PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (Sept. 11, 2008) - Pro Pete Gluszek of Mt. Laurel, N.J., caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 4 ounces Thursday to retain the lead in the FLW Series bass fishing tournament on Lake Champlain with a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 39-11. "I had a lot of good things happen to me today," said Gluszek, who has amassed more than $201,000 in career earnings with FLW Outdoors. "I didn't have as much weight today but none the less I caught quality fish."
Today Glusek caught four largemouths and one smallmouth on a largemouth pattern that he developed today.
"The boat pressure got to me today," Gluszek added. "There were two other boats in the area that I fished and it seemed that every time I wanted to get on the sweet spot one of the other boats would be there.
"My timing was bad and I didn't get a lot of opportunities there. So I decided to go to some backup areas and I ended up developing a pattern that I hadn't been on before."
Gluszek explained that this pattern is something that he hasn't been doing and that the weather is going to be conducive to it.
"Today, I caught some big fish and caught numbers on this pattern," Gluszek said. "The smallmouth pattern that I had been fishing didn't work today. This area is less than two miles apart and is more of a largemouth area but I have caught smallmouths as well."
Gluszek now holds a 2-pound, 10-ounce lead over second place pro Dave Lefebre of Union City, Pa., who managed to haul in a total of 10 bass weighing 37-01 during the first two days of competition.
"The hardest thing to do in tournament fishing is to win wire-to-wire," Gluszek added. "It's a challenge but I feel like I am on the right patterns and I am in an excellent area."
Rounding out the top five pros are Koby Kreiger of Okeechobee, Fla. (10 bass, 36-09); Shinichi Fukae of Mineola, Texas (10 bass, 36-08) and Jacob Powroznik of Prince George, Va. (10 bass, 36-06).
Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., earned the day's $464 Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass.
Overall there were 881 bass weighing 2,397 pounds, 5 ounces caught by 183 pros Thursday. The catch included 167 five-bass limits.
Sam Mitchiner of Garner, N.C., leads the Co-angler Division with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 35-00 followed by Wayne Frierson of Manning, S.C., in second place with 10 bass weighing 32-11.
"Everything worked out great today," said Mitchiner, who is looking for his first top-10 in the FLW Series. "I did lose a few fish that would have given me a better weight but that's how it goes sometimes. My goal today was 15 pounds so I think I did really well."
Mitchiner caught nine keepers on a Carolina-rigged Zoom Speed Craw.
"I am a little nervous going into the final day," Mitchiner said. "This is something you dream about and I am so happy to be leading."
Mitchiner caught five bass weighing 18-11 while fishing with Chevy pro Kim Stricker of Howell, Mich., Wednesday and five bass weighing 16-05 while fishing with pro Jacob Powroznik, Thursday.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Bob Snyder of Marion, Ind. (10 bass, 32-04); Andy Jenkins of Elkhart, Ind. (10 bass, 31-12) and Ronald Mueller of Prosperity, S.C. (10 bass, 31-08).
James Soden of Grant, Ala., earned $285 for the Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to a 5-pound, 3-ounce bass.
Overall there were 654 bass weighing 1,570 pounds, 7 ounces caught by 176 co-anglers Thursday. The catch included 88 five-bass limits.
Co-anglers are competing this week for a top award of $25,000. Like the pros, the top 30 co-anglers from both FLW Series divisions after four qualifying events are complete will advance to the East-West Fish-Off for a shot at qualifying for the Forrest Wood Cup.
Anglers will take off at 6:30 each morning from Dock Street Landing located at 5 Dock Street in Plattsburgh. Friday's weigh-in will be held at the marina beginning at 2:30 p.m. Saturday's weigh-in will be held at Trinity Park located at City Hall Place in Plattsburgh, beginning at 4 p.m. Children will also be treated to a Family Fun Zone prior to Saturday's weigh-in from noon to 4 p.m. at Trinity Park. Activities in the Family Fun Zone include a trout pond, a Ranger boat simulator and assorted fishing-themed games. All activities are free and open to the public.
In FLW Series competition, the entire field competes for the first three days, and co-angler competition concludes on day three with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated three-day weight. The top 10 professionals continue competition on day four, and the winner is determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days.