Avena Wins Everstart Series Bass Fishing Tournament on Lake Champlain
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (June 25, 2011) - Adrian Avena of Vineland, N.J., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 20 pounds, 3 ounces Saturday to win the EverStart Series Northern Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Champlain with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 58 pounds. For his victory, Avena earned $29,153.
"I had a great day," said the twenty-year old Avena. "I made a lot of good decisions and things worked out for me. Someone told me that when you are in the zone you are in the zone. Today and on day one I was in the zone. I slacked a little on day two, but it all worked out, I am so blessed. My hands are so beat-up I can hardly lift my fish.
"I made the long run to Ticonderoga every day, it was tough ride," Avena went on to say. "But the run was definitely worth it. I fished in the same area all week but every day was different. I figured out that the fish were there but you had to change your presentation in order to get them to bite.
"On day one I used a variety of baits; swimbaits, senkos and I did some flipping," Avena continued. "On day two I was using swimbaits and buzzbaits and today it was all about the crankbaits, I was using Whiskey River Craws.
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Aaron Wessels, Watervliet, N.Y., 15 bass, 54-4, $9,995
3rd: Glenn Babineau, Mechanicville, N.Y., 15 bass, 53-14, $8,330
4th: Joe Lucarelli, Center Harbor, N.H., 15 bass, 53-9, $7,497
5th: Thomas Lavictoire, Jr., West Rutland, Vt., 15 bass, 50-14, $6,664
6th: Michael Wolfenden, Warwick, R.I., 15 bass, 50-0, $5,831
7th: Adam Singer, Brookfield, Ct., 15 bass, 47-12, $4,998
8th: Craig Townsend, Mount Holly, N.J., 15 bass, 45-11, $4,165
9th: James Schneider, Watervliet, N.Y., 15 bass, 44-10, $3,332
10th: Chris Adams, Rutland, Vt., 15 bass, 44-10, $2,499
Adrian Avena caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Pro Division Thursday - a 6-pound, 12-ounce bass - that earned him the day's EverStart Series Big Bass award of $228.
Myron Worona of Hermitage, Pa., won the Co-angler Division and a Ranger boat with an Evinrude or Mercury outboard motor with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 44pound, 12 ounces.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Emily McLeod, Williston, Vt., 15 bass, 44-1, $3,899
3rd: Brian Keister, Cedar Brook, N.J., 15 bass, 42-5, $3,465
4th: Brad Rutherford, Lavonia, Ga., 15 bass, 40-8, $3,032
5th: Kenneth Hoffman, Cambridge, N.Y., 15 bass, 37-15, $2,599
6th: Dick Gum, Woodbridge, Va., 15 bass, 37-2, $2,166
7th: Trudy Noechel, Lost Creek, W. Va., 15 bass, 34-11, $1,733
8th: Chris Kinney-Hermes, Champlain, N.Y., 13 bass, 34-7, $1,300
9th: Chris Girouard, Epson, N.H., 13 bass, 33-13, $866
10th: Jacob Wheeler, Indianapolis, Ind., 15 bass, 33-4, $693
Kenneth Hoffman caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Friday - a 5-pound, 5-ounce bass - that earned him the day's EverStart Series Big Bass award of $152.
The EverStart Series consists of five divisions - Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western. Each division consists of four tournaments and competitors will be vying for valuable points in each division that could earn them the Angler of the Year title along with $5,000 for the pro and $2,000 for the co-angler. The top 40 pros and co-anglers from each respective division will qualify for the EverStart Series Championship that will be held on Kentucky Lake in Buchanan, Tenn., Oct. 27-30.
The next EverStart Series Northern Division tournament will be July 28-30 at 1000 Islands in Clayton, N.Y. and is being hosted by French Creek Marina.
