2014: the 27th annual Grand River Bass Derby

Fourteen-year-old Ed Fleischer won the top prize, $2,000, at the 2014 Grand River Bass Derby held the first weekend in July. (Ontario’s largest live-release bass derby.) This year’s event drew 480 entrants whose fishing results proved that there is still a lot of good fishing locally. Ed’s 20” smallmouth was the largest while Dimitri Taves with his 18 5/16” catch took first in the Junior Division. One of the two tagged-fish was caught during this year’s Derby and earned $1,000 cash for Peter Holden. The other tag is still worth $100 if brought in to Natural Sports within the next 12 months. 

As in previous years, all youth (ages 8 and under) received a trophy and prize pack while those aged 9 through 15 received fishing gear including a rod and reel. There were well over 100 door prizes including:

       • a bicycle (won by Ian McDougall)

      • an “Early Bird” prize (a Quantum fishing rig won by Terry Geisel)

      • a Google Nexus 7 provided by Catch’n Fish (won by Katie Geisel)

      • a $300 gift certificate provided by Royal Distributing (won by Brendan Clark)

      • and the grand prize, a day’s charter for 6, provided by F&P Fishing Charters (won by Josh Price).

Grand River Bass Derby 2014 final standings

Adult (Open) Division

1st place - $2,000 cash (20") Ed Fleischer 

2nd place - $1,000 cash (19 13/16") Brian Schnarr

3rd place - $500 cash (19 3/4") Alex Grose

4th & 5th places – Don Smith (19 7/16”) and Chris Bignell (19 9/32”) won prize packages from Natural Sports

Junior Division

1st place – Dimitri Taves (18 5/16") 

2nd place – Braden Restoule (18 7/32")

3rd place – Aidin Hopper (16 1/4”)

4th & 5th places – Jadin Kains (15 27/32”) and Tyler Campbell (15 3/4”)