PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (Sept. 17, 2012) – Jamie Hartman of Newport, N.Y., weighed a two-day total of 10 bass totaling 37 pounds, 4 ounces to win the Bass Fishing League Northeast Division super tournament on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y., on Sunday. For his victory, Hartman earned $7,806.
“I fished the north end of the lake, targeting the big smallmouth,” said Hartman. “I fished the outside contour drops and stayed in the 12- to 15-foot range. I fished soft plastics very slowly. The main technique for me was Carolina-rigging a Power Team Lures Craw D’oeuvre. I caught around 15 keepers each day.”
Hartman said that there really seemed to be a two-hour window each day where the bite was really hot. On day one, it was from noon to 2 p.m., and on day two, it was 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
”In the morning it was very windy,” Hartman continued. “Then it calmed down and it got very sunny. The key for me in this tournament was my decision making. I had to move from spot to spot in my area to find the active fish, so having patience and making the right decisions were crucial to my victory.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Darren Schwenkbeck, Keeseville, N.Y., 10 bass, 36-15, $2,403
3rd: Kevin Bishop, Hilton, N.Y., 10 bass, 36-12, $1,603
4th: Dana Perrotte, Colchester, Vt., 10 bass, 35-4, $1,121
5th: William McKelvey, Belfast, N.Y., 10 bass, 35-0, $961
6th: Tim Aldrich, Shutesbury, Mass., 10 bass, 34-4, $881
7th: Gary Longley, South Londonderry, Vt., 10 bass, 33-6, $801
8th: Richard Damianos, Cortland, N.Y., 10 bass, 33-5, $721
9th: Joe Zombek II, Scranton, Pa., 10 bass, 32-15, $641
10th: Mike Kozell, Lancaster, N.Y., 10 bass, 31-6, $561
Alex Antipenko of Brooklyn, N.Y., weighed in 10 bass totaling 33 pounds, 6 ounces Sunday to win $2,403 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Richard Jordan Jr., Muncy Valley, Pa., 10 bass, 31-11, $1,202
3rd: Jason Shipton, Muncy, Pa., 10 bass, 31-4, $801
4th: James Smith, Johnstown, Pa., 10 bass, 29-0, $561
5th: Bill Spence, St. Albans, Vt., 10 bass, 28-1, $481
6th: Fred George, Marysville, Pa., 10 bass, 26-6, $441
7th: Chad Dorney, Macungie, Pa., 10 bass, 26-5, $401
8th: James Wilkins, State College, Pa., 10 bass, 25-14, $360
9th: Andrew Zapf, Whippany, N.J., 10 bass, 25-9, $320
10th: George Barnes, Hughesville, Pa., 10 bass, 24-14, $280
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 11-13 Regional Championship on Kerr Lake in Henderson, S.C. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.