Ron Kelly Back in Winners Circle at Chaumont

 

            The Salt City Bassmasters competed in their annual two-day event beginning on August 18th at Chaumont Bay on Lake Ontario followed by the 1000 Islands out of Keewaydin the following day. A good field of 22 boats and 44 anglers fished each day.   The Greg Ott Insurance Agency and Fremac Marina sponsored the event.  A number of the field made calls to their insurance companies and marinas after finding unmarked rock piles this week.

 

            Ron Kelly took a brief break from cashing a First Place check by bringing in nearly 16 pounds to the scales.  His limit included one Smallmouth with the rest Largemouth.  They were all taken in shallow rocks and weeds on a Senko in areas protected from the SSE winds.  The Senko was black with purple flake and rigged whacky style.   Ron had to hustle just to make the tournament.  Butch Edwards got to Ron’s house bright and early to find him sleeping.   Butch threw a rusty jig at Ronnie’s window to get him out of his coma.  The bold move paid off, and they made the launch with 10 minutes to spare.  Ron reports that no Vehicle and Traffic Laws were broken on the “short” ride up 81.

 

            In Second Place came Randy Lamanche with 15 pounds and 5 ounces of bass.   Randy found a mixed bag of large and Smallmouth using the same water.  The fish were scattered around in 3’-10’ with mixed weeds.  He used a dropshot rig for most of his fish and Texas rigged 4” and 5” Senkos on the dropshot   Randy’s been on a tremendous roll this year, his worst finish was a Ninth Place. In his other tournaments, he was runner up twice and he has a fourth place finish.  More impressive, he is just beginning to learn our local waters.   Randy has locked up a slot on the Club’s Six Man Team for 2007 in just four tournaments fished. 

 

            In Third Place was Tom Pavlot with another mixed bag at nearly 15 pounds.  Tom’s also on a streak and is in hot pursuit of Charles Beaver Pritchard for Non-Boater of the Year honors.  Pavlot found his fish in 3-7’ of water and power fished his way to third place.  Pavlot threw a Spinnerbait early in about a 3-7’, then used a Lucky Craft shallow diver in the 7-9’ range.  He did catch a couple on a Senko and also on a shaky head .  Tom wanted Beaver to know that he’ll be beating up Oneida everyday practicing for our finale.  Beaver says “bring it”.

 

            Eric Barker broke out of his mini-slump with a nice bag at 13 ½ pounds – good for Fourth Place.  Barker also had a mixed limit and the caught his fish on a variety of baits but said that a tube with an internal rattle was his best bait.  Like all of the best limits, Eric’s fish were taken in shallow rocks and weeds.  Barker had to work hard for his five and deserves credit for recognizing the potential of the area he started in – where others blew out early.

 

            Fifth Place went to Beaver Pritchard.  Charles has also been having a breakout year, and is currently leading the NBOY race.  Charles got his fish drop shotting a 4” goby-imitating Poorboy bait.  Beaver thought the keys to his fish were a 20” drop length, heavy ½ oz. weight and brown bait.  Club dropshot guru Bob Mabee says Charles smoked him on the day.  Pritchard also mixed it up with a Jerk bait and took two of his best five on the bait.  Pritchard’s broke the shallow pattern – finding his fish in about 18’ or keyed in on holes in the weeds over a rock bottom in 10-14’. 

 

 

Mabee Definitely King of the River- Wins 1000 Islands – Again

 

Bob Mabee continued his domination of the 1000 Islands by winning Day-Two with an awesome limit of River Largemouths at nearly 18 ½ pounds.   In the last 9 years, Bob’s won the 1000 Islands Tournament three times, has one 2nd place finish and has never finished worse than 5th place.  You would have to blow the dust off the books to find anyone in the Club that has been that good for that long anywhere else.  Bob’s fish came on sharp drop-offs in 8-20’.  He used a dropshot rig with a 1/8 oz weight and a 5” Senko.  Most of his fish were taken on the inside edge and most on a watermelon/black flake Senko.  

 

            Second Place at the River went to Jack Harrington with another impressive limit at 16 pounds 4 ounces.  Jack had two Smallmouth in his bag, with one going a hair under 5 pounds.  Jack’s green fish were taken on sharp little drop between 6 and 12’ with a weed edge.  The largies ate a black worm on a 3/8 oz, T-rigged.  Jack’s Smallmouth came out of 20-30’ on a sheer rock wall.  He used a fast snap-jig retrieve to trigger these fish with a mellon-pepper tube on a 3/8 oz jig head.  Jacks’ another guy on track for AOY and the Club 6 man. 

 

            Third Place went to Mike Cusano.  Cus brought a great 14 ¼ limit of largemouth to the scales, including the Tournament Lunker – a Huge 5 pound 11 ounce bigmouth.  Mike established a consistent big fish pattern in practice the week prior, nailing a bunch of 3 and 4 pound plus fish.  The pattern didn’t hold, but he did take some smaller fish repeating it on Tx day.  For the most part, Mike was throwing a heavy jig or soft-plastic bait with a 1½ oz weight through the cut windblown grass.  The grass piled up along shore, docks and boathouses and the fish were underneath.  Mike credits his non-boating partner Paul Ruterman for helping him on the day with his tremendous knowledge of the River.  It seems that Paul puts on the SCUBA gear and he knows where they live.  On their last stop, Paul took Cus to a spot that he promised had big fish potential.  I guess so, Mike sunk his Jig into a 5-11 lunker on a submerged crib soon after pulling onto the spot. 

 

            Fourth Place went to Howard Krause with a 12 ½ pound limit.  Krause fished docks all day, and he and his partner loaded the boat under two docks in particular – taking 22 fish between the two.  Krause says he lost a real “mailbox” on the wood, saying the fish may have been over 7 pounds.  Probably still not enough to beat Mabee but it would’ve been a nice fish to bring to the scales.  Nearly all of his fish came skipping a whacky rigged Senko.

 

            Fifth went to reliable Steve Housenecht with 11 ½ pounds of largemouth.  Steve filled an early limit at his limit spot in 6’ with weeds but they only went some 7 pounds.  He then went to some of his usual spots on the main river in about 10’ and took a couple of good fish.  Steve then found concentrations of very active fish feeding on windblown points in 8-9’.  These fish were on fire and had he found them earlier, may have been good for a very strong limit.  He lost a 4+ and some other real quality fish.  Steve took these fish on a 4” flipping tube. 

 

 

Mabee 2-Day Champ – Three Years Running

 

            Bob Mabee makes it a point to concentrate on doing well at the Club’s annual Two-Day, and it pays off.  Bob won the event for the third year running by totaling nearly 30 pounds between Chaumont and the 1000 Islands.  In Second was Randy Lamanche with a total just over 25 pounds.  Third was Club wise guy Howard Krause with just over 24.  Fourth was Jack Harrington and in Fifth was the other Club wise guy and high Non Boater Dick Wescott.