The premier one day bass tournament in all of Canada is proud to welcome back Berkley Canada for the upcoming Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open on Oct. 24th 2009!

Complete details below:

Please forward this release onto any media contacts you may have. For media credentials to cover the weigh-in and other aspects of this tournament please contact Wil Wegman at wil.wegman@rogers.com.

Thanks for your continued support of the BPS Open everyone!


Wil Wegman

The 2009 Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open presented by Jack Link’s Beef Jerky and BoaterExam.com, on Sat. Oct 24th in Orillia, is shaping up to be Canada’s most exciting tournament of the year.

	"On behalf of Berkley, we are very proud to again lend our support to this exciting event.” said Cam Thomson, Director of Sales & Marketing, Pure Fishing. “In partnership with the Aurora Bassmasters and Bass Pro Shops, the success of this event will no doubt attract anglers from all walks of life. We are thrilled to sponsor the $1,000 Trilene 8lb Test! for the heaviest bass weighing in at 8lb or greater; and, back by popular demand, carry forward the Gulp! Alive! Bucket Bonus, which will see a $1,000 cash bonus awarded to the heaviest largemouth bass of the tournament – this almost creates two tournaments in one all in the same day! The framework and unique nature of the BPS Lake Simcoe Open will see this event continue to grow on into the future . . . at the same time, it highlights the strength of the fishery in the Fall months, especially that on Lake Simcoe and Couchiching!" "We are thrilled to have Berkley back on board for the 2009 BPS Open," said Herb Quan president of the Aurora Bassmasters Club. Last year they introduced the Gulp! Alive! Bucket Bonus and with it we instantly had a number of anglers specifically targeting big largemouth bass instead of the more plentiful smallmouth. It was surprising to some how many big largemouth were brought in this late in the season, but to those who know Simcoe and it’s incredible fishery, it was no surprise at all. This year, with the tournament site now in Orillia on the shores of the largemouth rich waters of Lake Couchiching , we may see even more bucket mouths brought in than ever before," concluded Quan.

Every year competing anglers also receive a highly prized registration bag courtesy of BPS Lake Simcoe Open sponsors. Berkley will once again contribute to this in a big way with some of their latest hot bass baits and fishing line.

Bob Izumi To Fish His First BPS Open "Finally my schedule has allowed me to fish this prestigious event!" Says well known TV fishing host and tournament angler Bob Izumi. "Even though fall fishing can be feast or famine, the fact that it's on Simcoe means somebody's going to catch some giant world class smallmouth bass! When I asked my brother Wayne if he was interested in joining me, he jumped at the opportunity to roll the dice on this renowned fishery.

It's finally here! The Aurora Bassmasters are thrilled to launch the Official Website of the Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open! Spearheaded by Bass Pro Shops Canada, Inc. in cooperation with Mr. Gord Hoey of Musky Graphics, Inc., www.simcoeopen.com will provide all pertinent content and materials relating to the Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe. The site was developed with the idea of providing 365-day a year exposure for the tournament to all interested parties; while at the same time, it was laid out in a manner that would best capture the event's stature.

	“When Bass Pro Shops first approached me with the idea of developing the Official Site for the Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open . . . I jumped at the opportunity!” said Gord Hoey, President & Creative Director – Musky Graphics Inc. “An avid angler myself, after sitting down and better understanding their own respective direction with the tournament in mind, I and my team set-off to deliver a product that would lend to the success of the tournament itself by providing a platform unparalleled within the tournament arena as a whole.” "This is a tremendous addition to the Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open event; and, it certainly provides a platform in which to build the event the other 364-days a year." said George Wallace, Canadian Market Manager, Bass Pro Shops. "Gord's name and company, Musky Graphics, was first brought to my attention after the re-design of the Advanced Taxidermy site (www.advancedtaxidermy.com). The work put into this site reflects our interests to grow this event on into the future - bigger and better as they always say; after all, records are made to be broken!" Herb Quan president of the Aurora Bassmasters added, "A great addition to a great event! This will no doubt lend to our ability to grow this event with spectators, sponsors and tournament anglers alike."

With just a couple of days remaining until the opening of bass season, the Aurora Bassmasters are excited to announce that the 2008 Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe open has secured a terrific new logo for their event. Herb Quan President of the Aurora Bassmasters noted, “We are proud to unveil a new and exciting look to our branding image that will instantly link Canada’s premier one day bass fishing tournament with our new logo. This will no doubt lend to the overall success of the BPS Lake Simcoe Open!”

The BPS Lake Simcoe Open will be hosted by the Aurora Bassmasters at Sibbald Point Provincial Park on Saturday October 25 2008.It is recognized as the premier one-day, team-format tournament event in the country. This tournament is recognized for continually setting and then breaking its own Canadian all time record for the five heaviest bass ever weighed in during a one day event. It currently stands at 29.90 lbs for five massive smallmouth. The tournament highlights the tremendous bass fishery of one of the finest trophy lakes in North America; and, only an hour north of Toronto, Lake Simcoe is easily accessible to thousands of bass anglers.

The new distinctive design of the Bass Pro Shops Lake Simcoe Open logo will become an integral part of instantly identifying this event amongst anglers, sponsors, media and spectators. It will also be broadly displayed on the BPS Lake Simcoe Open’s new website www.simcoeopen.com which will be officially unveiled next month. Early birds however can get a full view of that logo already on that link.

Limited Field … Early Application Encouraged:
Competing anglers are encouraged to pre-apply as the second year field will be limited to 80 teams. NEW: total entry fees per team will be $280; this includes $20 for Big Fish and $10 for Launch. Anglers wishing to pre-apply should send a $50.00 non-refundable deposit (cheque) or the entire amount payable to Aurora Bassmasters: c/o Herb Quan 58 English Ivy Way, Willowdale, ON M2H 3M4. Payment in full must be received prior to September 30, 2008. Failure to do so-

will result in forfeiture of the Team’s entry position. Cheques must accompany a completed 2008 Application Form. An Application Form by itself does not automatically constitute entry; furthermore, the Tournament Director reserves the right to refuse/deny entry.

Outside the traditional 80% payout structure fees, the overall payout from respective sponsors and various incentives and manufacturer bonuses, brings the actual payout to 125%. Additional announcements are pending in support of the BPS Lake Simcoe Open by participating sponsors including Tracker Boats, Rapala, and many, many more.

In order to maintain the highest level of communication between tournament organizers and anglers prior to the event itself, we are asking all applicants to include their email addresses on the Application Form so that all notices and event-related messaging can be relayed directly to all interested parties.

As new information is made available, it will be posted on the web site in the coming weeks and months. Application Forms and a complete listing of General Rules, Regulations & Liability will be made available online.

The Aurora Bassmasters are one of 30 clubs across the province belonging to the Ontario BASS Federation Nation at www.ontariobass.com.