CEDAR KNOLLS, N.J. (Sept. 19, 2005) - Boater Joe Hunt of Lincoln University, Pa., earned $3,580 Sunday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Northeast Division Super Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Hopatcong. The tournament earned Hunt 300 points in the Boater Division.
Hunt's winning catch of 10 bass weighed 22 pounds, 11 ounces.
Finishing second was Robert Soley of Ewing, with nine bass weighing 20 pounds, 12 ounces that earned him $1,747. Skip Skilerman of Andover, claimed $852 as the third-place finisher thanks to 10 bass weighing 19 pounds, 6 ounces. In fourth was Richard Martin Jr. of Sparrows Point, Md., with seven bass weighing 14 pounds worth $767, and finishing fifth and earning $682 was Brian Wittig of Andover, with nine bass weighing 14 pounds.
Skilerman took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $460 for a 3-pound, 10-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on Berkley Gulp Sinking Minnow. He also received an additional $500 for being the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup program.
John Graybill of Columbia, Pa., bested the other Co-angler Division competitors to earn $1,790 as the co-angler winner, thanks to six bass weighing 9 pounds, 14 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Sean Webber of Plainfield (four bass, 8 pounds, 13 ounces, $873); Peter Rathjens of Wharton (seven bass, 7 pounds, 14 ounces, $873); George Rovnak Jr. of Rahway (four bass, 5 pounds, 14 ounces, $383); and Charles Ringle of Fairfield (five bass, 5 pounds, 12 ounces, $341).
Frederick Salzman, earned $230 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 3-pound, 10-ounce bass.
Hunt earned $1,000 as the Yamaha "Be the Best" points champion in the Northeast Boater Division. Brian Kiester of Slickerville earned $500 as the Yamaha "Be the Best" points champion in the Northeast Co-angler Division.
The top 40 Northeast Division boaters and co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Kerr Lake Regional near Henderson, N.C., Oct. 18-22 where they will compete against Empire, Mountain and Music City Division anglers for one of six slots in the 2006 All-American.