 |
| FishTails: October
2000 |
Eastern Divisional Tournament
Sept 27-29, 2000
Potomac River
Waldorf, Maryland
RESULTS
Story - Final Day
Team New Jersey Scores Win at B.A.S.S. Eastern Divisional Championship
West Virginia state champion James Ayres headed to the national championship
Pennsylvanian Leads Wire-to-Wire As Top Individual Performer
WALDORF, Md., Sept. 28, 2000-New Jersey's 12-man team of anglers stole the show at the B.A.S.S. Federation Eastern
Division Championship, overtaking Connecticut for state bragging rights in this tournament sanctioned by the Bass
Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.). While New Jersey claimed state championship honors, Stanley Sypeck held his
two-day lead to win overall individual honors on the Potomac River. Sypeck, a 33-year-old lineman from West Hazelton,
Penn., amassed a winning three-day total of 29 pounds, 9 ounces. David Lefebre of Erie, Pa., was the overall runner-up
with 25 pounds, 10 ounces.
Sypeck's clever game plan provided him with both shallow and deep bass fishing. His primary area was a weed-covered
shallow flat bordering deeper water. A series of boat docks along a rocky shoreline in shallow water bordered by
a deeper creek channel was the secondary area.
"The depth was important, but there were two more key elements to the pattern," he said, "and they
were grass on the flat and rock around the docks," he said. "The temperature dropped during the tournament
and I'm guessing the rock radiated heat to attract these fish." As for the flat he reasoned, "there was
muddy water everywhere except around that flat. I'm sure the fish were attracted to the combination of clearer
water and the grass."
Sypeck rotated between three baits in the two areas. His choices for the flat fishing were a 3/8-ounce Terminator
Spinnerbait (chartreuse/white), and a Mann's Baby 1-Minus crankbait (shad/chartreuse). The spinnerbait was used
to penetrate the weedy areas when the fish were on top. When that action slowed and the fish moved deep, the crankbait
was fished down the sloping sides of the flat.
For the docks, Sypeck used a tube jig (brown) rigged to a 5/8-ounce slip sinker and 1/0 High Performance Hook.
The rig was fished using a methodical presentation around the docks.
New Jersey scored its come-from-behind win after trailing Connecticut all three days of the tournament. The 12-man
team posted a winning cumulative weight of 146 pounds 1 ounces, edging Connecticut by less than three pounds. Connecticut
settled for second place with 143 pounds, 14 ounces, followed by Maryland with 140 pounds. New Jersey's $17,500
first place share of the prize purse will be used for conservation projects in the Garden State.
Sypeck captured not one but two first place awards under the format of this contest. First, he earned top individual
honors after posting the heaviest overall catch during the three days of competition. More importantly, Sypeck
is the New Jersey state champion, meaning he will climb the next wrung on the ladder to reaching every amateur
bass fisherman's dream. And that is one of five berths in the BASS Masters Classic. But first, Sypeck and his peers
must pass one final test at the 2001 B.A.S.S. National Championship. The competition consists of 46 state champions
and international champions from Italy, South Africa,’Zimbabwe, Japan and Canada.
Headed to the national championship with New Jersey's Sypeck are the following state champions. Eric Woodward (New
Jersey), Keith Busque (Connecticut), Daniel Rodriguez (Maryland), Rusty Kaiser (Delaware), David Menard (Virginia),
James Ayres (West Virginia), Mike LeBlanc (Vermont), Harry Charcalis (New Hampshire), Bill Lentine (Massachusetts),
Chris Loftus (New York), Mark Desjardin (Maine), and Michael Wolfenden (Rhode Island).
The national championship advances five B.A.S.S. club anglers to compete with the 40 pros for bass fishing's world
championship. One angler from this tournament will eventually represent the Eastern Division. Others will come
from Northern, Central, Southern, and Western divisions of the B.A.S.S. Federation.
More information on B.A.S.S., the Federation, and this tournament can be found on the Internet at www.basssmaster.com.
Sponsors of the B.A.S.S. Eastern Divisional Championship are: Ranger’ Boats, RangerTrail’Trailers, Mercury’ Marine,
Chevrolet Trucks, Humminbird’/Zercom’ Electronics, Pennzoil Marine’, ACDelco’ Batteries, Flowmaster’ Exhaust Systems,
Motorguide’Trolling Motors, Quantum’ Rods and Reels, Berkley ’Trilene, Berkley’ Power Bait’, Eagle Claw’ Fishhooks,
Worldwaters.com, First USA Bank, GMAC Insurance and GoreTex Outerwear.
For more infromation contact:
B.A.S.S. Communications
(334) 272-9530 |
|
|
|
