BEMUS POINT, N.Y. (Sept. 13, 2004) - Boater William McKelvey of Belfast earned $7,248 Sunday as winner of the two-day, season-ending Bass Fishing League Northeast Division Super Tournament on Chautauqua Lake. His two-day total of 26 pounds, 14 ounces topped 129 fellow competitors in the Boater Division.
McKelvey caught 11 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to advance to Sunday's competition, where he caught 15 pounds, 3 ounces to post the heaviest two-day weight and claim the win. He also earned a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program. McKelvey earned another $1,290 as the Boater Division big-bass winner, thanks to a 5-pound, 11-ounce bass.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Michael Beebe of Conneautville, Pa. (25 pounds, 14 ounces, $3,624); Christopher Hall of Clarks Summit, Pa. (25 pounds, 11 ounces, $1,963); J.T. Kenney of Frostburg, Md. (23 pounds, 5 ounces, $1,661); and Bud Schosger of Painted Post (22 pounds, 7 ounces, $1,359).
John Fenstermacher of Bloomsburg, Pa., earned $3,624 as winner of the Co-angler Division with a two-day total of 16 pounds, 10 ounces. This is his second Northeast Division win of the season - he also claimed victory on Cayuga Lake in July.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Chad Shutty of Northern Cambria, Pa. (16 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,812); Clyde Britt of Hewitt, N.J. (15 pounds, 2 ounces, $981); Jora Airapetyan of North Babylon (12 pounds, 6 ounces, $830); and Mike Henry of Venetia, Pa. (11 pounds, 7 ounces, $679).
Fenstermacher claimed co-angler big-bass honors with a 5-pound, 1-ounce bass that earned him $645.
Each of the BFL's 24 nationwide divisions features four one-day tournaments and one two-day Super Tournament within the regular season. In Super Tournament competition, the entire field competes on day one and the top 20 percent advances to day two, with the winners determined by the heaviest two-day catch weights. More money is awarded at Super Tournaments as well as more points that count toward year-end angler standings. In a Super Tournament, 300 points are awarded for first place, 299 for second, 298 for third, and so on.
Lynn Baciuska of Afton earned $1,000 as the Yamaha "Be the Best" boater points champion in the Northeast Division with 1,015 points for the season. Richard French of Newfield earned Yamaha "Be the Best" points champion honors and $500 in the Co-angler Division. He earned 987 points this season.