Sweeney’s sweet revenge

Maryland co-angler gets even by winning at 1000 Islands

CLAYTON, N.Y. – Last year co-angler Robert Sweeney of Baltimore, Md., fished the 1000 Islands Stren Series event and finished in 11th place.

Though Sweeney loves fishing the 1000 Islands area and had a blast at the 2008 Stren Series event, missing the top-10 cut by a single place left him a little frustrated.

So this year Sweeney decided to get a little revenge on the very place that shorted him last year and he won the Co-angler Division this time around, pocketing a new Ranger Boat for his three-day effort of 40 pounds, 9 ounces.

“It feels good to get a little revenge with a win,” Sweeney said. “I love coming up here and fishing for smallmouths. I treat these Stren events like a fishing vacation.”

Sweeney fished jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and tubes behind pro Steve Voros on day one to catch 14 pounds, 1 ounce.

Then he drew out pro Doug Kirkbride and mined up 12 pounds, 9 ounces on drop-shots and tubes behind him.

Today, while fishing with pro Rob Laframboise, it was all about a spinnerbait – a gold Booyah with double willows – that produced four bass weighing 13 pounds, 15 ounces to bring home the win.

“We were burning the spinnerbaits getting the smallies to come up and blast them,” he said. “I lost a couple of giant bass that jumped and spit my bait and I thought it cost me the tournament. But as it turns out, I caught enough to win. Who knows, maybe it’s part of my payback from last year.”

Evans second

Larry Evans of Southpoint, Ohio, finished second in the Co-angler Division with a three-day total of 38 pounds, 4 ounces to win $3,345.

Evans fished with pros Mike Comeau and Dean Meckes the first two days and largemouth expert Mike Neilson today.

“We were flipping matted grass that had blown up onto the front edge of reeds for largemouth today,” Evans said. “My best lure was a 1/2-ounce Denny Brauer Rattle Back jig.”

Chandler third

JC Chandler of Tunnel Hill, Ga., finished third in the Co-angler Division with a three-day total of 36 pounds, 7 ounces worth $2,509.

Chandler made the top-10 cut by fishing a Sweet Beaver style creature bait in a green color topped with a ¼-ounce weight.

“I caught plenty of fish with that bait out on the big lake, both largemouth and smallmouth,” Chandler said. “But today I switch to a jig and jerkbait while fishing with Mike Desforges.”

Newman, Yund round out top five

Jon Newman of Chapel Hill, S.C., finished fourth in the Co-angler Division with a three-day total of 35-13 worth $2,091.

And George Yund of Albany, N.Y. finished fifth with a three-day total of 35-13 worth $1,882.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers in the Stren Series Northern Division at 1000 Islands:

6th: James Schneider of Watervliet, N.Y., three-day total of 34-6, $1,673

7th: Anthony Savino of Marlboro, N.Y., three-day total of 33-6, $1,464

8th: Dave Kovack of Lancaster, Pa., three-day total of 31-8, $1,255

9th: Jeff Chisholm of Belleville, Ont., three-day total of 29-2, $1,045

10th: Stephen Semelsberger of Mt. Airy, Md., three-day total of 25-7, $836.

Coming up

The next Stren Series event in the Northern Division will be August 27-29 at Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh.