CLAYTON, N.Y. (Sept. 17, 2018) – Boater Brian Bylotas of Scott Township, Pennsylvania, won the Bass Fishing League (BFL) Northeast Division tournament on 1000 Islands Sunday with a two-day cumulative catch of 10 bass weighing 48 pounds, 3 ounces. For his win, Bylotas pocketed $6,886.
“I started in the river Saturday and caught a few small fish before running out to Lake Ontario about 8 (a.m.),” said Bylotas, who also clinched the BFL Northeast Division Angler of the Year (AOY) points title with his win. “There were some shoals out there and by 10 or 10:30 (a.m.) I got on a school that I had all to myself. I stayed there all day and my co-angler and I caught them pretty well.”
Bylotas said he focused on a ledge off of a shoal near Galloo Island. He said the baitfish were stacked up along a ¼-mile stretch in 25 to 30 feet of water and bass were schooling around them.
“On Sunday I started on a few rock piles in the river and caught a big one – about 5½ pounds – on a (4.5-inch Quick Limit Baits) motor oil-colored Dropshot Worm, which I had used Saturday morning in the river as well,” said Bylotas. “By 9 (a.m.), I went out to the same ledge and school on Lake Ontario, but the bite was a little bit slower. I probably caught around 35 fish Sunday compared to 50 fish Saturday.”
Bylotas said he used a 3.8-inch green pumpkin-colored Keitech Sexy Impact on a drop-shot rig on the ledge each day. He added that a Sexy Impact in Silver Flash color was also productive.
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Brian Bylotas, Scott Township, Pa., 10 bass, 48-3, $6,886
2nd: John Vanore, Mullica Hill, N.J., 10 bass, 46-6, $3,493
3rd: Jason Shipton, Muncy, Pa., 10 bass, 44-8, $2,195
4th: Ken Golub, Pittsford, N.Y., 10 bass, 42-12, $1,637
5th: Dennis Carnahan, Cazenovia, N.Y., 10 bass, 42-9, $1,317
6th: Joe Zombek II, Scranton, Pa., 10 bass, 42-6, $1,207
7th: Travis Manson, Conshohocken, Pa., 10 bass, 41-14, $1,098
8th: Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., 10 bass, 41-11, $988
9th: Joseph Fonzi, Gasport, N.Y., 10 bass, 40-6, $878
10th: Frank Arthur, Fallston, Md., 10 bass, 39-12, $768
Dale Gorrell of Hatfield, Pennsylvania, caught a bass weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division. The catch earned him the Boater Big Bass award of $945. Joseph Amberg Jr. of Hawley, Pennsylvania, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 43 pounds, 12 ounces, to win the Co-angler Division and $3,529.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Joseph Amberg Jr., Hawley, Pa., 10 bass, 43-12, $3,529
2nd: Richard Jordan, Muncy Valley, Pa., 10 bass, 42-4, $1,746
3rd: Cherif Zaher, Orangeville, Pa., 10 bass, 40-7, $1,148
4th: Jim Buehler, Montoursville, Pa., 10 bass, 40-4, $768
5th: Doug Cameron, Belchertown, Mass., 10 bass, 37-0, $659
6th: Michael Duarte, Baltimore, Md., 10 bass, 35-11, $604
7th: Christy Tiano, Hudson, N.Y., nine bass, 34-6, $549
8th: Ryan Buttermore, Leetsdale, Pa., 10 bass, 33-14, $730
9th: Jeff Mellott, Warfordsburg, Pa., 10 bass, 32-7, $439
10th: Jack Wolf, Chesapeake City, Md., 10 bass, 32-4, $384
Amberg also caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division – a fish weighing 6 pounds, 6 ounces – and earned the Co-angler Big Bass award of $236.