Gill/Hanson regain MBI crown

By Ken Johnston
Editor

They are back on top! Terry Gill, of Morson, and Chad Hanson, of Fort Frances, won their fifth Morson Bass International in nine years this past weekend!
Last year the pair were at the top of the pack after a strong day 1 and this year was no different. However, last year day 2 was an off day for the duo. That allowed an always strong rival team, Pat Handorgan and Pat Gibbins, both of Morson, to vault to the top of the podium.
“This year we had total redemption on day 2!” said Gill. “Day 2 last year we were winded off our spots. We tried some old holes we knew from 15 years before with lots of fish, but they were all small.”
Day 2 was calm in comparison and the pair went to work amassing another significant basket of bass. “It was stable and calm today,” said Gill just after being crowned for a fifth time.
Hanson did say, “All was going good until late in the day when we had to scramble to get a big one.” While it was calm, Hanson said that the storm that blew through the night before had the bass squeemish about biting. “We caught between 15-20 fish today,” said Hanson.
“Yesterday we caught between 50-60 fish!” added Gill.
The 19 team field saw many familiar faces and a few new ones with the top five being no exception to that rule! Gill and Hanson, four time champs were number 1 with 18.60 lbs. In second was 2007 champion Mark Pentney/Peter Tiboni, of Morson and RR, with 17.18 lbs., followed by MBI veterans Mike Graham/Paul Visser, of Fort Frances, with 16.40 lbs., then last year’s champions Pat Gibbins/Pat Handorgan with 16.26 lbs. and rounding it out was Jess Swenson and new comer Emily Swenson, of Sioux Narrows, with 16.05 lbs.
Gibbins/Handorgan had a strong day 2 as well, bringing in the largest basket of the day at 19.24 lbs. Before the final weigh-ins, Gibbins said, “We were done fishing by 11:30 a.m. We knew we had good weight and are hoping Terry drops some weight today.”
With the top five boats from day 1 held back to the very end of day 2’s weigh-ins, the 12th place team of Scott Anderson/Craig Peterson of Bemidji, MN. vaulted to the top with 17.15 lbs. combined with their day 1 13.48 lbs. to lead with 30.63 lbs. They were later unseated by Oliver and Jason Gibbins, of Morson, who were in 7th after day 1 with a two day total of 31.82 lbs. They would hold on until Gibbins/Handorgan tipped the scales at 35.50 lbs.
Neither Graham/Visser or Pentney/Tiboni weighed enough to catch them. They ended up with 28.74 lbs and 33.33 lbs. respectively, the latter finishing third overall.
It all came down to Gill/Hanson’s livewell. The crowd was on edge as they waited to see if they could recapture the MBI title from the team that beat them last year. They got it done! Weighing in another 18.27 lbs, they took the title by 1.37 lbs. with a two day total of 36.87 lbs.
“We were done early, but we knew Pat came in earlier and that they were going to have a good weight,” said Gill. “But this is what makes this tournament fun is the ongoing rivalries!”
Gill and Hanson won $1,500 for first place and also $500 for biggest basket on day 1 and $300 for 2nd place for biggest basket on day 2 with 18.27 lbs.
Gibbins/Handorgan won $800 for 2nd place
Pentney/Tiboni won $500 for 3rd place and $300 for biggest basket on day 1
Swenson/Swenson won $300 for 4th place and $250 for biggest largemouth on day 2 (3.95 lbs.)
Other prizes
Day 1
3rd place, $200, biggest basket, Graham/Visser
Biggest Smallmouth, $250, Dana Kaliska/Larry Brusven, of RR and Morson, 4.35 lbs.
Biggest Largemouth, $250, Graham/Visser, 4.14 lbs.
Day 2
3rd place, $200, biggest basket, Scott Anderson/Craig Peterson
Anderson/Peterson, $250, biggest smallmouth, 4.79 lbs.
Swenson/Swenson, $250, biggest largemouth, 3.95 lbs.
Top Lund boats, $225, Pentney/Tiboni and $175 for Kaliska/Brusven.
Golf Tourney
The annual Spruce Creek MBI golf tournament was held Sunday morning. It was a nine hole, two person scramble.
$160.00 raised for Rainy River Locum House.
Prizes were as follows:
1st place, Wes Big George/Doug Sinclair, with score of 31
2nd place, Don Tolen/Adam Bolen, 37
3rd place tie, Reg and Isiah Morrison/ Rennie and Kevin Nordberg, 38
Hidden score. Steve Beyak/ Vaughn Murray, 41
Closest to the Pin, Wes Big George
Longest Drive, Hillary Hansen