The stage is set for the ultimate Canadian showdown of the year. The 2010 edition of the Berkley B1 Canadian Bass Open, powered by Evinrude takes place Oct. 2-3 on Lake St. Francis out of Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Quebec.

Featuring 300 of the best bass anglers in Canada facing off for the ultimate bragging rights, championship rings and a first-place prize of more than $60,000 in value. Lake St. Francis has recently been regarded as one of the top bass fisheries in Eastern Canada, as it has been consistently producing giant smallmouth bass, some weighing 7 pounds. As the competition consists of teams of two anglers bringing five fish back at the end of each day, this means potentially over 1,100 bass will be brought to the scales during the event.

In order to properly manage and handle this volume, a very unique fish management and weighing system is being brought in to ensure the well being and vitality of the resource. As the newest premier partner to the event, Shimano Canada is stepping in and providing their proprietary, world-class Shimano Water Weigh-In System, complete with two Shimano Live-Release boats.

"We are very excited to be a part of the B1 competition and to be the driving force behind demonstrating to the public, that fishing tournaments are fun, challenging and safe for the environment," said Bob Mahoney, Northern Marketing Manager, Shimano Canada. "The Shimano Water Weigh-In System improves the physiological condition and survival of fish in live-release tournaments and we'll be ready to properly handle the big bass that await us on lake St-Francis. Our goal is to get these fish back in the water better than they came in."

For more information on the Berkley B1 Canadian Bass Open, email info@berkleyb1.com or visit BerkleyB1.com.