Bartoszek Bests Dardanelle Co-anglers

Tennessean relies on eight baits to get it done

Remarkable consistency and versatility from the back of the boat enabled Robert Bartoszek of Hampshire, Tenn., to win the co-angler title in the Costa FLW Series Central Division opener presented by T-H Marine Saturday at Lake Dardanelle.

Using eight different baits, Bartoszek boxed 14 keepers in three days that weighed a total of 37 pounds, 2 ounces. He caught five on day one that weighed 13-12, and five on day two that weighed 13-15. He caught only four on day three that totaled 9-7, but his cumulative performance was more than enough to beat Mark Howard of Mesquite, Texas, whose total weight was 31-13.

Bartoszek won $1,350 and a Ranger Z175 with a 90-hp Evinrude outboard and Lowrance electronics.

A former resident of the Russellville area, Bartoszek had a strong working knowledge of Lake Dardanelle. He was also aware that it plays to the strengths of so-called junk-fishermen who are jacks of many trades.

“I'm real familiar with it, and it's a great junk-fishing lake,” Bartoszek says.

Insiders like Bartoszek also know that Lake Dardanelle is renowned as ideal water for square-bill crankbaits, so it's no surprise that he caught seven of his keepers on shad-colored square-bills.

The first day was a typical junk-fishing day, Bartoszek says. Fish were active, but the bite was off, and Bartoszek struggled to boat a limit fishing a stump field.

“Muddy water hurt us,” Bartoszek says. “My boater zeroed, but everything fell my way. I caught a couple on a ChatterBait, a couple on a flipping bait and one on a swimbait.”

Day two was the breakthrough day. Bartoszek fished with Greg Sapp of Rogers, Ark., who dedicated his day to helping his co-angler.

“I have to thank my boater, Greg,” Bartoszek says. “His main goal was to make sure I caught my fish. He stopped at one of my spots, and he stayed there all day so I could catch my fish.”

Bartoszek caught them all around rocks on a square-bill.

“The water was 6 to 10 feet deep, and the current positioned the fish behind the rocks. If you could keep from getting hung up, they would come up behind it.”

Day three started well. Bartoszek says he caught his biggest fish on the fifth flip, but he didn't catch another keeper until 2 p.m.

“I caught my last two keepers on a square-bill,” he adds.