Holding off a hard-charging Ryan Said, Dave Wolak of Wake Forest, N.C., had just enough weight Saturday to take the 2010 Bassmaster Northern Open bass fishing event on Lake Champlain. Wolak amassed a three-day total of 54 pounds, 1 ounce, to score his second BASS victory.
"This tournament means more to me than anything in my career," said Wolak, a Bassmaster Elite Series pro. "More than the Rookie of the Year or the Bassmaster Major that I won. This lake has a sense of purity about it, and when you come up here you really have to find the fish first. You have to make changes navigationally and strategically.
"I came up here planning to fish for largemouth thinking that's what was going to win it, but I started fishing for smallies early on. I made a critical move on Friday because the north wind made me fish shallow. I found a grass mat and whacked 'em. That wind tucked the fish up under there."
Wolak flipped a Fin-Tech Title Shot jig tipped with a YUM Craw Papi into grass to land most of his fish. He took home the top prize of more than $51,000 as well as the lead in the Northern Opens points race. After the three-tournament Northern Opens season, the top two anglers will receive a berth in the 2011 Bassmaster Classic in New Orleans.
Wolak already punched his ticket to the 2011 Classic via the Elite Series so the first angler out of the Classic cutline - Jared Lintner - would benefit if Wolak were to hold.
Said of Wixom, Mich., took runner-up with his 19-1 limit Saturday. That brought his three-day total to 53-0 but the late charge ended up falling just short. Every one of Said's fish fell for a Poor Boy's Bait Co. football jig in water up to 16 feet deep. He concentrated on rock piles.
"I'm thrilled to have gotten second in a field that had so many pros in it,"he said. "I lost a good fish - about 4 pounds or so - on the first day, and I'm not saying that was the difference, but I guess I'll never know."
In third place was Tracy Adams of Wilkesboro, N.C. He added 17-15 Saturday for a three-day total of 52-4. Behind him was Elite Series pro Ish Monroe of Hughson, Calif., who fell two spots after only bringing 14-4 to the scales the final day. His total was 52-0. Rounding out the top five was Mike Haggerty of Hendersonville, Tenn., whose three-day total is 51-15.
On the co-angler side, Thomas Rizzo of Rochester, Pa., took top honors. With the victory, he earned a brand new Triton/Mercury rig valued at $44,000 with a three-day total of 30-12. He credits knowledge of the lake, good pros, and preparedness for his success.
In second place was Phillip Jarabeck of Virginia, whose total weight is 30-6. In third was James Schneider of Menands, N.Y., who built 30-2 over three days.
The next stop of the 2010 Bassmaster Northern Opens is at the Detroit River, Aug. 19-21, out of Detroit, Mich., and the final event will be at Chesapeake Bay out of Cecil County, Md., for the Sept. 16-18.
The next stop for the Northern Opens will be the Detroit River, Aug. 19-21, out of Detroit, Mich., then the circuit will move on to Chesapeake Bay out of Cecil County, Md., for the Sept. 16-18 season finale.
The Northern circuit is one of three Bassmaster Open divisions, each with three events. The 2010 Southern Open has completed two events this season and will wrap up Oct. 7-9 on Lake Seminole out of Bainbridge, Ga. The Central Open, also with two down, will conclude its season Oct. 21-23 on Lake Texoma out of Denison, Texas.
FINAL STANDINGS BASSMASTER NORTHERN OPEN
2010 BPS Bassmaster Northern Open 1 -
Lake Champlain BO 07/22-07/24 Lake Champlain, Plattsburg N.Y.
(BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Dave Wolak Wake Forest, N.C. 15 54-01 310 $51,429.00
Day 1: 5 18-09 Day 2: 5 19-06 Day 3: 5 16-02
2. Ryan Said Wixom, Mich. 15 53-00 295 $22,857.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 17-08 Day 3: 5 19-03
3. Tracy Adams Wilkesboro, N.C. 15 52-04 290 $16,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-15 Day 2: 5 17-06 Day 3: 5 17-15
4. Ish Monroe Hughson, Calif. 15 52-00 285 $11,429.00
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 17-11 Day 3: 5 14-04
5. Mike Haggerty Hendersonville, Tenn. 15 51-15 280 $10,286.00
Day 1: 5 19-11 Day 2: 5 16-07 Day 3: 5 15-13
6. Casey Lyon Eden, Vt. 15 51-01 276 $9,143.00
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 18-08 Day 3: 5 17-11
7. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, Tenn. 15 50-15 272 $8,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 16-08 Day 3: 5 17-11
8. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, Ga. 15 50-13 268 $6,857.00
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 18-03 Day 3: 5 14-13
9. David Walker Sevierville, Tenn. 15 50-11 264 $5,714.00
Day 1: 5 17-01 Day 2: 5 16-00 Day 3: 5 17-10
10. Jeremy Starks Charleston, W.Va. 15 50-04 260 $5,143.00
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 17-04 Day 3: 5 15-08
11. Matthew Sphar Pavilion, N.Y. 15 49-11 257 $4,571.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 15-13 Day 3: 5 15-14
12. Scott Rook Little Rock, Ark. 15 49-11 254 $4,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 16-12 Day 3: 5 15-15
13. Nate Wellman Newaygo, Mich. 15 49-09 251 $3,429.00
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 17-02 Day 3: 5 14-00
14. Kevin Short Mayflower, Ark. 15 49-04 248 $2,857.00
Day 1: 5 18-02 Day 2: 5 16-04 Day 3: 5 14-14
15. Jason Knapp Uniontown, Pa. 15 49-04 245 $2,571.00
Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 16-12 Day 3: 5 16-10
16. Travis Manson Green Bay, Wisc. 15 49-02 248 $2,286.00
Day 1: 5 21-05 Day 2: 5 14-10 Day 3: 5 13-03
17. Mike Wolfenden Warwick, R.I. 15 48-11 241 $2,171.00
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 17-11 Day 3: 5 14-11
18. Timmy Horton Muscle Shoals, Ala. 15 48-03 239 $2,057.00
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 17-09 Day 3: 5 16-01
19. Thomas Lavictoire West Rutland, Vt. 15 47-15 237 $1,943.00
Day 1: 5 16-07 Day 2: 5 17-12 Day 3: 5 13-12
20. Chip Harrison Bremen, Ind. 15 47-13 235 $1,829.00
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 14-01 Day 3: 5 16-02
21. Michael Simonton Fremont, Ohio 14 47-10 233 $1,657.00
Day 1: 4 16-12 Day 2: 5 15-00 Day 3: 5 15-14
22. Jamey Way Tarboro, N.C. 15 47-08 231 $1,600.00
Day 1: 5 15-13 Day 2: 5 16-14 Day 3: 5 14-13
23. Nathan Kawlewski Newburgh, Ind. 14 47-07 229 $1,543.00
Day 1: 5 18-03 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 4 13-10
24. Jason Quinn Lake Wylie, S.C. 15 47-03 227 $1,486.00
Day 1: 5 16-04 Day 2: 5 15-11 Day 3: 5 15-04
25. Dave Mansue Hemphill, Texas 15 46-12 225 $1,429.00
Day 1: 5 17-14 Day 2: 5 17-09 Day 3: 5 11-05
26. Brian Gates Rutland, Vt. 14 45-13 223 $1,371.00
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 16-12 Day 3: 4 9-10
27. Mark Desjardin Vassalboro, Maine 15 45-02 221 $1,314.00
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 16-03 Day 3: 5 12-13
28. Brian Bylotas Olyphant, Pa. 15 44-14 219 $1,257.00
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 14-13 Day 3: 5 12-12
29. Jack Rinkers Swarthmore, Pa. 15 43-13 217 $1,200.00
Day 1: 5 16-03 Day 2: 5 15-10 Day 3: 5 12-00
30. David Reault Livonia, Mich. 15 41-12 215 $1,143.00
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 14-08 Day 3: 5 9-11
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 172 941 2542-06
2 162 879 2216-14
3 28 148 445-08
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362 1968 5204-12
CO-ANGLER- FINAL BASS PRO SHOPS BASSMASTER NORTHERN OPEN- CO-ANGLER
2010 BPS Bassmaster Northern Open 1 -
Lake Champlain NB 07/22-07/24 Lake Champlain, Plattsburg N.Y.
(NON-BOATER) Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Thomas Rizzo Rochester, Pa. 9 30-12 305 $34,000.00
Day 1: 3 10-04 Day 2: 3 9-01 Day 3: 3 11-07
2. Phillip Jarabeck Lynchburg, Va. 9 30-06 295 $5,686.00
Day 1: 3 8-15 Day 2: 3 10-15 Day 3: 3 10-08
3. James Schneider Watervliet, N.Y. 9 30-02 290 $4,549.00
Day 1: 3 10-05 Day 2: 3 8-08 Day 3: 3 11-05
4. Roger Winn Saugus, Mass. 9 29-12 285 $3,411.00
Day 1: 3 8-15 Day 2: 3 9-00 Day 3: 3 11-13
5. Ben Bottoms West Union, S.C. 9 29-10 280 $2,843.00
Day 1: 3 8-10 Day 2: 3 8-15 Day 3: 3 12-01
6. Masahiro Yanase Knoxville, Tenn. 9 29-09 276 $2,559.00
Day 1: 3 8-13 Day 2: 3 10-02 Day 3: 3 10-10
7. Brent Heyn South Hero, Vt. 9 29-06 272 $2,274.00
Day 1: 3 11-12 Day 2: 3 10-03 Day 3: 3 7-07
8. Anthony Savino Marlboro, N.Y. 9 28-13 268 $2,161.00
Day 1: 3 10-04 Day 2: 3 10-06 Day 3: 3 8-03
9. Ron Horton Dover, Del. 9 28-07 264 $1,933.00
Day 1: 3 7-11 Day 2: 3 9-01 Day 3: 3 11-11
10. Bobby Woods Stafford, Va. 9 28-04 260 $1,478.00
Day 1: 3 10-05 Day 2: 3 6-01 Day 3: 3 11-14
11. Vincent Mucci North Haven, Conn. 9 28-04 262 $1,251.00
Day 1: 3 10-11 Day 2: 3 11-10 Day 3: 3 5-15
12. Greg Tesch Middlebury, Conn. 9 28-00 254 $1,137.00
Day 1: 3 11-02 Day 2: 3 6-15 Day 3: 3 9-15
13. John Cox Debary, Fla. 9 27-09 251 $1,023.00
Day 1: 3 7-15 Day 2: 3 9-11 Day 3: 3 9-15
14. Brian Wishwanick Gilbertsville, Pa. 9 27-05 248 $910.00
Day 1: 3 8-06 Day 2: 3 8-12 Day 3: 3 10-03
15. Bill Walker Orangeville, Canada 9 26-14 245 $796.00
Day 1: 3 8-15 Day 2: 3 8-06 Day 3: 3 9-09
16. David Kovack Lancaster, Pa. 9 26-03 243 $768.00
Day 1: 3 8-15 Day 2: 3 7-10 Day 3: 3 9-10
17. Jon Zera Newington, Conn. 9 26-02 241 $739.00
Day 1: 3 9-06 Day 2: 3 7-09 Day 3: 3 9-03
18. Peter Valente North Clarendon, Vt. 9 25-09 239 $711.00
Day 1: 3 10-01 Day 2: 3 7-03 Day 3: 3 8-05
19. Edward Knight Magnolia, Del. 9 25-05 237 $682.00
Day 1: 3 6-08 Day 2: 3 10-00 Day 3: 3 8-13
20. Keith Carson Debary, Fla. 9 25-04 235 $654.00
Day 1: 3 8-15 Day 2: 3 10-12 Day 3: 3 5-09
21. Chris Van Vliet Pickering, Canada 9 24-15 233 $625.00
Day 1: 3 9-10 Day 2: 3 7-02 Day 3: 3 8-03
22. Kevin Haley Fayetteville, N.Y. 9 24-14 231 $569.00
Day 1: 3 8-01 Day 2: 3 8-06 Day 3: 3 8-07
23. Christopher Hall Clarks Summit, Pa. 9 24-13 229 $540.00
Day 1: 3 9-00 Day 2: 3 7-12 Day 3: 3 8-01
24. Jason Putman Cicero, N.Y. 9 24-10 227 $512.00
Day 1: 3 7-15 Day 2: 3 8-13 Day 3: 3 7-14
25. Christopher Helfer Powell, Ohio 9 24-08 225 $483.00
Day 1: 3 8-00 Day 2: 3 8-06 Day 3: 3 8-02
26. Harold Range Gouldsboro, Pa. 9 23-05 223 $455.00
Day 1: 3 6-09 Day 2: 3 9-12 Day 3: 3 7-00
27. Samuel Clements Lansford, Pa. 7 21-11 221 $426.00
Day 1: 3 8-14 Day 2: 3 9-04 Day 3: 1 3-09
28. Steven Williams Harrington, Maine 8 21-04 219 $398.00
Day 1: 3 8-14 Day 2: 3 8-15 Day 3: 2 3-07
29. Renee Hensley Edwardsburg, Mich. 8 19-08 217 $370.00
Day 1: 3 9-13 Day 2: 3 6-14 Day 3: 2 2-13
30. Kris Thygesen Milford, N.J. 6 17-08 215 $341.00
Day 1: 3 5-13 Day 2: 3 11-11 Day 3: 0 0-00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 0 526 1265-15
2 0 454 1067-05
3 0 83 251-08
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0 1063 2584-12