Cleary, Connecticut Leading Eastern Division Championship

Day two of the 2013 Eastern Division Championship presented by Cabela’s concluded today on the Connecticut River in Middletown, Conn.  Seven state teams and the Ontario state team making up TBF’s Eastern Division compete this week for the titles both in the individual and state team standings.  Weights dropped with the sun as the overcast day proved just as tough as yesterday’s rays.  One thing holding steady is the home state team of Connecticut lead by day one leader, Keith Cleary.

Cleary from Bethel, Conn., leads with 8lbs 2ounces today making his tournament total 20lbs 14ounces.  Cleary’s Connecticut state team is also leading with 126lbs 9ounces.

“Hard to say what happened out there,” Cleary said.  “I got the same number of bites in the same areas.  I just couldn’t get the big fish to bite; I couldn’t get them to go.”

Cleary had a five bass limit yesterday and culled twice for 12lbs 12ounces.  Today, he fished the same spot he has on these waters countless times and also had seven bites.  Tomorrow, he’s looking to score both the bites and the weights.     

“I’m happy with what I’ve got because it is tough out there.  Tomorrow, I’m going back and I’m going to camp there; hopefully, it will turn out the bite.” 

Just three ounces behind Cleary is Jim Gildea from Weston, Mass.  Gildea is leading the Massachusetts state team, which is holding down second in the state team standings with 108lbs.

Gildea squeezed in a five bass limit today weighing 9lbs 3ounces making his tournament total 20lbs 11ounces.

“I caught my biggest fish on the last cast in kind of a desperation move,” Gildea said.  “I bailed myself out somehow.”

Gildea had a great first day of fishing with non-boater, Brittany Johnson, from North Smithfield, R.I.  Johnson, who is currently in fourth on the Rhode Island state team, brought in a 5lb 3ounce smallmouth today.  Her smallmouth beauty is the tournament big bass so far.

“It’s been a great tournament.  Today was more of a grind, not easy by any means,” Gildea continued.  “This river changes like crazy; it’s like a new river every day.”

Tomorrow, Cleary and the Connecticut state team will be looking for the sweep as Gildea and the Massachusetts state team hope to shut it down.  The final day will settle it as the Eastern Division showdown ends on the Connecticut River.

FULL RESULTS

   

Eastern Division Championship Kicks Off on the Connecticut River

keith-clearyTBF’s Eastern Division state teams traveled to the Connecticut River this week for the 2013 Eastern Division Championship presented by Cabela’s, TBF of Rhode Island and the City of Middletown.  The Eastern Division consists of seven state teams and the Ontario state team.  TBF anglers competed locally and on the state level for over a year to qualify for the no-entry fee division championship event.

After three tournament days, the top two anglers from each state earn spots in the 2014 Federation National Championship.  The 2013 Northern Division Champions will also be crowned in both the individual and overall state team standings. Continue reading

2013 Northern Division Wraps Up – Cermak and Indiana State Team Sweep

Dave Cermak Indiana Overall WinnerWheeling, WV (Sept 6, 2013) – The 2013 Northern Division Championship, presented by Cabela’s wrapped up today on the Ohio River. Yesterday, only a few pounds separated 1st to 20th place so it was still anybody’s game. Yesterday’s leader, Dave Cermak of Indiana finishes strong and came out on top. His state team comes from behind to beat out host Ohio in the state team standings.

Cermak finishes the tournament with the largest limit of the whole tournament today, 8 lbs 9 oz, for a 3-day total weight of 21 lbs 5 oz. “It was a tough pre-fish for me,” said Cermak. “But each day of fishing got better for me, the water cleared up and got better and better every day. I was throwing a Strike King Coffee tube on a Bite-Me jig head. I was fishing the current breaks and the rocky shoal points, milfoil grass, then got on a weed pattern the last few days of the tournament.  I stayed in the Hannibal Pool all three days.” Cermak will advance to the 2014 TBF National Championship as a boater for the state of Indiana, which is an EXTREMELY tough state to make state team in. “This is my first state team. I’ve made the state championship 3 years for the Indiana Bassmasters out of Portage, IN. But I had never made state team until this year. I’m so nervous, but it’s a dream come true. I’ve been tournament fishing for about 18 years, working hard and it has finally paid off.” Continue reading

Day Two of the Northern Division Championship Wraps up on the Ohio River

It’s been tough fishing on the Ohio River this week as state teams from TBF’s Northern Division compete for the 2013 division champion titles and slots in the 2014 Federation National Championship.  The race remains tight across the board as anglers struggle to land big bites.  The weights are so close only three pounds separated first through twentieth going into day two.

Climbing from 16th and 17th in the individual standings yesterday, are Dave Cermak from Hebron, Ind., and Jason Myers from Bridgeport, Ohio.

Cermak had a five bass limit weighing 6lbs 13ounces to clutch the top spot.  “There wasn’t much current today and I was fishing totally different water than I did yesterday,” Cermak said.  “It was a whole different deal; fishing different structure that was key.”

Cermak is a non-boater, which means the boater decides on the water and he fishes from the back of the boat.  “I had two great boaters, and I have two patterns going, so hopefully one of them will work tomorrow.” 

Cermak traveled up Saturday for pre-fishing but had a rough few days leading into the tournament. “I threw everything at them.  Then, I started to figure things out; I’ve stuck with it and it’s been working.” 

It wasn’t until the final day of pre-fishing he started to put things together.

They’re just hitting one certain bait and I seem to have the right color and weight combination; I’m just doing something different than everyone else but with the same bait.” 

Jason Myers sits in second just four ounces shy of first.  He had a five bass limit weighing 6lbs 13ounces to make his tournament total 12lbs 8ounces.  “I’ll run the same pattern tomorrow as I have the last two days,” Myers said.  “This is my home water.  For this time of year, we’re actually doing pretty well out there.”

Myers is also following the hydraulic prediction and says the water is fairly stable now, which should improve the bite or at least keep it the same. 

Home “lake” advantage could come in to play this week as other anglers have struggled to figure out the river Myer’s calls home.  “I think if I can bring in a limit and do exactly what I’ve done the last two days, I’m going to be right there in contention.”

The advantage of living close to tournament waters not always plays out.  But, this week Myer’s and the Ohio state team are looking to lock it up. 

The Ohio state team is leading in the state team standings with 111lbs 1ounce.  The Indiana state team is close in second with 105lbs 12ounces.  Tomorrow, the Northern division showdown will conclude as the 2013 division champion titles are claimed.