Skinny Dipper Key for Casey

Gagne claims co-angler honors

Ed Casey of Whiteford, Maryland, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 19 pounds, 3 ounces Saturday to win the fourth Walmart Bass Fishing League Northeast Division tournament on Lake Champlain. For his victory, Casey earned $5,917.

“I had three key spots that were holding fish,” said Casey, who earned his first career win in FLW competition. “They were humps right along the weed lines that had chunk rock, mussels and scattered weeds.”

Casey said he used a wacky-rigged Yamamoto Senko worm first thing in the morning, but switched to a white Reaction Innovations Skinny Dipper swimbait to attract schools of bass.

“After some fan-casting they started attacking,” said Casey. “After that I didn’t put down the Skinny Dipper the rest of the day.

“At first I worked it fast,” continued Casey. “The fish were aggressive. Later in the afternoon I had to slow down my retrieve. When the bait came out of the weeds I’d let it fall and they would fight for it.”

Casey said he ended up catching approximately 15 keepers over the course of the tournament.

“I caught my kicker around noon – a 5-pounder,” Casey said. “That really sealed the deal for me.”  

The top 10 boaters:

1^st:          Ed Casey, Whiteford, Md., five bass, 19-3, $3,917 + $2,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

2^nd:         Joe Zombek II, Scranton, Pa., five bass, 17-13, $1,958

3^rd:          Bill Duckardt, Pittsgrove, N.J., five bass, 17-10, $1,307

4^th:          Bryan Labelle, Hinesburg, Vt., five bass, 17-1, $914

5^th:          Brian Bylotas, Scott Township, Pa., five bass, 17-0, $783

6^th:          Mike Czaplinski, Hopatcong, N.J., five bass, 16-13, $718

7^th:          Jesse Uppstrom, Madrid, N.Y., five bass, 16-12, $653

8^th:          Frank Ippoliti, Mercersburg, Pa., five bass, 16-10, $588

9^th:          Brandon Hawthorne, Ashford, Conn., five bass, 16-7, $522

10^th:        Jenoah McLeod, Williston, Vt., five bass, 16-5, $457              

Complete results can be found here. 

Casey also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 5 pounds, 8 ounces and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $520.

Gagne wins co-angler division

Marc Gagne of Manchester, New Hampshire, weighed in five bass totaling 18 pounds, 9 ounces Saturday to win $1,958 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:          Marc Gagne, Manchester, N.H., five bass, 18-9, $1,958

2^nd:         Jim Buehler, Montoursville, Pa., five bass, 18-1, $979

3^rd:          Joshua Boucher, Fairfax, Vt., five bass, 17-11, $653

4^th:          Jodi Werner, Tatamy, Pa., five bass, 15-13, $457

5^th:          Steven Gambardella, Lewistown, Pa., five bass, 15-11, $392

6^th:          Joseph Murphy, Philadelphia, Pa., five bass, 15-1, $359

7^th:          Steve Uppstrom, Madrid, N.Y., five bass, 14-15, $326

8^th:          Shawn Gokey, Burlington, Vt., five bass, 14-10, $294

9^th:          Mark Bilodeau, Burlington, Vt., five bass, 14-7, $244

9^th:          Richard Jordan Jr., five bass, Muncy Valley, Pa., five bass, 14-7, $244

Gagne also caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $260.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 8-10 Regional Championship on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.