Emily McLeod grabs co-angler lead in EverStart Northern competition

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Emily Mcleod holds one of her catches after Day 2 of the EverStart Series tournament. Mcleod entered Day 2 in third place in the co-angler division, but she hauled in 15 pounds, 1 ounce and vaulted into the top spot. P-R Photos / Gabe Dickens
Craig Townsend poses with one of his catches after Day 2 of the EverStart Series tournament on Lake Champlain Friday. Townsend took fourth place, roughly two pound behind leader Adrian Avena heading into Day 3 today. P-R Photo / Gabe Dickens

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June 25, 2011

Mcleod leads co-anglers at EverStart tourney

DAVID. A BROWN FLW Outdoors The Press Republican Sat Jun 25, 2011, 03:23 AM EDT

PLATTSBURGH — Lake Champlain didn't make things easy for Adrian Avena, but the New Jersey pro stuck to his plan and held onto the top spot at the EverStart Series Northern Division bass tournament Friday.

After grabbing the Day 1 lead with 21 pounds, 3 ounces, Avena added a Day 2 limit of 16-10 and held off all challengers with his 37-13 total.

Joe Lucarelli moved into second place Friday, and Glenn Babineau took third. Emily Mcleod claimed the top spot in the co-angler division, while Champlain native Chris Kinney-Hermes vaulted up to third.

Anglers will hit the water for the final day of the tournament at 6 a.m., with weigh-in commencing at 3 p.m. at Walmart.

Confident that he could get back on the fish he worked yesterday, Avena ran south to Ticonderoga. The day's rainy conditions weren't a big deal, but a southeast wind whipped the lake into a washing machine, so the trip was grueling to say the least.

"Today, I got down there a little faster than I thought I would, and I left myself about two hours to get back and I cut it close," he said. "But I had a decent day down there. I just couldn't get those kicker bites."

Avena said the rough ride left him with some housekeeping chores before he could start fishing. This brief delay probably cost him some weight.

"It was pretty rough the first 15 or so miles, and when I got there, my rod locker was destroyed and all my rods were tangled," Avena said. "My co-angler just tossed out there and caught a 5-5. He caught another one about 4 ½ and those were two bites I really needed."

Second-place pro Lucarelli found his fish on a non-descript bank in the Ticonderoga area. With an 18-7 bag paired with his Day 1 weight of 18-6, Lucarelli has been the most consistent pro in the top-10. His total weight of 36-13 has him in second place and just a pound off the lead going into the final round.

Friday, Lucarelli caught his fish on a Strike King HC 2.5 crankbait. He found his fish in an area with very little in the way of defining features. Despite the mystery, he was keen to capitalize on the opportunity and wrapped up his day early.

"It's a stupid, nothing bank, and I do not understand why the fish are there," Lucarelli said. "They're there, and I don't argue with them. I made one pass down the bank and caught four, turned around, made another pass and caught one."

Lucarelli said his father Steve — a past Lake Champlain champion — played an essential role in his Day 2 success. Both Lucarellis were heading for Ticonderoga this morning when Joe's boat broke down. Steve switched boats so his son could fish and then coordinated the task of getting Joe's boat back to port.

Glenn Babineau, of Mechanicville started Day 2 in seventh place with 18-4 and added 18-6 to boost his total to 36-10 and gain four spots to third.

Babineau's primary tactics were flipping a ¾-ounce Stamina jig with a Zoom Super Chunk Jr. trailer and slow rolling a Strike King Shadalicious swimbait. He knew going into the day that this duo would handle whatever he needed to do.

"I guess it's a confidence thing — you go with what's good in your head," he said. "The jig actually got them a little better."

Craig Townsend moved up four spots to fourth place with a day-two bag that weighed 17-12 and gave him a tournament total of 35-14. Townsend fished Ticonderoga and caught plenty of the largemouth that dominate the lake's south end. Notably, he said he caught one keeper smallmouth on a tree in about two feet of water.

Michael Wolfenden of Warwick, R.I. also gained four notches to earn the fifth-place position. He weighed 17-8 on Day 1 and added another 16-14 Friday.

Mcleod took the top co-angler spot from Trudy Noechel, while Kinney-Hermes climbed three spots. Ryan Latinville of Plattsburgh dropped four spots to 12th place, and Jason Bezio of Plattsburgh cracked the top 50.