Cameron Racine is heading to the Northern Ontario Walleye Trail Championship and is an a young angler who shared a boat with such the likes of NOWT pros Craig Salmonson, Rock Bouchard, and Sabstien Lizotte just to name a few over the last few years.
During this time, he learned the finer fundamentals of walleye fishing and what it takes to compete in the NOWT from these seasoned anglers.
Cameron will be the only youngster that will be captaining his own boat, a 2019 Prinecraft Hudson 170 powered by a Mercury 150 pro xs.
For his partner, he asked past NOWT female angler Annie Roberge.
Annie brings a lot of knowledge and experience to this team. Annie and husband Henri, competed in the NOWT for several years until they purchased Tatachikapika Lake Lodge in August 2018. This husband and wife team were very competitive during their time in the NOWT.
The reason he asked Annie was because she introduced him to the sport of tournament fishing some years ago by inviting him to fish a Lund Angler Young Angler with her.
He never forgot this and this was his way of thanking her and letting her know just how much of an impact that tournament had on him.
This week, I asked Cameron a few questions:
Q: What year did you start fishing in the NOWT?
A: I began fishing the NOWT in the 2017 tournament season fishing the Mattagami spring and fall tournaments.
Q: How did you feel when you found out you made the NOWT Championship?
A: The feeling was absolutely unreal, knowing that in only in my first couple of years fishing I had qualified in the top 25 teams. The anticipation for the results was the best part. Prior to knowing the official results, myself and a few other fellow anglers had created an anticipation list to predict who would partner with who which was a lot of fun.
Q: Would you suggest fishing the NOWT to other young anglers? And if so, why?
A: I would suggest that other youth anglers to try and get out and do a tournament.. it's unlike any other sport. You have the exhilaration of the event for the entire two days, not just for a couple of 60-minute games. It’s a lot of fun.
Q: Did qualifying for the NOWT Championship help you obtain new sponsorships?
A: Yes, I believe so. Qualifying for the championship added a huge component to my current resume. I think it helped me out tremendously throughout this winter.
Q: Who are your sponsors for the 2019 season?
A: J&B Cycle and Marine, Lowrance, Epic Fishing Tackle, Pline, Beckman Nets
Q: How do you feel being youngest captain in the NOWT Championship?
A: I am very proud and a little bit nervous to be the primary captain in the upcoming season as it is something new to me. I think it is going to help me grow as an angler and expand my knowledge and confidence tremendously.
Q: Any thoughts on how fishing in the championship will be for you?
A: I think it's going to be a tough bite. That system is going to be pressured very hard the week prior as I know many anglers are heading up a week in advance, including myself. Even with all the pressure, I know it is a fantastic fishery and my goal is to get locked in with some key spots.
Thanks to Cameron for taking the time out of his busy schedule to answer these questions and we wish him the best in the championship.
