PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Pro Dave Cioppa of Hopkinton, N.H., caught a five-bass limit weighing 18 pounds, 13 ounces to lead day one of the Stren Series Northeast Division event on Lake Champlain.
Pros are competing for as much as $64,500 and valuable points that could qualify them for a trip to the $1 million Stren Series Championship for a shot at $140,000. The highest-finishing pro from each division at the Stren Series Championship will also earn a spot in the new $2 million 2007 Forrest Wood Cup where they will compete against top pros from the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League and Ranger owners’ tournaments for bass fishing’s first $1 million top award.
“I had a great day,” said Cioppa, who came into the event ranked 39th in the Stren Series Northeast Division. “I fished a hump right in the middle of Lake Champlain working a drop-shot from 20 to 40 feet of water.”
Cioppa fished a Cobra Baits 4-inch paddle tail worm to boat more than 30 keepers by 10:30 a.m. Satisfied with his limit, he put away his rods and tried to help his co-angler catch a few more fish.
“My co-angler lost about a 7-pound bass on his first cast this morning and that shook him up pretty good,” he said. “He was a super guy and I tried to put him on some more fish, but it just didn’t work out. That’s the way it goes sometimes.”
Rounding out the top five pros are Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Mich. (five bass, 18 pounds, 10 ounces); Kevin Kartesz of Jamestown, N.Y. (five bass, 18 pounds, 9 ounces); David Reault of Livonia, Mich. (five bass, 18 pounds, 5 ounces); and Jacob Powroznik of Prince George, Va. (five bass, 18 pounds, 4 ounces).
Kevin Bishop of Hilton, N.Y., earned $700 for the Snicker’s Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 5-pound, 9-ounce bass.
Fred Hunter of Canton, Ohio leads the Co-angler Division in the chase for a top award worth as much as $35,000, including a 519VX Ranger if contingency guidelines are met. He caught five bass weighing 15 pounds, 13 ounces while fishing with pro Timothy Penhollow of Oxford, S.C.
“It was a rough day out there, but I thank God for the day I had fishing,” said Hunter, who is competing in just his second Stren Series event. “It feels great to lead the tournament, but leading isn’t winning. I’m just going to go out there fish and do my best.”
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are John Alba of Montpelier, Vt. (five bass, 16 pounds, 4 ounces); Andy Coffman of Campbell, Texas (five bass, 16 pounds, 2 ounces); Chris Wade of Preston, Conn. (five bass, 16 pounds, 2 ounces); and Chris Girouard of Epsom, N.H. (five bass, 14 pounds, 15 ounces).
Coffman also earned $240 for the Snicker’s Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass.
Anglers will take off from Plattsburg Boat Basin at 7 each morning. Wednesday and Thursday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the marina, which is located at 5 dock Street in Plattsburg beginning at 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 25 Consumer Square in Plattsburgh beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
Stren Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of three rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday and Thursday, and the top 20 pros and co-anglers – based on two-day accumulated weights – advance to day three. Anglers start at zero Friday and compete for 10 spots in each division in the final round. Winners are determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.
The Lake Champlain Stren Series event is hosted by the City of Plattsburg. For more information, visit cityofplattsburg.com.
Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most-respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.