounds and was caught by Bob Boomer and Paul Bryn,
who took home the big fish prize of $2,200.
Hosted by the Aurora Bassmasters, the Open is billed as Canada’s premier
one-day bass tournament. It attracts some of the country’s top bass anglers.
This year there was a full field of 110 boats with 220 anglers. Last year Mark
Moran and Joey Muszynski set the all time Canadian record with 31½ pounds worth
of smallmouth bass. This year, they placed 6th.
A longtime angler and competitor, Wayne Misselbrook said the recent
achievement is an honour he gladly shares with his wife.
“To win a premier tournament like the Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open is
something that you dream of accomplishing,” Wayne Misselbrook said. “To be able
to do it with my wife who has supported my fishing for the past 20 years,
allowing me to go out and prefish and prepare for these tournaments, is even
better.”
For the complete list of winners go to BPS Lake Simcoe Open
