news: ORILLIA PERCH FESTIVAL WRAP-UP 2024

ANGLERS FROM ALL OVER REEL IN HUGE FISH AND EPIC PRIZES

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The 42nd annual Orillia Perch Festival weigh-in station is shown at Couchiching Beach Park in Orillia, ON., on April 28th, 2024. / Photo: Connor Earl Productions
ORILLIA, ONTARIO – Hundreds of local and provincial anglers came out Sunday to the Port of Orillia to take part in the final weigh-in of the 42nd annual Orillia Perch Festival.

“So far it’s been a very successful tournament for us in our first year hosting it,” said Andrew Pallotta, Tournament Director, and Owner of the Competitive Sport Fishing League.

This year’s tournament was operated for the first time by the Competitive Sport Fishing League (CSFL) after the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce who originally ran the event for years announced earlier this year that they couldn’t continue to run the annual tournament.

“The Orillia District Chamber of Commerce has taken the event as far as it can and the CSFL is a world-class organization that has what it takes to keep the tournament alive in Orillia for years to come,” said Allan Lafontaine, Executive Director of the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce, in a previous interview with OrilliaMatters.

The revamped 42nd annual Orillia Perch Festival, hosted by the CSFL, saw close to 150 anglers participate in this 3-day event from all over Canada, right from local anglers in Orillia and Severn, all the way to one family from Alberta.

Pallotta is happy with the outcome but believes that it is possible to be able to have more anglers participate in this world-famous tournament and more from across Canada and the United States.

“We have over two-thousand anglers who fish in the CSFL and whom some have fished in the perch festival before so getting those guys to come back to fish in the tournament will be huge for the tournament,” noted Pallotta.

Even though the main 3-day tournament is over, Pallotta says the additional 2-week tournament now is underway.

“For the next 2-weeks if you catch a tagged fish, you are still qualified for that prize, and also if you catch a perch, be sure to post a photo on our Facebook or Instagram page as every catch is entered into a draw for a grand prize of a kayak valued at over two-thousand dollars,” Pallotta explained.

Be sure to tag “#2024orilliaperchfestival” in all your photos to be entered for the kayak.

The festival will continue with its ‘social fish’ contest until May 11th.

*With files from OrilliaMatters and Tyler Evans

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This report by Connor Earl Productions was published April 28, 2024

Connor Earl Productions. All rights reserved.

Related Photos:

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Andrew Pallotta, Tournament Director, and Owner of the Competitive Sport Fishing League is shown at the 42nd annual Orillia Perch Festival on Sunday, April 28, 2024 . | Photo: Connor Earl Productions
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Andrew Pallotta, Tournament Director, and Owner of the Competitive Sport Fishing League (left) and Allan Lafontaine, Executive Director of the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce are shown at the 42nd annual Orillia Perch Festival on Sunday, April 28, 2024. | Photo: Connor Earl Productions
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An angler poses for a photo-op with one of his caught perch at the 42nd annual Orillia Perch Festival on April 28th, 2024. | Photo: Connor Earl Productions
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A young angler sits on top of one of the prizes he won while posing for a photo-op with his dad at the 42nd annual Orillia Perch Festival on April 28th, 2024. | Photo: Connor Earl Productions

Published: April 28, 2024 / 8:23pm EST