BREWERTON, N.Y. (July 16, 2007) - Boater Stanley Sypeck Jr. of Weston, Pa., won the Bass Fishing League Empire Division bass fishing tournament on Oneida Lake Saturday with a five-bass catch weighing 17 pounds, 1 ounce. The victory earned Sypeck $3,763 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.
Sypeck caught his fish on the west end of the lake near grass with a Yamamoto Senko.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Alex Kolody of Webster, N.Y. (five bass, 15-13, $2,214); Jamie Hartman of Poland, N.Y. (five bass, 15-12, $1,478); Derek Bigford of Cicero, N.Y. (five bass, 15-09, $1,033) and Dean Pacella of Quakertown, Pa. (five bass, 15-08, $886).
Sypeck took home the Boater Division Big Bass award, earning $635 for a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass. Michael Peek of Lake Katrine, N.Y., earned $2,214 as the co-angler winner Saturday thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 4 ounces that he caught while fishing tubes and jigs on rocks near shallow areas.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are David Dziob of Meriden, Conn. (five bass, 14-02, $1,107); Jason Shipton of Muncy, Pa. (five bass, 14-01, $738); Terry Olmstead of Lock Haven, Pa. (five bass, 13-12, $517) and Douglas See of Montoursville, Pa. (five bass, 13-06, $443).
Jason Huntley of West Winfield, N.Y., earned $317 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass. The Empire Division's next event will be Aug. 11 on 1000 Islands in Clayton, N.Y, followed by a tournament Aug. 25 on Seneca Lake in Geneva, N.Y. The division's final event of the regular season will be a two-day Super Tournament held Sept. 22-23 on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y.