CLAYTON, N.Y. (Aug. 23, 2008) - Pro Mike Desforges of Burlington, Ontario, caught a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds Saturday to win the Stren Series Northern Division bass fishing tournament on 1000 Islands with a four-day total of 20 bass weighing 77-01. For his victory, Desforges earned $25,000 cash.
"I planned on going to some new spots today, but when I got to the mouth of Lake Ontario, it was too rough to try to get to those spots, so I turned around and went fishing on the St. Lawrence River," Desforges said. "I started out fishing for largemouth with a Mizmo Senko-type bait."
Desforges said caught a limit of largemouth before going fishing for smallmouth today, and ended up weighing in two largemouth and three smallmouth bass.
"I caught the smallmouth on a jerkbait and a Mizmo tube," Desforges said. "This is the first time I've won a Stren Series event. I really wanted to win pretty bad."
Desforges opened the tournament in seventh place Wednesday with five bass weighing 19-06 that. On Thursday he added another five bass weighing 21-03 using a tube baits to capture his lead. He then caught five bass weighing 19-08 on a jerkbait and spinnerbait Friday to make the crucial top 10 cut in first place.
Rounding out the top five pros are Joseph Sancho of New Windsor, N.Y. (20 bass, 73-05, $7,005 plus $5,000 Ranger bonus); Derek Strub of Elora, Ontario (20 bass, 71-07, $6,305); Matthew Martin of Chittenango, N.Y. (20 bass, 70-12, $5,604); and Trevor Jancasz of White Pigeon, Mich. (20 bass, 70-02, $4,904).
Martin caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Pro Division Friday - a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass - that earned him the day's Big Bass award of $211.
Overall there were 49 bass weighing 146 pounds, 6 ounces caught by 10 pros Saturday. The catch included 9 five-bass limits. James Richardson Sr. of Harrison, Ohio, won the Co-angler Division and $5,000, including a 198VX Ranger boat, with a four-day total of 19 bass weighing 62-11.
"I had a two great days, catching 19 on Wednesday and 22 pounds today," said Richardson, who has had 14 top-10 finishes in FLW Outdoors competition. "I caught them all drop-shotting a Berkley Gulp! 3-inch Fry in green-pumpkin. I literally caught one on the very last cast that I actually picked up a pound on when I culled.
"I've been fishing these tournaments for a while, and this is the first one I've actually gotten number one. I've had several seconds, thirds, fourths, and so on, but I'm so tickled to finally 'git-r-done' this time," Richardson added.
Richardson caught five bass weighing 19-05 Wednesday while fishing with pro Thomas Moleski of Elkhart, Ind., to open the tournament in third place. He then caught four bass weighing 10-07 Thursday while fishing with pro Scott Lakey of Augusta, Mich., to maintain his lead. On Friday he added five more bass weighing 10-09 to make the top-10 cut in ninth place while fishing with pro Randy Yarnall of Womelsdorf, Pa. Finally, on Saturday, he sealed the win with a five-bass catch weighing 22-06 while fishing a Berkley Gulp! 3-inch Fry in green-pumpkin with pro Joseph Sancho of New Windsor, N.Y.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Dustin Edwards of Ellington, Conn. (20 bass, 61-13, $3,021); Jeff Zeisner of Arva, Ontario (20 bass, 61-01, $2,454); Mark Keniston of Camden, N.Y. (20 bass, 56-09, $1,888); and Zackery Seal of Eldred, Pa. (20 bass, 54-14, $1,510).
Brian Wisniewski of South Amboy, N.J., caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Thursday - a 6-pound, 9-ounce bass - that earned him the day's Big Bass award of $113.
Overall there were 41 bass weighing 117 pounds, 8 ounces caught by 10 co-anglers Saturday. The catch included 7 five-bass limits. The next Stren Series Northern Division event, hosted by Vance County Tourism Department, will be held Sept. 17-20 on Kerr Lake in Henderson, N.C. Boats will launch from Satterwhite Point Recreation Area in Henderson and the final weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart located at 200 North Cooper Road in Henderson.