Lisek wins co-angler title on Lake Champlain

Rick Lisek of Springfield, Mo., captured top honors and $40,000 cash in the Co-angler Division Friday with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 12 ounces. Photo by Jeff Schroeder. Angler: Rick Lisek Jr.

June 21, 2002 • Gary Mortenson • Archives

Tour rookie nets top prize of $40,000, invaluable exposure

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – As a 24-year-old FLW Tour rookie boasting a best-ever finish of only 62nd place, Rick Lisek was just hoping for a good showing on Lake Champlain. Well, as it turned out, he accomplished much more than that. Using a catch of 13 pounds, 12 ounces, Lisek not only walked away with the tournament title in the Co-angler Division but also a lifetime of memories.

“Man, this lake is awesome. I’m ready to move here,” he said. “This is one of the best weeks of fishing that I’ve ever had. I caught three limits today. My partners were great. And it’s the most money I’ve ever won. It feels pretty good.”

Lisek, who used a Strike King jerk bait all week to land the majority of his smallmouth catch, used a bit of ingenuity as well during his successful tournament run.

“I took my jerk bait and spray-painted it pink,” said Lisek. “That was key. The fish really seemed to like it.”

As a self-proclaimed “part-time student and part-time fisherman,” Lizek said he would definitely be definitely back on the tour next year.

“I’m having a lot of fun,” he said. “For sure I’ll be back next season.”

Baffa pays homage to tour pro Mickey Bruce

The way Jeff Baffa tells it, if it hadn’t been for FLW legend and mentor Mickey Bruce, he wouldn’t be fishing today. And without a doubt, he most certainly wouldn’t have walked away from the Lake Champlain tournament in second place.

“I owe it all to Mickey,” said Baffa, a resident of Tinley Park, Ill. “I met him in a parking lot 13 years ago and he’s helped me prepare for every tournament I’ve been to since. Every single pattern I used to catch my fish this tournament, I learned from Mickey Bruce.”

Baffa, who landed a 12-pound, 11-ounce catch in today’s finals, said he was ecstatic with his finish despite missing four fish that could have won him the championship.

“I’m walking away with $20,000, it’s the best feeling in the world,” he said. “I could have had over 20 pounds today if everything went right. But overall, this was a fabulous week. And now I’ve made a check in every FLW tournament I’ve fished all year. I’m happy.”

Best of the rest

T. R. Fuller of Auburn, Ala., used a 12-pound, 5-ounce catch to win third place and a check for $10,000. In fourth place was Greg Scott of Dearborn, Mich., who used an 11-pound, 9-ounce catch to land a check for $9,000.

Frank Divis, Sr., of Fayetteville, Ark., took home fifth-place honors and a check for $8,000 after landing an 11-pound, 1-ounce catch.

Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers were Joel Etheredge (sixth) of Springville, Ala., with a catch of 10 pounds, 13 ounces; Jimmy Batts (seventh) of Raleigh, N.C., with a catch of 10 pounds, 5 ounces; Charles Ward (eighth) of Greer, S.C., with a catch of 10 pounds, 1 ounce; Quint Bourgeois (ninth) of Knoxville, Tenn., with a catch of 9 pounds; and Judy Israel (tenth) of Clewiston, Fla., with a catch of 7 pounds, 14 ounces.

The final day of Pro Division competition will take place at 5:30 a.m. at Mooney Bay Marina, located at 15 Mooney Bay, Plattsburgh, N.Y.