BREWERTON, N.Y. (Aug. 15, 2016) – Ed Casey of Whiteford, Maryland, weighed a five bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 4 ounces, Saturday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Northeast Division tournament on Oneida Lake. For his efforts, Casey took home $6,009. Casey said he spent his day fishing mid-lake shoals that had a lot of mussels and scattered grass on them.
“The shoals were good in practice so I went back there figuring they’d still be holding fish,” said Casey, who earned his second win in BFL competition. “I threw a drop-shot rig with a Baby Bass-colored Jackall Crosstail Shad and Dark Melon Goby-colored Strike King Coffee Tubes, and had a limit in the boat by 9 a.m.”
Casey said that using baits with purple-fleck coloring was a crucial part of his success.
“I stayed out deep in 7 to 8 of water and worked my way toward shallow-water markers I call ‘cans’,” said Casey. “There was a lot of goby activity. If they were eating, I knew there were a lot of smallmouth bass in the area. I actually ended up weighing in four smallmouth.”
With 25 minutes left to fish, Casey said he caught a 4-pound largemouth bass to seal the deal.
“I threw a swimjig to a grass bed and within two casts I had a 4-pounder,” said Casey. “I was fortunate to catch some nice fish.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Ed Casey, Whiteford, Md., five bass, 18-4, $4,009 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus
2nd: Grae Buck, Harleysville, Pa., five bass, 17-13, $2,205
3rd: Kraig Kettelkamp, Clifton Springs, N.Y., five bass, 17-11, $1,336
4th: Robert Parmer, Linden, Pa., five bass, 17-1, $935
5th: Jamie Hartman, Bridgeport, N.Y., five bass, 17-0, $868
5th: George Hutchinson, Mullica Hill, N.J., five bass, 17-0, $768
7th: Ian Renfrew, Phoenix, N.Y., five bass, 16-7, $668
8th: Mark Schafer, Williamstown, N.J., five bass, 16-4, $601
9th: Joseph Amberg Jr., Hawley, Pa., five bass, 16-0, $535
10th: Roy Goodwin, Macedon, N.Y., five bass, 15-10, $468
John Lorenzo of Kane, Pennsylvania, caught a bass weighing 4 pounds, 12 ounces – the biggest of the tournament in the pro division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $550. Daniel Hann of Williamson, New York, weighed in five bass totaling 16 pounds, 11 ounces, Saturday to win the co-angler division and earn $2,005. The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Daniel Hann, Williamson, N.Y., five bass, 16-11, $2,005
2nd: John Henning, Lansdale, Pa., five bass, 14-0, $1,002
3rd: Steve Cram, Williamstown, N.J., five bass, 13-6, $668
4th: Griffen Hurt, Bound Brook, N.J., five bass, 13-5, $468
5th: Joshua Hertzog, Lititz, Pa., five bass, 12-12, $401
6th: Bill Klaips, Shavertown, Pa., five bass, 12-10, $368
7th: Robert Hockley, Annville, Pa., four bass, 12-0, $317
7th: Travis Craig, Fairview, Pa., five bass, 12-0, $317
9th: Dylan Hartman, Lebanon, N.J., five bass, 11-12, $267
10th: Rebecca Diluzio, North East, Pa., four bass, 11-4, $234
Taurean Relyea of Fairport, New York, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 4 pounds, 3 ounces, and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $275.