CLAYTON, N.Y. – Jeffrey DeFranco, 34, of Penfield, N.Y., out-fished 144 competitors Saturday to earn $4,810 and 50 CITGO Challenge Points on the boater side of the Red Man Tournament Trail’s Northeastern Division event at Thousand Islands.
DeFranco, the owner of New York State Painting Co. in Rochester, N.Y., caught five largemouth bass weighing 18 pounds, 2 ounces during the one-day event to edge out Jimmie Leuthner, 33, of Vernon, Vt., who finished with five largemouth bass weighing 18-0 worth $2,405. DeFranco caught his limit flipping black and blue jigs around isolated milfoil beds along the St. Lawrence River from the mouth of Lake Ontario to Clayton, N.Y. DeFranco’s last Red Man victory came at Thousand Islands in 1998. He has two top-10 finishes to his credit this season and ranks seventh overall in the Northeastern Division.
Leuthner won the Abu Garcia Big Bass Award in the Boater Division and collected $720 with a 6-pound, 1-ounce largemouth that he caught on a homemade lure in shallow water about 10 miles from French Creek.
Andrew Kartesz of Ludlow, Pa., took third place and collected $1,202 with five smallmouth bass weighing 17-10. He also won the Berkley Power Bait award, a package of baits valued at $200, for the heaviest overall catch on Power Bait of Frenzy lures. Kevin Kartesz of Ludlow, Pa., placed fourth and earned $1,042 with five smallmouth bass weighing 16-1, while Tony black of Manassas, Va., placed fifth and earned $962 with five bass weighing 15-3.
First place in the Co-Angler Division and $2,405 went to Dan Phillips Jr., 57, of Aberdeen, Md., who topped 144 competitors with five bass weighing 12-7. Second place in the Co-Angler Division and $1,202 went to Dennis Shipley of Franklinville, N.J., with five bass weighing 10-15, while Tim Gavek of Ulster, Pa., took third place and $601 with five bass weighing 10-10.
Dennis Sikorski, 25, of Voluntown, Conn., won the co-angler Abu Garcia Big Bass Award of $360 with a 4-pound, 9-ounce bass that he caught on a watermelon-colored wacky worm.
The boater with the most CITGO Challenge points after the division’s season finale, a two-day Super Tournament Sept. 16-17 on the Potomac River, will be declared the Divisional Points Champion and awarded $1,000. The co-angler amassing the most points by the end of the season will receive $500.