Stren event lead changes hands

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July 19, 2008

Anonymous The Press Republican Sat Jul 19, 2008, 12:15 AM EDT

PLATTSBURGH -- First-day leader Chris Baumgardner of Gastonia, N.C., regained the top spot Friday heading into the fourth and final day of the Stren Series Northern Division tournament on Lake Champlain.

Baumgardner caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 10 ounces retake the lead over Jason Ober of Johnstown, Pa. by 11 ounces. Baumgardner has a three-day catch of 15 bass weighing 57-12.

Rounding out the top five pros are Jason Ober of Johnstown, Pa. (15 bass, 57-01); Atsushi Nakahigashi of Chester, Va. (15 bass, 52-09); Pete Gluszek of Franklinville, N.J. (15 bass, 49-02); and John Voyles of Petersburg, Ind. (15 bass, 47-04).

Also clearing the top 10 cut weight of 39 pounds, 12 ounces in the Pro Division are Michael Iaconelli of Runnemede, N.J.; Gregg Seal of Eldred, Pa.; Brian Gates of Mendon, Vt.; Scott Lakey of Augusta, Mich.; and Chad Pipkens of Holt, Mich.

These anglers continue competition today, with the winners determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days.

George Lambeth of Thomasville, N.C., earned $243 for the Snickers Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 5-pound, 7-ounce bass.

Pros are competing for as much as $65,000, including a 198VX Ranger powered by Evinrude or Yamaha if contingency guidelines are met, and valuable points toward qualifying for the $1 million Stren Series Championship in Branson, Mo., Nov. 5-8 for a shot at $140,000.

Overall, there were 659 bass weighing 1,557 pounds, 14 ounces caught by 151 pros Friday. The catch included 117 five-bass limits.

Chris Girouard of Epsom, N.H., and Thomas Shafer of Pine City, N.Y., lead the Co-angler Division in the chase for a top award of $35,000, including a 198VX Ranger if contingency guidelines are met, thanks to three-day totals of 15 bass weighing 42-09.

"We were on the north end of the lake, and they weren't biting the tubes today, so I went to a spinnerbait," Girouard said. "The morning was pretty windy, but the wind died down, and the lake was pretty calm for the most part."

Girouard said he threw spinnerbaits over the grass in 14 feet of water to catch his limit today.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Ryan Bowman of Seneca, S.C. (15 bass, 39-13); Moo Bae of West Friendship, Md. (15 bass, 39-07); and Marc Wagy of Dewitt, Va. (15 bass, 38-10).

Also clearing the top 10 cut weight of 36 pounds, 8 ounces in the Co-angler Division are David Roberts of Sunderland, Mass.; Micah Frazier of Newnan, Ga.; Chris Adams of Rutland, Vt.; Michael Sweeney of Attleboro, Mass.; and Jeff Zeisner of Avro, Ontario.

Scott Wilson of Boyds, Md., earned $125 for the Snickers Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to a 5-pound, 15-ounce bass.

Overall, there were 587 bass weighing 1,324 pounds, 5 ounces caught by 151 co-anglers Friday. The catch included 90 five-bass limits.

Anglers will take off at 6:30 today from Dock Street Landing. Saturday's final weigh-in will be held at the Crete Memorial Civic Center, beginning at 4 p.m. The weigh-in is free and open to the public.

Stren Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of two rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. At the conclusion of Friday's weigh-in, the field is cut to the top 10 pros and co-anglers based on the heaviest three-day accumulated weights.