October 21st Calcium NY…. NY The Bass Federation (NYTBF) held their annual State Team Championship October 11th & 12th on Lake Champlain with tournament launch and daily weigh-ins based out of Port Henry NY. The big lake lived up to its name and once again produced nice limits of large and smallmouth bass on both days. During this event the anglers compete for two days with top 12 anglers earning slots on the 2015 NYTBF Eastern Divisional Team.
Day one saw solid weights come to the scales with the top three anglers all in excess of 18 lb. limits and separated by mere ounces. Day two saw the top three anglers shuffle with the Day 1 leader falling to 11th and 3rd place angler landing at 10th place while Casey Casamento brought in another solid 18.65 lbs. for two day total weight of 37.50 lbs. and the tournament victory.
Casamento was unavailable for comment but on day two he shared the boat with second place angler Rick Whitaker from Virginia who weighed in 36.05 lbs. that he anchored with the heaviest limit of the tournament that weighed 21.50 lbs. Whitaker reports they fished in 15-17 ft. along hard bottom areas and main lake shoals with Lucky Craft Pointer jerk baits and Keitech swimbaits in green pumpkin fire.
Finishing third with a weight of 33.50 lbs. is Keitech Pro Staffer Dan Murphy. Murphy reports flipping and swimming a Keitech model one jig (green pumpkin blue dressed with a Net bait paca chunk) in 3-6 ft. of water. Murphy tried fishing larger swimbaits and other baits during practice, but they failed to generate the number of strikes he felt he needed for this tournament so he decided to downsize his tournament presentation to the model one jig. Murphy targeted hard cover areas of rock and wood to catch all of his fish.
Rounding out the top five were Brad Brodnicki with 33.40 lbs. and Cory Baright with 32.30 lbs.
Day 1 lunker went to NYTBF President and Angler’s Choice Pro Staffer Bobby Williams with a stout 5.85 lb. largemouth bass. Day 2 lunker went to Plattsburgh College angler Kevin Grist with a 5.05 lb. bass.
These anglers have earned slots on the 2015 NYTBF Eastern Divisional Team joining the Anglers of the Year- Burnie Haney (Boater) and Ted Appleton (Co-Angler), Boaters: Casey Casamento, Rick Whitaker, Dan Murphy, Brad Brodnicki, Cory Baright; Co-Anglers: Mike Czaplinski, Chris Gore, Chris Berringer, Bobby Williams, Tom Luciano, 1st Alternate is Garry Woodruff, 2nd Alternate is Mike Cusano.
Ranger Cup Winner: Chris Gore with a weight 31.30 lbs.
TFO Rod Winner: Mike Stranahan
Eagle One Winner: Tournament winner Casey Casamento
Sponsors: Berkley, Chevy, Evinrude E-TEC, Humminbird, Ranger boats, Solar Bat Sunglasses, FLW Outdoors, Lowrance, Minnkota, Temple Fork Outfitter (TFO) rods, The BASS University, Keitech, Sniper Lures, YUM, BOOYAH, DICK’s and STORMMR, Lanz’s Motel, Optima Batteries, Cape Vincent Chamber of Commerce, Clayton Chamber of Commerce, Plattsburg Chamber of Commerce and 1,000 Island’s Bait Shop
The last tournament for the 2014 season is the 2015 Early Bird point tournament out of Ticonderoga NY on Lake Champlain on Sunday October 26th. The 1st place boater at this tournament is guaranteed $1,000.
For additional information on the NYTBF tournaments contact President Bobby Williams at 315.408.8472 or labob1995@gmail.com or go to www.nytbf.com
