MARBURY, Md. – Jamie Hartman of Newport, N.Y., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win the Bass Fishing League Northeast Division tournament on the Potomac River. For his victory, Hartman earned $7,271.
“In the last two years, I have been out on the river exactly twice – my two days of practice for this event,” said Hartman, who is the reigning 2011 BFL Northeast Division Angler of the Year. “It was really a surprise to me to win this event. I weighed in early, and had to stick around and sweat it out. I really didn’t think I had 20 pounds, let alone enough to win the event. This was my first tournament of the year, and it feels really good to get that first win.
“I had four main areas that I had found during practice, but a big rainstorm on Friday night made two of my areas unfishable,” Hartman continued. “There was just too much mud. I started out by running to the Arkendale Flats, and was able to get a quick limit. As soon as I had my limit, I pulled up and went looking in some big fish areas. I was looking for the grassy weed beds that were holding the big fish and luckily I ended up finding them. I threw three main baits, and all of them produced for me – a green pumpkin-colored worm, a swimjig, and I pitched a green pumpkin-colored Power Team Lures Texas Rig Jig.
“I ended up catching around 30 fish throughout the day,” Hartman went on to say. “There was a hard west wind on the river, and the temperature was much cooler than it had been in the days prior. The fish were definitely more finicky, and I really had to change up my cadence in order to get the bites I was looking for. This was a good start for my goal of another Northeast Division Angler of the Year title.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Lenny Baird, Stafford, Va., five bass, 18-10, $2,136
3rd: Otis Darnell, Linden, Va., five bass, 18-4, $1,424
4th: David Wilder, Middle River, Md., five bass, 18-0, $997
5th: Mike Hoskings, Spotsylvania, Va., five bass, 17-7, $854
6th: Mike Hart, Stanhope, N.J., five bass, 16-12, $783
7th: Tom Tarasoff, Kingston, Ont., five bass, 15-13, $712
8th: Gary Marean, Manassas, Va., five bass, 15-12, $641
9th: Kevin Rodney, Midland, Va., five bass, 15-7, $569
10th: Ronnie Baker, Providence Forge, Va., five bass, 15-1, $498
Maurice Campbell of Leominster, Mass., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win $2,136 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Jody Werner, Tatamy, Pa., five bass, 14-4, $1,068
3rd: Tommy Stalb, Manheim, Pa., five bass, 14-2, $712
4th: Michael Bahnweg, Union Dale, Pa., five bass, 14-0, $498
5th: Charles Stewart, Brilliant, Ohio, five bass, 13-9, $427
6th: Destin Demarion, Erie, Pa., five bass, 13-4, $392
7th: Bernie Drimal, McKenney, Va., five bass, 12-12, $338
7th: Terry Stevens, Sterling, Va., five bass, 12-12, $338
9th: Greg Parker, Hammonton, N.J., five bass, 12-10, $285
10th: Craig Dubois, Sprakers, N.Y., five bass, 12-9, $236
10th: David Williams, Fredericksburg, Va., five bass, 12-9, $236
The next BFL Northeast Division tournament is scheduled for July 14 on Oneida Lake in Brewerton, N.Y. After the fifth Northeast Division tournament is complete, 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, N.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.