SENECA FALLS, N.Y. (Aug. 2, 2004) - John Pfleckl of Jessup, Pa., earned $5,000 Saturday as winner of the third regular-season Bass Fishing League Northeast Division bass fishing tournament on Cayuga Lake near Seneca Falls. He caught five bass weighing 17 pounds, 2 ounces to claim the win and 200 points in the Boater Division.
Pfleckl caught his tournament-winning bass on a blue/white medium-diving Norman crankbait. He was fishing the crankbait at different depths around weeds in the midlake area. Pfleckl's other career top-five BFL finish came at Cayuga Lake in 1998, when he finished 10th.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Bob Salotti of Geneva (five bass, 17 pounds, $2,500); Kenneth Witter of Pine Valley (five bass, 16 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,700); Mark Fann of Clewiston, Fla. (five bass, 16 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,300); and Vincent Brock of Rochester (five bass, 15 pounds, 5 ounces, $1,100).
Fann also earned a $500 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program. William Buncy of Depew earned Boater Division big-bass honors and $1,000 with a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass he caught on a black and red Wacky Worm.
John Fenstermacher of Bloomsburg, Pa., claimed $2,500 as winner of the Co-angler Division with a five-bass catch weighing 13 pounds, 1 ounce that he caught on a 5-inch green Senko.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Chris Boyle of Brackney, Pa. (four bass, 12 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,250); Joseph Zohil of Perkasie, Pa. (four bass, 11 pounds, 15 ounces, $850); Sean Lloyd of Springfield, Mass. (five bass, 11 pounds, 14 ounces, $650); and Perry Haas of Shillington, Pa. (four bass, 11 pounds, 9 ounces, $550).
Russell Awad of Brooklyn earned $500 as the co-angler big-bass winner thanks to a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass he caught on a 4 1/2-inch green pumpkin tube.
The Northeast Division's next stop will be Aug. 21 on Thousand Islands in Clayton, and the regular season will come to a close Sept. 11-12 with a two-day Super Tournament on Chautauqua Lake in Bemus Point.