Dave Andrews of Bolton, Mass., started strong and finished stronger to take the lead Friday at the Bassmaster Northern Open on Lake Champlain. His two-day total of 38 pounds, 3 ounces, puts him barely ahead of Bassmaster Elite Series pro Mike Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J., who amassed 37-8 over two days of fishing.
“I had a good topwater bite this morning and from there, I did a lot of slow Carolina rig fishing targeting smallmouth,” Andrews said. “”After I got a decent limit, I saved an hour for a largemouth spot to fish one isolated weedbed and I pulled a five and a four out of there and culled my two smallest fish.”
The weather, similar to Thursday, fluctuated constantly. It was relatively calm, and nowhere near the predicted 15- to 20-mile-per-hour winds that were forecasted. The winds are predicted to blow for the final day of competition on Saturday.
“We're faced with weather changes almost hourly up here when the clouds roll over the mountains. It was supposed to be rough today, but at noon it was flat and you just have to adapt,” he said. “When it's flat, there's a topwater bite, and when it's windy, you drag a Carolina rig.”
Live coverage on the tournament can be found on Bassmaster.com including real-time leaderboards, photo galleries and stories. At stake for the pros is a top prize of $45,000 and valuable points toward qualifying for the 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series season and two berths in the 2010 Bassmaster Classic, set for Feb. 19-21 on Lay Lake out of Birmingham, Ala.
Co-anglers compete in the Opens for the top prize of a Triton/Mercury package valued at $32,000. After Day Two, the field will be cut to the top 30 pros and co-anglers, who will advance to Saturday’s final day of competition.
The top 30 anglers will fish Saturday, with the 31st through 50th place finishers receiving a check today.
Iaconelli, who is within striking distance, stuck with the same approach Friday as Thursday. The 2006 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year targeted largemouth after a long southerly run. Despite a slower bite, he was still able to bring 18-4 to the scales today.
“I really believe largemouth are going to win this tournament. You pick a species, put your head down and go for it and hope to get a few big bites,” he said. “They didn't bite as well today. I had about half as many bites as I did yesterday.”
With an hour remaining, Iaconelli ran north toward the ramp to trade two small largemouth for larger smallmouth. His plan for tomorrow is largely dependent on the wind.
“My rule of thumb is if it blows ten (miles per hour) or less, I go (south). If it blows 15 or more, I stay. I've got fish up here I can fish for, but I really want to go down,” he said.
Getting to Iaconelli’s southern fishing hole may not be as easy, as there is another tournament launching near there.
“That may change things up as as far as how I have to fish, but generally it's the same game plan.”
Rounding out the top five were Todd Glover of Orion, Mich., with 37-5 in third while Frank Scalish of Cleveland, Ohio, continued his strong performance in the Northern Opens and was tied for fourth with Mike Wolfenden of Warwick, R.I. Both had 37-4.
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Dave Wolak of Wake Forest, N.C., posted the day's biggest bass, a 5-pound, 4-ounce largemouth and finished in 11th.
Larry Baer of Elizabethtown, Pa., led the co-angler division with 32-6. Behind him is Brian Carroll of Smyrna, Ga., with 31-0 and Christopher Hall of Clarks Summit, Pa., was third with 30-2.
Northern Opens points leader Dave Mansue of Robbinsville, N.J., fell out of contention with electronics trouble on Day One and finished in 80th. Scalish has a prime opportunity to slide into the lead with a strong Saturday. Elite anglers Kotaro Kiriyama of Moody, Ala., (fifth) and New Jersey’s Mike Iaconelli (eighth) are within striking distance.
In 2007, Alabama’s Timmy Horton, a veteran Bassmaster Elite Series pro and the 2000 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year, ran away with the victory on Champlain at an Elite event with an advantage of nearly 13 pounds over second-place finisher Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif., the reigning Bassmaster Classic champ. The whole of Horton’s 83 pounds, 10 ounces came on a Booyah Football Head jig.
Fans are invited to the Open’s Friday and Saturday takeoffs and weigh-ins at Plattsburgh Boat Basin at
5 Dock Street, Plattsburgh, N.Y. Anglers will launch their boats at 5:45 a.m. ET and the weigh-ins are scheduled to begin at 2:05 p.m. All activities are free and open to the public.
Up next is the final stop in the Northern Open division, the Sept. 24-26 event on Lake Erie out of Sandusky, Ohio.
The City of Plattsburgh is the tournament host at Lake Champlain.
Sponsors of the 2009 Bassmaster Opens: Toyota Trucks, Berkley, BOOYAH Baits, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, OPTIMA Batteries, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Marine.
About BASS
For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. With its considerable multi-media platforms and expansive tournament trail, BASS is guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer and comprehensive Web properties in ESPN360.com, ESPN’s broadband sports network, Bassmaster.com, BASSInsider.com and ESPNOutdoors.com, the organization is committed to delivering content true to the lifestyle. Additionally, television programming on ESPN2 continues to provide relevant content – from tips and techniques to in-depth tournament coverage – to passionate audiences.
The organization oversees the prestigious Bassmaster tournament trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, Women’s Bassmaster Tour and the Bassmaster Classic, the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing. Through its grassroots network, the BASS Federation Nation, BASS sanctions more than 20,000 events annually.
BASS also offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.
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Media contact: Doug Grassian, 407-566-2216 or doug.grassian@espn.com
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