PLATTSBUGH, N.Y. – Tim Aldrich of Shutesbury, Mass., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Northeast Division event on Lake Champlain. For his victory, Aldrich earned $3,505.
Aldrich clinched his first BFL win by taking advantage of a smallmouth sweet spot.
“I only had one day of practice, so I stuck to the northern section of the lake,” said Aldrich. “The only fish that I could find were over in the Inland Sea and there really weren’t many.
“Tournament day, I pulled up on my first spot and my co-angler caught one. Then I caught one and a bunch came up with it. Then we caught fish on almost every cast for two hours straight. The pod of fish was about the size of a truck and I put out a marker buoy and just beat them up.”
Aldrich said he caught his fish by dragging a green-pumpkin hula grub on a 1/2-ounce jig head up a drop that had weeds and rocks.
“I was using a North Fork Composites rod,” said Aldrich. “That was one of the keys because the bite was very light.”
On winning his first ever BFL, Aldrich said, “I figured I was going to cut a check but I didn’t think I was going to win. I was shocked. The guys up there are just so good, I feel great when I just do well.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros:
2nd: Jason Stoddard, St. Albans, Vt., five bass, 18-9, $1,753
3rd: Michael Drew, West Burke, Vt., five bass, 17-12, $1,169
4th: Doug Wilson, Waterbury Center, Vt., five bass, 17-8, $818
5th: Richard McCrory, North Hero, Vt., five bass, 17-5, $701
6th: Jamie Hartman, Newport, N.Y., five bass, 17-3, $613 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
6th: Ryan Latinville, Plattsburgh, N.Y., five bass, 17-3, $613
8th: Joe Lucarelli, Center Harbor, N.H., five bass, 17-0, $526
9th: Edwin Fore, Plymouth, Pa., five bass, 16-12, $438
9th: J.J. Judd, Sheldon, Vt., five bass, 16-12, $438
Complete results can be found here.
Klaips claims co-angler title
Bill Klaips of Shavertown, Pa., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win $1,753 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:
2nd: John Little, West Bridgewater, Mass., five bass, 16-8, $876
3rd: Eric Ashley, Frankfort, N.Y., five bass, 16-1, $585
4th: Jim Beatty, Fayetteville, Pa., five bass, 13-15, $409
5th: Craig Dubois, Sprakers, N.Y., five bass, 13-13, $351
6th: Troy Todd, Six Mile Run, Pa., five bass, 13-11, $321
7th: Mike Czaplinski, Hopatcong, N.J., five bass, 13-9, $292
8th: Alex Antipenko, Brooklyn, N.Y., five bass, 12-10, $263
9th: Richard Henderson, Honey Brook, Pa., four bass, 12-8, $234
10th: Jesse Uppstrom, Madrid, N.Y., four bass, 12-6, $204
Complete co-angler results can be found here.
The final BFL Northern Division tournament of 2013 is scheduled for September 7-8 at the 1000 Islands in Clayton, N.Y. After that last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 3-5 Regional Championship on the Chesapeake Bay in North East, Md. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
About FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2013 over the course of 220 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water.” For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.
As a proud sponsor of FLW, Walmart offers one of the most comprehensive selections of fishing tackle and equipment in the industry. To find great deals on Walmart’s entire collection of rods, reels, baits and electronics, click here.