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Team New Jersey Scores Win at B.A.S.S. Eastern Divisional
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
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