Mattagami First Nation hosted the first NOWT walleye tournament of 2019 this past weekend (June 1 and 2) on Mattagami Lake.  This event also marks the 20th anniversary of the annual event.

After a long and snowy winter, 242 anglers making up 121 teams gathered at the MFN Community Centre for a pasta dinner, rules review, and important announcements regarding the 2019 NOWT season.

New prize categories will feature items awarded at each  NOWT event for 2019. These include:

  • Mercury 2.5 hp outboard
  • Traeger Grill
  • Garmin Echomap 75cv

For details on these prizes visit the NOWT website!

Day 1 Summary

Saturday morning greeted anglers and organizers with sunny skies and a cool 3 degrees Celsius with a breeze from the north.  A reminder that the first weekend in June is far from shorts and sandals in northern Ontario! As the day progressed, temperatures rose to a high of 15 degrees by the afternoon.

Day 1 weights represented a challenging day for many anglers, but the leaders managed to take the conditions as an opportunity to establish their positioning for day 2.

Top 3 teams on day 1 (weight in pounds):

  1. Shawn Stack & Jason Laneville (15.46)
  2. Luc Ouimette & Dean Bliss (14.75)
  3. JC Cayen & John Vrolyk (14.40)

Day 2 Summary

With Saturday’s ranking established this set the stage for anglers looking to maintain their lead or come up with a big weight to make up for the tough first day.  Weather conditions would prove to be challenging for anglers and their equipment with steady winds of around 18 km/h and gusts of up to 40 km/h out of the northwest. But seasoned anglers know these are great fishing conditions!

Day 2 final weights reminded us tournaments are not won on the first day.  Some leaders weren’t able to capitalize on the conditions to maintain their leads, while others were able to shoot up the rankings with better catches.  Consistency paid off for those who adapted to the changing conditions.

Top 3 teams on day 2 (weight in pounds):

  1. Craig Salmonson & Rock Bouchard (16.21)
  2. Michel Duhaime & Kevin Saarinen (13.68)
  3. Martin Boisvert & Roger Toussaint (13.42)

At the end of the day, anglers piled into the Mattagami First Nation Community Centre for final results.

And the Winner is…

With a Day 1 weight of 12.56 pounds and an improved day 2 leading weight of 16.21 pounds for a total of 28.77 pounds, the 20th Annual Mattagami First Nation Walleye Tournament Champions are the team of Craig Salmonson and Rock Bouchard of Timmins, Ontario.  This team is no stranger to podium finishes. They took home the top cash prize of $9650 and a beautiful trophy representing their win. Congratulations!

Following in second place the team of Derick Brooks and Guy Laberge weighed in two consistent days of 13.85 and 13.07 pounds for a total of 26.92 pounds.  The duo took home $7200 for their efforts.

Martin Boisvert and Roger Toussaint improved their day 1 weight of 11.04 with 13.42 pounds and earned third place with a total weight of 24.46 pounds.  They travel home with $4800.

Additional MFN Tournament Awards

Big Fish Day 1

  1. Andy Yu & Lonny Michel (6.03)
  2. Shawn Stack & Jason Laneville (5.85)
  3. Cory Nephin & Keith Hryciw (5.79)

Big Fish Day 2

  1. Craig Salmonson & Rock Bouchard (6.95)
  2. Martin Boisvert and Roger Toussaint (5.38, 10:47 am)
  3. Derick Brooks and Guy Laberge (5.38, 2:08 pm)

Female Angler – Renee Lytham

Awarded to a female angler(s) on the highest performing team.

Young Angler – Samantha Rainville

Awarded to a youth 17 years of age and under on the highest performing team.

Sponsor Draw Prizes

NOWT Sponsor Awards

The following awards are presented by NOWT Sponsors:

Door Prize – Mercury Marine 2.5 hp Outboard Motor

Random door prize draw for all participating anglers.

  • Alain Larose & Maryse Larose

Cool Under Pressure – Traeger BBQ Grill Package

Awarded to the team gaining the greatest rank on day 2 from day 1.

  • Brett Robinson & Dylan Buckell – Up 55 spots

Largest Single Day Weight  – Garmin Echomap 75cv

Awarded to the team with the single day heaviest weight.

  • Craig Salmonson & Rock Bouchard

Our Appreciation

The MFN Fishing Committee would like to thank all our generous sponsors for their support:

Secord Construction, CôtéGold, NPHL Drilling, Service Master, JB Cycle & Marine, Dailey’s Your Independent Grocer, Panels & Pipes, NISG, Mikey’s, Guiho Saw Sales & Marine, NASCO Propane, Tiger, Wabun, Despres Metal Artwork, Albert’s Sports & Work Wear, Typer’s Bait & Tackle, The Cache Campground, Minakwa Lodge, JR Corner Store, Fresh Off the Block, Levis’ Foodland

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 and videos are posted to our Facebook Page!

Visit the NOWT’s Championship Tournament page for full details on how to qualify!