Shipton scores BFL win on Oneida Lake - Major League Fishing

Shipton scores BFL win on Oneida Lake

Messina nets co-angler title in Northeast Division contest
Image for Shipton scores BFL win on Oneida Lake
Boater Jason Shipton of Muncy, Pa., won the July 13 Walmart BFL Northeast Division event on Oneida Lake with a total catch of 16 pounds, 15 ounces. Shipton took home over $4,150 in winnings after capturing the tournament title. Angler: Jason Shipton.
July 13, 2013 • MLF • Archives

BREWERTON, N.Y. – Jason Shipton of Muncy, Pa., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win the Walmart Bass Fishing League Northeast Division event on Oneida Lake. For his victory, Shipton earned $4,155.

In his first BFL win as a boater, Shipton ran the length of a rough Oneida Lake for the winning limit of four smallmouth and one largemouth.

“It was windy in the morning, so I started by the islands on the west end,” Shipton said. “We weren’t catching any, though, so I figured we needed to go fish where I’d found them in practice.” So, the Muncy, Pa., pro picked up and ran more than an hour through rough water to the east end of the lake.

Once there, Shipton targeted boulders in the grass in 12 feet of water. He credits his Sneaky Hollow Baits Tubes and Tarantulas with the success. “There were other boats there, but I was the only one catching them. I probably caught 25 smallmouth.”

Rounding out the top 10 pros:

2nd: Ken Golub, Pittsford, N.Y., five bass, 16-10, $2,078

3rd: Stanley Sypeck Jr., Sugarloaf, Pa., five bass, 16-00, $1,383

4th: Dereck Bigford, Cicero, N.Y., five bass, 15-12, $900

4th: Craig Daino, Central Square, N.Y., five bass, 15-12, $900

6th: Michael Cusano, Clay, N.Y., five bass, 15-10, $762

7th: Michael Morrin, Waterloo, N.Y., five bass, 15-6, $693

8th: Jamie Hartman, Newport, N.Y., five bass, 15-1, $623 + $300 Evinrude Bonus

9th: Jason Knapp, Uniontown, Pa., five bass, 14-14, $554

10th: Woody Henyan, Campbell, N.Y., five bass, 14-13, $485 + $300 Evinrude Bonus

For a complete list of boater results, click here.

Messina wins co-angler title

Co-angler Sal Messina of Waterbury, Conn., won the July 13 Walmart BFL Northeast Division event on Oneida Lake with a total catch of 14 pounds, 11 ounces. Messina netted over $2,000 for his efforts.Sal Messina of Waterbury, Conn., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 14 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday to win $2,078 in the co-angler division.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

2nd: Mandel Pettus, Sound Beach, N.Y., five bass, $1,039

3rd: Wyatt Morris, Little Falls, N.Y., five bass, 14-6, $691

4th: Mike Czaplinski, Hopatcong, N.J., five bass, 13-13, $485

5th: Jess Salmon, Milford, N.J., five bass, 13-11, $416

6th: Roxanne Przelski, Poland, N.Y., five bass, 13-9, $381

7th: Joe Kazlauskas, Canastota, N.Y., five bass, 13-4, $346

8th: Corey Bechtel, Macungie, Pa., five bass, 13-1, $312

9th: Eric Ashley, Frankfort, N.Y., four bass, 12-10, $277

10th: Bill Spindler, Turnersville, N.J., five bass, 12-8, $242

For a complete list of co-angler results, click here.

The next BFL Northeast Division tournament is scheduled for Aug. 3 on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y. After the last divisional tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 3-5 Regional Championship on the Chesapeake Bay in North East Maryland. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.

The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. The 2013 BFL All-American is being held June 27-29 on Nickajack Lake in Chattanooga, Tenn. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.

About FLW

FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2013 over the course of 220 tournaments across five tournament circuits, four of which provide an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy – the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water.” For more information about FLW visit FLWOutdoors.com and look for FLW on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.