Press-Republican
PLATTSBURGH — Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., caught a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 15 ounces Thursday to take over the professional lead in the FLW Series Eastern Division tournament on Lake Champlain. His two-day catch totaled 10 bass weighing 39-11.
Chris Kinney-Hermes of Champlain held onto the top spot in the Co-angler Division with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 34-4.
The four-day tournament continues with angles taking off from Dock Street Landing at 6:30 a.m. today and the weigh-in starting at 2:30 p.m. The pros are competing for a top prize of $50,000 plus points in the hope of qualifying the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup.
"I had a limit early," said Gagliardi, who finished second at the 2009 FLW Tour Lake Champlain event. "I fished the same area I did (Wednesday) and I am really fending off a lot of anglers just to hold my ground. I had my limit by 9:30 a.m., but was afraid to leave because I didn't want anyone else catching the quality fish that are in this area.
"It's a grassy flat about 10-13 feet deep and the bass seem to gravitate there because it is loaded with bait fish; not just one species, but several. I am seeing shiners, shad ... perch, crawfish, and I think that is what is making it so attractive. Like yesterday I am dragging tubes and soft plastics on the bottom, and I don't plan to change much for tomorrow."
Most of today's anglers had an early bite before the wind picked up around noon. Very few largemouth bass crossed the stage, and several frustrated anglers declared largemouth fishing was a waste of time and saved their day by going north and catching limits of smallies.
Gagliardi now holds an 1-pound, 2-ounce lead over second place pro Jason Ober of Johnstown, Pa., who managed to haul in a total of 10 bass weighing 38-9 during the first two days of competition.
Ober continued to fish the same area as Wednesday — in the northwest corner of the lake near the Champlain Islands. He also had his limit early, but he said once the wind kicked in it took him a long time to upgrade any of his fish.
"I'm still using a drop-shot with a 3½ inch cut tail worm," Ober said. "I have been fishing clean most of the week; I'm getting a bite on every cast, but my biggest challenge is competing with the perch. There are just so many there it's hard to get the bass to bite me."
Overall, there were 687 bass weighing 1,839 pounds, 9 ounces caught by 146 pros Thursday. The catch included 127 five-bass limits.
Christopher Hall of Clarks Summit, Pa., stayed in second place among co-angles with 10 bass weighing 32-9.
"It was a lot tougher (Thursday) than (Wednesday)," said Kinney-Hermes. "I didn't have a bite until 12:30 p.m. I think the bottom is really key to my fishing. We were fishing in a rocky area, and the wind actually helped me today. I think it was blowing the bait fish in so the bass followed."
Kinney-Hermes caught five bass weighing 18-15 Wednesday while fishing with Gagliardi and five bass weighing 15-5 with pro Chris Johnston Thursday.
The co-anglers caught 569 bass weighing 1,263 pounds, 9 ounces Thursday.
Top prize for the co-anglers is a Ranger 177TR with a 90 horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard motor.
