WADDINGTON, N.Y. — Doug Brownridge has finished two tournaments with 71 pounds and ended up second. He had no plans to finish second in the 2014 B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Divisional tournament on the St. Lawrence River, so he resolved to catch 72 pounds — and win. He did, indeed. Brownridge ended the divisional with 72 pounds, 9 ounces over three days. What’s exceptional about that is all of his bass were smallmouth, averaging nearly 5 pounds each. Well, almost all of them were smallmouth.
“I’ve got one largemouth in my bag today,” he said on the final day. “I had a chance to cull up with a smallmouth that was 1/4 pound heavier, but it didn’t look that healthy.” So Brownridge put the smallie right back into the St. Lawrence River and held onto the largemouth.
Brownridge has led the tournament since its opener on Wednesday and has never even been threatened with losing his lead. He caught 24 pounds, 5 ounces on the first day, and then followed it up with 24-2 sacks on Days 2 and 3. He had the three biggest bags of the tournament. The Ontario B.A.S.S. Nation angler came into the event with a lot of experience on the St. Lawrence, including 10 to 15 tournament days on the water just this year. In fact, in July, he came in second on the fishery in the Kingston Canadian Open with 70.95 pounds. He knows this water, and he knows his spots.
“The fish in my area are all big,” said Brownridge. “It’s a sunken current break, with clean rock all over it. And I had it all to myself. The closest competitor was 2 miles away.”
He was dragging a 3 1/2-inch Set the Hook tube in a green pumpkin color, called Ten Point, 20 to 22 feet along the rocks at the bottom.
“I was bouncing it as hard as I could,” said Brownridge.
For the first two days, that system worked perfectly, and he had 20 pounds of smallies in the boat by 10 a.m. But on the final day, the spot seemed to give out on him, so he had to make a run. He had been very confident so far in the tournament, but at 9 a.m. on Day 3, he had only two in the boat, and doubt started creeping in.
“That’s why I ran,” Brownridge said. “I took off, 35 minutes or so in the other direction, to another spot similar to this one. That’s where I got the largemouth and a couple of other smallmouth.”
Around 12:30, he went back to his first spot, and the bronzebacks bit then. He got a 4 1/2-pounder within 10 minutes of arriving back at his primary area. Then he culled up to his final-day weight of 24-2.
“I really wanted this trophy,” said Brownridge, gripping his Eastern Divisional hardware.
With that trophy comes a berth in the 2014 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on Louisiana’s Ouachita River, Nov. 6-8. If he’s the best in the Eastern division there, he’ll advance to the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.
Eight other anglers earned invitations to the championship, as well. Each team sends its top representative. Paul Mueller won Connecticut’s nomination, and he’ll be making a return trip to the championship after competing there last year and advancing to the 2014 Bassmaster Classic, where he finished second. Now he has a chance to compete for a berth in the 2015 Classic.
Other championship qualifiers are Chuck Towns, Maine; Jeff Kenney, Massachusetts; Rob Messenger, New Hampshire; Ken Golubjatnikov, New York; Leo Bevelaqua, Rhode Island; Eric Corbella Salvia, Spain; and Russell Phillips, Vermont. The teams competed against each other, too, for a chance at a $40,000 Skeeter/Yamaha boat and motor package, based on highest cumulative weight of all of each respective team’s anglers. Host team New York won with 540 pounds, 6 ounces. Behind New York were Connecticut with 532-9 and Ontario with 516-13.
Meanwhile, another competition was brewing. Teenage anglers competed for the award of the top high school division. The young anglers fished the second and third day of the overall competition, and their weight contributed to their team’s overall weight. Ontario’s high schoolers, Cooper Gallant and Danny McGarry, won with 36 pounds, 10 ounces over the two days. They were both competing on behalf of St. Stephens High School. Their sack of 23 pounds, 13 ounces, on Day 2 was the fourth-biggest bag of the tournament behind Brownridge’s bags.
Brownridge can claim the biggest bass of Day 3 with a 5-pound, 11-ounce smallie. But the Carhartt Big Bass award went to James Hanatow and Michael McNamara, both of New Hampshire. Hanatow caught a 6-pounder on Day 1, and McNamara caught the same on Day 2. They will split the $500 award. Brownridge did claim the Livingston Lures Leader Award of $250 for leading on Day 2.
2014 BASS Nation Eastern Divisional 9/24-9/26
St. Lawrence River, Waddington NY.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. Doug Brownridge Milton ONTARIO CANADA ( 15 72-09 0
2. Ken Golubjatnikov Pittsford, NY (NY) 15 65-07 0
3. Rob Messenger Sunapee, NH (NH) 15 64-00 0
4. Christopher Killoren Marcellus, NY (NY) 15 57-14 0
5. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT (CT) 15 53-15 0
6. Mark Rorke St Cathrines ONTARIO CA 15 53-05 0
7. Russell Phillips Guilford, VT (VT) 15 53-05 0
8. Brad Brodnicki Buffalo, NY (NY) 15 52-04 0
9. Mark Cavanaugh Port Perry CANADA (ONT) 15 52-03 0
10. Abe Kalechman Ashford, CT (CT) 15 51-14 0
11. Todd Covert Port Crane, NY (NY) 15 50-08 0
12. Charles Sim Ottawa CANADA (ONT) 14 50-04 0
13. Dennis Sikorski Bozrah, CT (CT) 15 50-04 0
14. Kevin Rose Jr Anniston, CT (CT) 15 48-13 0
15. Joe Valerio Red Creek, NY (NY) 15 48-01 0
16. Scott Downie Danbury , CT (CT) 14 47-13 0
17. Pete Demoya Plymouth, MA (NH) 14 47-00 0
18. Eric Corbella Salvia Mollerusa SPAIN (ESP) 15 45-15 0
19. Chris O'Brien Rochester, NY (NY) 15 45-12 0
20. David Maiorano Clinton, CT (CT) 12 45-09 0
21. Jeff Kenney Franklin, MA (MA) 15 44-11 0
22. Jim Moorey Whitinsville, MA (MA) 15 44-11 0
23. Carlos Perez Zamorano Madrid SPAIN (ESP) 15 44-09 0
24. Leo Bevelaqua Wyoming, RI (RI) 13 44-05 0
25. Randy Lamanche Marcellus, NY (NY) 15 43-09 0
26. Jonathan Case Swanton, VT (VT) 15 43-06 0
27. James Knox Rutland, VT (VT) 15 43-03 0
28. John Levesque Nashua, NH (NH) 15 42-02 0
29. Chuck Towns Readfield, ME (ME) 15 41-13 0
30. Garrett Kruger Monroe, CT (CT) 15 41-08 0
31. Ricardo Rodriguez Gonzalez S Vicente D Alcantara S 15 41-07 0
32. Chris Molineaux Hope Valley, RI (RI) 15 41-02 0
33. Frank Ramsay Ingleside ONTARIO CANAD 15 41-00 0
34. John Diaco Rochester, NH (NH) 14 40-08 0
35. Bill Kuslaka Windham, NH (NH) 13 40-03 0
36. Dan Tavilla Clelmsford, MA (MA) 15 40-00 0
37. Brian Jarvis Warwick , RI (RI) 13 39-12 0
38. Skip Sjobeck Randolph, VT (VT) 14 39-10 0
39. Reed Johnson Farmington, CT (CT) 14 39-02 0
40. Mike Wolfenden Warwick, RI (RI) 14 39-01 0
41. John Hinckley Cumberland, RI (RI) 12 39-00 0
42. Michael Elliott Chelmsford, MA (MA) 13 38-13 0
43. Tim Birch Waterloo ONTARIO CANADA 12 38-08 0
44. Luis Vilar Patino Castellon SPAIN (ESP) 12 38-04 0
45. George Puskar Peekskill, NY (NY) 11 37-15 0
46. David Frey West Warwick, RI (RI) 13 37-05 0
47. George Cooper Buxton, ME (ME) 15 37-01 0
48. Fernando Lay talaurea del reina SPA 15 36-13 0
49. HS ON - McGarry Gallant Bowmanville CANADA (ONT 8 36-10 0
50. David Dziob Meriden, CT (CT) 12 36-04 0
51. HS NY - Arndt Clay, NY (NY) 10 34-02 0
52. John Fitzgerald Salisbury, VT (VT) 11 34-02 0
53. HS CT - Marino / Winslow Naugatuck, CT (CT) 10 34-01 0
54. Keith Lee Avon, CT (CT) 15 33-13 0
55. Sheron Brown Ayer, MA (MA) 12 33-03 0
56. Brian Kelly Liverpool, NY (NY) 15 33-02 0
57. Jim Lynch Bomoseen, VT (VT) 11 33-01 0
58. Michael McNamara Milford, NH (NH) 12 33-00 0
59. Joe Holland Jefferson, ME (ME) 8 32-15 0
60. Pete Garnier Lindsey ONTARIO CANADA 12 32-15 0
61. HS NH - Farrington Sterritt Newfields, NH (NH) 10 32-10 0
62. Rick Landry Hudson, NH (NH) 13 32-09 0
63. Joseba Miquel vitoria SPAIN (ESP) 14 32-04 0
64. Des Barnes Aurora CANADA (ONT) 11 31-13 0
65. Adrian Torres Embid Zaragoza SPAIN (ESP) 13 31-13 0
66. Ramiro Ruben Tarazona Sicilia Tarazona SPAIN (ESP) 14 31-12 0
67. Dwayne Turnage Hollis, ME (ME) 11 31-05 0
68. Kevin Busch Vienna, ME (ME) 13 31-03 0
69. James Hanatow Alstead, NH (NH) 9 30-11 0
70. Ruben Corbella Salvia Mollerusa SPAIN (ESP) 11 30-05 0
71. Ricky Turczak Housatonic, MA (MA) 11 30-04 0
72. Allan Smith Litchfield, NH (NH) 11 30-01 0
73. HS MA - McQuade Jaskolski Dudley, MA (MA) 9 30-01 0
74. John Carmen Norfolk, MA (MA) 12 29-15 0
75. Farris Deroma Newton, NJ (NY) 12 29-12 0
76. Scott Guimond Sebago, ME (ME) 12 29-00 0
77. Ernesto Gonzalez Garcia S Vicente De Alcantara 11 28-05 0
78. Mark Lodge Alfred, ME (ME) 11 27-14 0
79. John Lamour Harrowsmith CANADA (ONT 8 27-13 0
80. John Shpack Attleboro, MA (MA) 10 27-12 0
81. Matt Poissant Alburg, VT (VT) 12 27-11 0
82. Larry MacPhail Kingston Ontario CANADA 8 27-08 0
83. Bruce Leeson Port Rowan ONTARIO CANA 11 27-06 0
84. Ronald Bestwick Grisword, CT (RI) 9 27-04 0
85. Eloy Fernandez Jofre L'Ametlla Del Valles SP 11 27-01 0
86. Peter Knight Fulton, NY (NY) 11 26-13 0
87. Jay Guidaboni Plymouth, MA (MA) 10 26-10 0
88. HS RI - Bestwick Sampson N Stonington, CT (RI) 10 26-08 0
89. Chuck Sturtevant NoChihenden, VT (VT) 9 26-04 0
90. Steven Conde Chepachet, RI (RI) 11 25-13 0
91. Kevin Noel Burlington, CT (CT) 8 25-10 0
92. Bill Wright Whiting, VT (VT) 9 25-08 0
93. Jamie Janzen St Catherines ONTARIO C 10 24-15 0
94. Scott McKay Mendon, VT (VT) 7 24-10 0
95. Harry Gordon WATERBURY, CT (CT) 10 23-15 0
96. Steve Wilson East Waterboro, ME (ME) 11 23-15 0
97. Paul LeBlanc Medway, MA (MA) 9 22-08 0
98. HS VT - Gaudette Seaman Colchester, VT (VT) 10 21-10 0
99. Scott Barker Gray, ME (ME) 8 20-15 0
100. Chris Guncheon Warwick, RI (RI) 9 19-00 0
101. Matthew Breach Douglas, MA (MA) 7 18-15 0
102. Chris Adams Concord, NH (NH) 7 18-02 0
103. HS ME - Rodgers Williamson Gorham, ME (ME) 6 18-00 0
104. Steven Worden Cumberland, RI (RI) 9 17-14 0
105. Kevin Miller Merrimack, NH (NH) 8 17-10 0
106. Javier Guillen Cordoba Tarragona SPAIN (ESP) 8 17-02 0
107. David Riley North Attleboro, MA (RI 6 16-06 0
108. Justin Spraske Swanzey, NH (NH) 7 15-07 0
109. Donnie Staszczyk Cheetowaga, NY (NY) 6 15-03 0
110. Michael Abernathy Coventry, RI (RI) 7 15-01 0
111. John Grondin Scarborough, ME (ME) 7 14-09 0
112. Shawn Grover Biddeford, ME (ME) 5 13-08 0
113. Chris Mann Cornish, VT (VT) 6 12-09 0
114. Scott Laliberty Sabaltus, ME (ME) 4 12-06 0
115. Robert Hegyi Wales, MA (MA) 5 11-12 0
116. James Jeffries Rouses Point, NY (VT) 2 04-15 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 64 433 1264-14
2 69 466 1388-15
3 59 443 1297-08
----------------------------------
192 1342 3951-05
TEAM STANDINGS Day 3
----------------------------------
State Lbs-Oz
1 NEW YORK 540-06
2 CONNECTICUT 532-09
3 ONTARIO 516-13
4 NEW HAMPSHIRE 443-15
5 SPAIN 405-10
6 MASSACHUSETTS 399-03
7 VERMONT 389-14
8 RHODE ISLAND 388-07
9 MAINE 334-08
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
CONNECTICUT
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 15 53-15 0
2 Abe Kalechman Ashford, CT 15 51-14 0
3 Dennis Sikorski Bozrah, CT 15 50-04 0
4 Kevin Rose Jr Anniston, CT 15 48-13 0
5 Scott Downie Danbury , CT 14 47-13 0
6 David Maiorano Clinton, CT 12 45-09 0
7 Garrett Kruger Monroe, CT 15 41-08 0
8 Reed Johnson Farmington, CT 14 39-02 0
9 David Dziob Meriden, CT 12 36-04 0
10 HS CT - Marino / Winslow Naugatuck, CT 10 34-01 0
11 Keith Lee Avon, CT 15 33-13 0
12 Kevin Noel Burlington, CT 8 25-10 0
13 Harry Gordon WATERBURY, CT 10 23-15 0
MASSACHUSETTS
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Jeff Kenney Franklin, MA 15 44-11 0
2 Jim Moorey Whitinsville, MA 15 44-11 0
3 Dan Tavilla Clelmsford, MA 15 40-00 0
4 Michael Elliott Chelmsford, MA 13 38-13 0
5 Sheron Brown Ayer, MA 12 33-03 0
6 Ricky Turczak Housatonic, MA 11 30-04 0
7 HS MA - McQuade Jaskolski Dudley, MA 9 30-01 0
8 John Carmen Norfolk, MA 12 29-15 0
9 John Shpack Attleboro, MA 10 27-12 0
10 Jay Guidaboni Plymouth, MA 10 26-10 0
11 Paul LeBlanc Medway, MA 9 22-08 0
12 Matthew Breach Douglas, MA 7 18-15 0
13 Robert Hegyi Wales, MA 5 11-12 0
MAINE
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Chuck Towns Readfield, ME 15 41-13 0
2 George Cooper Buxton, ME 15 37-01 0
3 Joe Holland Jefferson, ME 8 32-15 0
4 Dwayne Turnage Hollis, ME 11 31-05 0
5 Kevin Busch Vienna, ME 13 31-03 0
6 Scott Guimond Sebago, ME 12 29-00 0
7 Mark Lodge Alfred, ME 11 27-14 0
8 Steve Wilson East Waterboro, ME 11 23-15 0
9 Scott Barker Gray, ME 8 20-15 0
10 HS ME - Rodgers Williamson Gorham, ME 6 18-00 0
11 John Grondin Scarborough, ME 7 14-09 0
12 Shawn Grover Biddeford, ME 5 13-08 0
13 Scott Laliberty Sabaltus, ME 4 12-06 0
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Rob Messenger Sunapee, NH 15 64-00 0
2 Pete Demoya Plymouth, MA 14 47-00 0
3 John Levesque Nashua, NH 15 42-02 0
4 John Diaco Rochester, NH 14 40-08 0
5 Bill Kuslaka Windham, NH 13 40-03 0
6 Michael McNamara Milford, NH 12 33-00 0
7 HS NH - Farrington Sterritt Newfields, NH 10 32-10 0
8 Rick Landry Hudson, NH 13 32-09 0
9 James Hanatow Alstead, NH 9 30-11 0
10 Allan Smith Litchfield, NH 11 30-01 0
11 Chris Adams Concord, NH 7 18-02 0
12 Kevin Miller Merrimack, NH 8 17-10 0
13 Justin Spraske Swanzey, NH 7 15-07 0
NEW YORK
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Ken Golubjatnikov Pittsford, NY 15 65-07 0
2 Christopher Killoren Marcellus, NY 15 57-14 0
3 Brad Brodnicki Buffalo, NY 15 52-04 0
4 Todd Covert Port Crane, NY 15 50-08 0
5 Joe Valerio Red Creek, NY 15 48-01 0
6 Chris O'Brien Rochester, NY 15 45-12 0
7 Randy Lamanche Marcellus, NY 15 43-09 0
8 George Puskar Peekskill, NY 11 37-15 0
9 HS NY - Arndt Clay, NY 10 34-02 0
10 Brian Kelly Liverpool, NY 15 33-02 0
11 Farris Deroma Newton, NJ 12 29-12 0
12 Peter Knight Fulton, NY 11 26-13 0
13 Donnie Staszczyk Cheetowaga, NY 6 15-03 0
RHODE ISLAND
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Leo Bevelaqua Wyoming, RI 13 44-05 0
2 Chris Molineaux Hope Valley, RI 15 41-02 0
3 Brian Jarvis Warwick , RI 13 39-12 0
4 Mike Wolfenden Warwick, RI 14 39-01 0
5 John Hinckley Cumberland, RI 12 39-00 0
6 David Frey West Warwick, RI 13 37-05 0
7 Ronald Bestwick Grisword, CT 9 27-04 0
8 HS RI - Bestwick Sampson N Stonington, CT 10 26-08 0
9 Steven Conde Chepachet, RI 11 25-13 0
10 Chris Guncheon Warwick, RI 9 19-00 0
11 Steven Worden Cumberland, RI 9 17-14 0
12 David Riley North Attleboro, MA 6 16-06 0
13 Michael Abernathy Coventry, RI 7 15-01 0
VERMONT
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Russell Phillips Guilford, VT 15 53-05 0
2 Jonathan Case Swanton, VT 15 43-06 0
3 James Knox Rutland, VT 15 43-03 0
4 Skip Sjobeck Randolph, VT 14 39-10 0
5 John Fitzgerald Salisbury, VT 11 34-02 0
6 Jim Lynch Bomoseen, VT 11 33-01 0
7 Matt Poissant Alburg, VT 12 27-11 0
8 Chuck Sturtevant NoChihenden, VT 9 26-04 0
9 Bill Wright Whiting, VT 9 25-08 0
10 Scott McKay Mendon, VT 7 24-10 0
11 HS VT - Gaudette Seaman Colchester, VT 10 21-10 0
12 Chris Mann Cornish, VT 6 12-09 0
13 James Jeffries Rouses Point, NY 2 04-15 0
ONTARIO
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Doug Brownridge Milton ONTARIO CANADA 15 72-09 0
2 Mark Rorke St Cathrines ONTARIO CA 15 53-05 0
3 Mark Cavanaugh Port Perry CANADA 15 52-03 0
4 Charles Sim Ottawa CANADA 14 50-04 0
5 Frank Ramsay Ingleside ONTARIO CANAD 15 41-00 0
6 Tim Birch Waterloo ONTARIO CANADA 12 38-08 0
7 HS ON - McGarry Gallant Bowmanville CANADA 8 36-10 0
8 Pete Garnier Lindsey ONTARIO CANADA 12 32-15 0
9 Des Barnes Aurora CANADA 11 31-13 0
10 John Lamour Harrowsmith CANADA 8 27-13 0
11 Larry MacPhail Kingston Ontario CANADA 8 27-08 0
12 Bruce Leeson Port Rowan ONTARIO CANA 11 27-06 0
13 Jamie Janzen St Catherines ONTARIO C 10 24-15 0
SPAIN
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz
1 Eric Corbella Salvia Mollerusa SPAIN 15 45-15 0
2 Carlos Perez Zamorano Madrid SPAIN 15 44-09 0
3 Ricardo Rodriguez Gonzalez S Vicente D Alcantara S 15 41-07 0
4 Luis Vilar Patino Castellon SPAIN 12 38-04 0
5 Fernando Lay talaurea del reina SPA 15 36-13 0
6 Joseba Miquel vitoria SPAIN 14 32-04 0
7 Adrian Torres Embid Zaragoza SPAIN 13 31-13 0
8 Ramiro Ruben Tarazona Sicilia Tarazona SPAIN 14 31-12 0
9 Ruben Corbella Salvia Mollerusa SPAIN 11 30-05 0
10 Ernesto Gonzalez Garcia S Vicente De Alcantara 11 28-05 0
11 Eloy Fernandez Jofre L'Ametlla Del Valles SP 11 27-01 0
12 Javier Guillen Cordoba Tarragona SPAIN 8 17-02 0