ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, N.J. – Team Daily Bread, captained by James Culleton of Rockaway Park, N.Y., caught two striped bass weighing 33 pounds, 2 ounces Saturday to win $10,000 at the first stop of the Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series, a tournament presented by BP in Atlantic Highlands, N.J.
Daily Bread fished with a record-breaking number of 58 teams in mixed weather of wind, rain and sun to bring in the two winning stripers, setting a new two-fish weight record for the FLW Striper Series at 33-2.
“We were kind of worried about the weather,” said Culleton. “They were calling for high winds and seas throughout the day. The weather churned up the water and really made it dirty, making it harder to fish. We just kept running around to a number of different spots, trying a lot of different baits, and just happened to get lucky.
“I came in second last year when the FLW Striper Series tournament was in New York,” Culleton added, “and I would’ve won that one too, except all my fish were too big. I think the big secret to winning tournaments is to just relax and enjoy it.”
The team, which consists of Culleton, a commercial fisherman, and Luis Lluberas, also of Rockaway Park, fished with an array of sizes and colors of bucktail jigs. The jigs were trolled in 30 to 35 feet of water over different types of bottom structure and drop-offs. After having a number of hookups with unwanted bluefish, the team motored toward Rockaway Beach in New York and outran the bluefish, finally catching a number of slot-sized stripers.
“I woke up calm this morning,” Culleton said, “and when I saw the wind wasn’t blowing, I fished a hunch. I fished a place that’s tidal-dependent and a place where they’re there or there’s nothing. We caught a lot of fish and one over 34 inches, but you had to get through the blue fish to catch stripers.”
In accordance with tournament regulations, both fish fell within a 28- to 34-inch slot limit and were successfully weighed in alive and subsequently released to fight again.
Rounding out the top five finishers were Team Catch and Release, captained by Max Dallorso of Matawan, N.J. (two fish, 32 pounds, 5 ounces, $2,900); Team Working Girl, captained by Mat Marlowe of Huntingtown, Md. (two fish, 32 pounds, 3 ounces, $2,465); Team Sethehook, captained by Raymond Guzman of Long Branch, N.J. (two fish, 32 pounds, $2,030); and Team Finchaser, captained by Anthony Grassi of Bricktown, N.J. (two fish, 31 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,740).
Teams, ranging in size from two to four anglers each, compete for a guaranteed top award of $10,000 cash in each event and as much as $3,000 cash from boat and engine bonuses from Hydra-Sports, Seaswirl, Wellcraft, Evinrude and Yamaha. The winning team is determined by the heaviest accumulated weight of two striped bass falling within a 28- to 34-inch slot limit.
The next FLW Striper Series tournament will be held at New London City Pier in New London, Conn., June 16 followed by tournaments at Bass River Marina in West Dennis, Mass., Sept. 22 and Lynnhaven Marine in Virginia Beach, Va., Dec. 8.
Entry fees are $450 per team for all entries received prior to the day of registration for each tournament. The entry fee for entries received on registration day for a tournament or on-site during tournament registration is $500 per team. Teams may register online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling (270) 252-1000.
Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Ranger Owners Tournament Championship Series, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses of nearly $43 million through 241 events in 2007.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Walmart.com.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.