CLAYTON, N.Y. (Aug. 13, 2007) - Boater Aaron Wessels of Watervliet, N.Y., won the Bass Fishing League Empire Division bass fishing tournament on 1000 Islands Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 20 pounds, 11 ounces. The victory earned Wessels $3,630 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Potomac River Regional Championship in Marbury, Md., Oct. 11-13, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Wessels caught his bass using black and blue jigs near rock piles to catch his limit.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Dennis Sikorski of Taftville, Conn. (five bass, 19-07, $2,136); Tom Belinda of Hollidaysburg, Pa. (five bass, 19-04, $1,424); John Hahn of Johnson City, N.Y. (five bass, 18-10, $997) and Thomas Stange Jr. of Middlefield, Conn. (five bass, 18-08, $854).
Dean Meckes of Clayton, N.Y., took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $595 for a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass. Jason Shipton of Muncy, Pa., earned $2,100 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 17 pounds, 1 ounce that he caught while fishing a green pumpkin Senko Worm in grass.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Thomas Prowant of Lewisburg, Pa. (five bass, 16-15, $1,050); Mark Rose of Fombell, Pa. (five bass, 16-10, $701); Olexiy Luchnikov of Brooklyn, N.Y. (five bass, 16-04, $490) and Rex Magargle of Turbotville, Pa. (five bass, 16-03, $420).
Magargle earned $292 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass.
The division's fourth event will be held Aug. 25 on Seneca Lake in Geneva, N.Y., and the final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 22-23 on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y.