Weston Massachusetts angler Jim Gildea showed why he is a “big stick” in the eastern division as he propelled himself to the top of the Eastern Division standings at just the right time….on the final day.

Gildea’s three day total of 46 pounds and 5 ounces was nearly five pounds ahead of Canadian angler Dr. Alvin Tung’s final weight of 41-08 who finished second, both of these anglers made their jump to the top on the final day. Gildea’s fish came while “junk” fishing, Gildea was scrambling from fish to fish and throwing “just about everything”, he said. Most of his fish came off or near the river channel buoys on the south end of Lake Champlain. The affable Gildea is no stranger to the leaderboard in the new England circuits, but a TBF Eastern Division Champion title is something he was thrilled to have and something no one can ever take away from him, this year in 2009, he is the very best there is in the Eastern Division. Not only does Gildea win the division champions title and plaque, he is on his way to the 2010 TBF Federation, National Championship, presented by the National Guard the week of April 19th in Knoxville, TN. He also would up with the Castrol Maximum Performer Bonus Cash Award and the Ranger Cup bonus money in this event.

The first two days, Tung fished smallmouth and did ok but was not getting the weight he needed, the final day he switched to targeting largemouth with one Nories NF60 Frog , it paid off in a big way as his final day bag of 19-15 was the biggest of the event and pushed his total to 41-08. Only two ounces back at 41-06 is New York’s Tim Post, Post led his team from wire to wire during the event he also weighted in his biggest bag on the final day that weighed 14-15. Rounding out the top five was Vermont’s Todd Burnelle 40-11 and Maine’s Eric Guimond with 39-11.

In the team standings it was Vermont! Massachusetts led the first day and New Hampshire the second but the Vermont team also took the lead on the final day. Vermont has won three of the last four years of division champions titles. New Hampshire was the defending champions however, the Vermont team wanted the Division Cup back in Vermont, they worked together as a team and they went and got it by a margin of nearly 40 pounds.

September 17, 2009, Ticonderoga, NY – The second of the three competition days of the 2009 TBF Eastern Division Championship closed out today with everyone moving in the standings and the New Hampshire squad rallying their team to a total of 241 pounds and 1 ounce, enough to overtake the day 1 leaders from Massachusetts who now sits in second at 237-02. Vermont drops one place as well to third with 234-07, Rhode Island made the biggest jump from 7th to fourth ( 189-09). New York had 184-09 and moved up one to fifth, the TBF Canadian Bass Anglers Federation, from Ontario moved up from eighth to sixth with 182-05. Connecticut dropped two places from fifth to seventh and ended up one ounce behind Ontario, 182-04 and four pounds back sits Maine at 178-04. So with everyone changing places today tomorrow final day will be big in determining the division champs, no one has a lock on it now.

Competition is tight!

In the individual overall race and the races for the 16 TBF Federation national Champions spots that are up for grab Matt Applebaum, continued his roll today adding 16 pounds and 1 ounce, the day’s biggest bag to land keep him in the top spot with 33-07. Applebaum says he is “on a bunch of fish” and excitedly exclaimed that”it is about time.” If his fish will hold out for one more day he will be tough to beat but it certainly is not a runaway as Massachusetts angler Jim Gildea is less than two pounds behind him and anchoring the Massachusetts team with 31-08, while New Hampshire’s Brian Morin is locked in at third with 29-13. Gerard Ling form Ontario, weighed in another 14 plus pounds bag today to hold down the fourth place spot with a weight of 29 pounds even. Other state leaders are; Tim Post still leads the New York team with a two day weight of 26-07 (tied at 10th overall) but his team mate Jim Jeffries has closed the gap to within 5 ounces. (26-02, 13th overall), for Connecticut Scott Janus (25-08, 15th overall) still leads that team even as the Connecticut team slid in the standings today and he has competition less than a pound behind him as well in team mate John Gillies, (24-04 18th place overall.) Ed Forbes leads the Maine group with 24-01, 19th overall, his closest competition for a spot in the TBF Federation National Championship is Keith Aucoin at 23-07 (21st place overall). It took 22-12 to lead the Rhode Island team and that honor goes to Leo Bevelaqua, who sits in 26th place overall, like every other leader he has an angler right behind him in his state and that would be Rhode Island big stick Johnny Nee. Nee is in 29th overall and 1-02 behind Bevelaqua with 21-10. Remember the top angler from each TBF state advances as a boater to the 2010 TBF Federation National Championship, Presented by the National Guard, but the second place angler is far from being left out; they will advance as the co-angler to the same event.

Final day weigh in begins at the city of Ticonderoga city boat ramp at 3:00pm EST, it is free to the public.

Ticonderoga, NY – September 16, 2009- Ninety-six championship anglers from 7 TBF state federations and one Canadian provincial federation converged on Lake Champlain at Ticonderoga New York this week to compete in the 2009 TBF Eastern Division Championship.

The city of Ticonderoga rolled out the red carpet for the TBF anglers and made them feel right at home. Many of the anglers have been here for a week or more and some of the local businesses are already calling them by name! It is really a beautiful place and full of history, if you ever want to go to a place that treats you “like home” where you can learn some about our history and catch some very nice fish in the process…..Ticonderoga is your destination.

TBF anglers caught 49 limits of bass today out of the Champlain waters and a total of 362 fish. The Champlain Fish were HUNGRY! It was a good day!

This event is a “two in one” championship event where we track two sets of standings. All money is paid out based on where each 12 person state team finishes and a collective group…that’s one standing. Then, the top two anglers from each state advance to the 2010 TBF Federation National Championship, presented by the National Guard, the top angler as the boater and the second place angler as a co-angler, so 16 will advance from this event.

In the state standings, Massachusetts leads! The squad from Massachusetts hovered near the top all during the weigh-in but the final few bags weighed pushed them over the top with a team weight of 129 pounds and 12 ounces. It is not, however a runaway. Vermont is right behind them with 127-10, New Hampshire sits in third at 123-13, so only six pounds separate’s the top three teams. Maine and Connecticut are in fifth and sixth with 101-05 and 90-09 respectively. While New York – 84-05, Rhode Island – 82-14 and Canada – 80-06 rounds out the field. Two more days to go, 12 anglers per team fishing….. this deal is still wide open and a long way from done.

In the race for the division champion’s title and the Castrol Maximum Performer award bonus Vermont’s Matthew Applebaum has a three ounce lead over Massachusetts Angler Ed Soule. 17.06 vs 17.03

Jim Gildea, another Massachusetts big stick is breathing down their necks and holding down the third place spot with 16.15. Fourth place and the Connecticut team lead belong to Scott Janus who brought in a 16.11 bag. John Coloutti from Castleton, VT rounds out the top five with 15.05.

Other state leaders are Bruce Acox, he is 7th overall and leads New Hampshire with 15.04, Eric Guimond is in eight overall and leads the Maine state team he weighed in 14.13. The Canadian Bass Anglers Federation, TBF newest International Federation is here attending their first divisional. Their team leader is Gerard Ling, he is tied for eighth overall with 14.13. New York’s leader is Tim Post, Tim was the second angler to weigh in today, and he posted a weight of 13.14, which was good enough to hold the New York lead for the entire day. Rhode Island angler Ronald Bestwick anchors his team with 10.01.