MARBURY, Md. (May 12, 2008) - Boater Richard Allen Jr. of Westminster, Md., won the Bass Fishing League Northeast Division bass fishing tournament on the Potomac River Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 20 pounds, 1 ounce. The victory earned Allen $4,261 plus a $752 Ranger contingency bonus and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Albemarle Sound Regional Championship in Elizabeth City, N.C., Oct. 9-11, where he could ultimately win a new 198VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
"It was one of those days you dream of," Allen said. "We caught so many fish it was unbelievable; my co-angler and I caught about 60 fish between us, and about two-thirds of them were keepers."
Allen caught the majority of his bigger fish in the morning throwing a 4-inch green-pumpkin Senko on the pea gravel banks of a point, until a storm blew up.
"We were only able to stay on that point for a couple hours before we got blown off," Allen said. "There were 4-foot white caps, and I couldn't control the boat."
Allen moved on to his second spot, where he stayed the remainder of the day, catching his fish on a ¼- and ½-ounce gold Rat-L-Trap.
Rounding out the top five boaters are William Closson of Beverly Hills, Fla. (five bass, 17-13, $2,507); Darrin Orsargos of Homer City, Pa. (five bass, 17-07, $1,670); James Pilot of Clinton, Md. (five bass, 16-13, $1,170) and Darin Hoover of Pasadena, Md., and Doug Mayo of Odenton, Md. (five bass, 16-08, $961).
Wayne Laubach of Joppa, Md., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $765 for a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass.
Bryon Powell of Malaga, N.J., earned $2,507 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 21 pounds, 7 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Kevin Sydnor of Huntingtown, Md. (five bass, 20-07, $1,253); Frederick Salzman of Blackwood, N.J. (five bass, 17-13, $837); Larry Drewett of Sterling, Va. (five bass, 16-03, $585) and David Lloyd of Bridgeton, N.J. (five bass, 15-12, $501).
Powell earned $382 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass.
Northeast Division anglers will visit the Potomac River in Marbury, Md., June 7 for their second regular-season event, followed by an event on Chesapeake Bay in North East, Md., June 28. The division's fourth qualifying event will be held on Chesapeake Bay in North East, Md., Aug. 9. A two-day Super Tournament, the division's fifth and final event, will be held on the Potomac River in Marbury, Md., Sept. 27-28.