Lake Champlain Bass Fishing League 3 Aug 13

[Mike Cork]

PLATTSBUGH, N.Y. (Aug. 5, 2013) – Tim Aldrich of Shutesbury, Mass., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 18 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Northeast Division event on Lake Champlain. For his victory, Aldrich earned $3,505.
     


Tim Aldrich of Shutesbury, Mass., won the Aug. 3 Northeast Division event on Lake Champlain with a limit weighing 18 pounds, 15 ounces. Aldrich earned over $3,500 for his victory.
     Aldrich clinched his first BFL win by taking advantage of a smallmouth sweet spot. "I only had one day of practice, so I stuck to the northern section of the lake," said Aldrich. "The only fish that I could find were over in the Inland Sea and there really weren't many.

     "Tournament day, I pulled up on my first spot and my co-angler caught one. Then I caught one and a bunch came up with it. Then we caught fish on almost every cast for two hours straight. The pod of fish was about the size of a truck and I put out a marker buoy and just beat them up."

     Aldrich said he caught his fish by dragging a green-pumpkin hula grub on a ½-ounce jig head up a drop that had weeds and rocks. "I was using a North Fork Composites rod," said Aldrich. "That was one of the keys because the bite was very light."

     On winning his first ever BFL, Aldrich said, "I figured I was going to cut a check but I didn't think I was going to win. I was shocked. The guys up there are just so good, I feel great when I just do well."


     Rounding out the top 10 pros were:

            2nd:   Jason Stoddard, St. Albans, Vt., five bass, 18-9, $1,753
            3rd:   Michael Drew, West Burke, Vt., five bass, 17-12, $1,169
            4th:    Doug Wilson, Waterbury Center, Vt., five bass, 17-8, $818
            5th:    Richard McCrory, North Hero, Vt., five bass, 17-5, $701
            6th:    Jamie Hartman, Newport, N.Y., five bass, 17-3, $613 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
            6th:    Ryan Latinville, Plattsburgh, N.Y., five bass, 17-3, $613
            8th:    Joe Lucarelli, Center Harbor, N.H., five bass, 17-0, $526
            9th:    Edwin Fore, Plymouth, Pa., five bass, 16-12, $438
            9th:    J.J. Judd, Sheldon, Vt., five bass, 16-12, $438

     Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.

     Bill Klaips of Shavertown, Pa., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win $1,753 in the co-angler division.

     Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:

            2nd:   John Little, West Bridgewater, Mass., five bass, 16-8, $876 
            3rd:    Eric Ashley, Frankfort, N.Y., five bass, 16-1, $585
            4th:    Jim Beatty, Fayetteville, Pa., five bass, 13-15, $409
            5th:    Craig Dubois, Sprakers, N.Y., five bass, 13-13, $351
            6th:    Troy Todd, Six Mile Run, Pa., five bass, 13-11, $321
            7th:    Mike Czaplinski, Hopatcong, N.J., five bass, 13-9, $292
            8th:    Alex Antipenko, Brooklyn, N.Y., five bass, 12-10, $263
            9th:    Richard Henderson, Honey Brook, Pa., four bass, 12-8, $234
            10th: Jesse Uppstrom, Madrid, N.Y., four bass, 12-6, $204

     The final BFL Northern Division tournament of 2013 is scheduled for September 7-8 at the 1000 Islands in Clayton, N.Y. After that last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 3-5 Regional Championship on the Chesapeake Bay in North East, Md. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.

     The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.