Pecore pulls off Champlain comeback

Big day-two move positions New York co-angler for hometown victory

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – The EverStart Series Northern Division tournament on Lake Champlain did not begin well for Edward Pecore. But the hometown favorite was not about to let down his Plattsburgh fans, so he executed the tournament’s biggest comeback and walked away with another divisional victory.

Notably, Pecore, who won the Northern Division’s 2011 event on Lake Erie fished with pro winner J.T. Kenney in the final round. Both anglers started the final round in ninth place, but Pecore’s most impressive improvement came a day earlier when he rose from 41st place to that No. 9 spot. His daily weights of 12-2, 16-13 and 14-6 gave him the winning total of 43-5 with a margin of 2-5 over his nearest competitor.

Fishing south in Ticonderoga, Pecore was catching his fish around grass in four to five feet. He bagged a limit early on a green pumpkin/watermelon laminate Senko and later culled a few fish with a white Spro Bronzeye frog. While others were fishing weightless Senkos, Pecore rigged his for a little different duty.

“I used 12-pound line with a 1/8-ounce weight to give it a gliding action,” he said. “When you get in the weeds, (a weightless Senko) hangs up on top of the weeds. The weight makes it nose down and glide into the weeds so it gets down to the fish, but it’s not so heavy that it hangs up. That makes a difference.”

Alexander finishes second in tough week week

Carl Alexander was pleased with his second-place finish, but he described it as a “sweet and sour” experience. Putting things into perspective, the Hampton, N.Y. competitor explained that he had received news of his mother’s passing after the day-one weigh ins. When his wife suggested stay and finish his tournament objective, Alexander decided to leave the decision in larger hands.

“I just said that if God wants me to stay here, then I’ll make the (top-10 cut),” he said. “On the second day, I had two fish at noon, but I finally figured something out about 20 minutes before we had to come in. I figured out that slow rolling a 1/2-ounce white spinnerbait was the key and I finished fourth (to make the final round).”

Alexander’s weights of 16-13, 13-10 and 10-9 gave him a tournament total of 41-0.

Carrol improves to third

Billy Carrol, of Fayetteville, N.C. placed 25th on day one, moved up to fifth on day two and gained two more spots in the final round to finish third with 40-7. Carrol caught his fish on a chartreuse Z-Man Chatterbait with a 5 ¾-in Yum Cuttail Worm trailer. Casting the bait into the grass and ripping it out was the most productive tactic.

Brian Alspaugh, of Manchester, Vt. lead days one and two, but slipped three spots to finish fourth with 40-2. Dan Tesch, of Elkton, M.D. took fifth with 39-2.

Best of the rest

Rounding out the top-10 co-angler leaders at the EverStart Series Lake Champlain event:

6th: Derek Bigford, of Cicero, N.Y., 38-3

7th: Matt Randles, of Gallipolis, Ohio, 37-0

8th: Kenneth Roderick, Jr., of Putnam, Conn., 34-2

9th: Cecil Wolfe, of Cross, S.C., 34-1

10th: Stephen Kocell, of Waxhaw, N.C., 29-3