Gilford, NH – September 17, 2008
The “Official” part of the TBF Eastern Division Championship got underway last night (Wednesday) for the TBF Eastern Division anglers with registration and sponsors welcome, a dinner banquet and partners pairing at the Gunstock Ski Resort. After the anglers hauled their sponsored goodies back to their trucks and sit down to dinner, talk around the dinner table was that fishing was “a bit tougher than usual”, but there was some good bags being caught and it was going to be “a tight race”.
Today on New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee, that “forecast” held perfectly true.
In the state team standings tight may not accurately describe it. Each state team has 12 anglers on it all 12 anglers weight count toward the team score and the cash payout. After a full day’s fishing, the New Hampshire team leads with 111-5 but Massachusetts is right there with them only 2 ounces back at 111-3 and Maine is in third with 109-7. There is a little gap back to fourth which is held by Rhode Island but they are still in contention with 84-1, Rhode Island may be a team to watch as they have a couple anglers on good fish, if they can relay that to their team mates they could take a jump tomorrow, the 2006 and 2007 back to back Eastern Division Champions from Vermont will have to push the next two days to win three back to back, but I would not count them out just yet, they are in fifth at 78-6. Connecticut sits in sixth with 61-2 and the New YorkOntario Team is in seventh at 43-1.
In the individual standings the top two anglers from each team advance to the 2009 TBF Federation National Championship, the top anglers as a boater and the second place anglers as a non-boater.
Chris Bowker, fishing for the Rhode Island Team, holds down the top overall spot there with a five bass limit that weighed in at 14-2. Right behind him in second is one of his Rhode Island team mates Mike Mantha who had 13-8.
Sitting in third is Massachusetts big stick Jim Gildea, who has been on fire here recently, he brought in five that weighed 13-0.
Rounding out the top 5 is Maine’s Laurence Hogue with 12-14 and Gilbert Gagner from Vermont with 12-6.
Of interesting note is that New Hampshire who is leading the team standings but did not have a angler in the top five……consistency pays.
The youngest angler the event is 16 year old Ryan Latinville, who is showing some of the “Old Guard” how it is done. He holds the second place spot on the New YorkOntario Team.
Day 2 weigh in will begin tomorrow, Thursday at Eliquoia State park outside of Gilford, NH. It is free to the public.
