Fishing Tournament – 2019 Edition

Once again this year, Club APRIL Marine (formerly the RPQ) and Econ-O-Bass joined forces to host the Club APRIL Marine Fishing Tournament. This year’s edition took place on Sunday, August 11th.

Cyril Chauquet, star of the hit TV fishing shows Chasing Monsters and official Club APRIL Marine spokesperson, was on hand to liven up the day. He was kept busy meeting with all the enthusiastic anglers, taking photos and signing autographs. He also generously shared expert tips and reminded participants of good fishing practices.

Fishing tournament winners and prizes

Participants were greeted by the Club APRIL Marine teams at 6 a.m. at the Bourcier Park in Beauharnois for the launch. The event attracted some 296 adults and 26 children, forming more than 130 teams – making the Club APRIL Marine Fishing Tournament one of the largest of its kind in the province!

All of the tournament’s entry fees went toward the 22 prize winners. Congratulations to all participants, and bravo to the winners on their impressive catches!

Fishing – Bass

1. Team 95 – Samuel Monahan 5.10 lbs
2. Team 93 – David William 5.08 lbs
3. Team 11 – Nicolas Bouchard 4.19 lbs
4. Team 72 – Luc Dechamps 4.04 lbs

Photo credit: La Ptite Photographe

Fishing – Pike

1. Team 99 – Kevin Brassard 9.46 lbs
2. Team 80 – Charles Duguay 8.33 lbs
3. Team 77 – Sebastien Guimette 6.86 lbs
4. Team 31 – Richard Legault 6.79 lbs

Photo credit: La Ptite Photographe

In all, more than 45 prizes were awarded to participants of all ages, including: a Navigloo shelter, a Domino Repérage anti-theft system, a pair of SMITH sunglasses, a day at the La Source Nordic baths, Abu Garcia and Shakespeare fishing rods, polarized Polaroid sunglasses, and Berkley lures, as well as Mordu de la Pêche prizes awarded by none other than Cyril Chauquet himself. Tournament participants were particularly spoiled this year, thanks to the generosity of Club APRIL Marine, its official insurer APRIL Marine and their partners!

Photo credit: La Ptite Photographe

Good fishing practices with Cyril Chauquet

Club April Marine is always looking for ways to encourage good fishing practices. As in previous tournaments, the competing teams were able to weigh their catches in the “tank scale”, which allows live fish to be safely weighed in water before being released. Cyril Chauquet also showed everyone how to catch a bass or pike caught in a hook without injuring it, and how to safely release it.

It’s always a pleasure to be part of the Club APRIL Marine Fishing Tournament. I love fishing in the Port-Lewis area; it has great fishing and the ambiance is so festive and friendly. It’s also a chance to meet in person and talk about fishing right at the water’s edge. I’m proud to be the spokesperson for this dynamic and proactive association which promotes boating and fishing in Quebec! – Cyril Chauquet

Ballcaps in support of the David Suzuki Foundation

To help visitors and anglers become more aware of environmental issues, we decided to sell Mordu de la Peche ballcaps to support the David Suzuki Foundation. Every penny of the $800 raised will go toward supporting the foundation’s various initiatives, which include protecting the biodiversity of the St. Lawrence River. A huge thank you to our members and to Cyril Chauquet for their day-to-day support and for helping to protect our lakes. Every little bit helps!

#OneWorldOneNature

Encouraging the next generation!

We also had the honour of spending this wonderful day with Fish’n Fils – a Quebec-based organization that supports the next generation of anglers by introducing young people to the joys of fishing. It also issues youth licenses to children between the ages of 9 and 12, which they can use until the age of 18. Thanks to this initiative, which was created with the support of Quebec’s Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, the next great Cyril Chauquet may already be on his or her way!

Partners supporting our great community

We also want to thank our official insurer, APRIL Marine, for its presence and support; the Econ-O-Bass team for helping to organize the tournament; our official spokesperson, Cyril Chauquet, for his availability and enthusiasm; our ambassador, Steve Goupil and his team, who proudly wore our Club APRIL Marine gear; Lassonde Marine, the Club’s new dealer partner that graciously offered pontoon rides to tournament spectators; to the tournament’s sponsors: Vin Lock, Abu Garcia, Shakespeare, Berkley, Polaroid, SMITH and Navigloo; as well as to the Melocheville marina for allowing us to use one of its launches.

A special thanks to all tournament participants and visitors who helped make this day such a huge success. Thank you for being part of our great community. Everyone on the Club APRIL Marine team looks forward to seeing you again next year!