CLEVELAND, Ohio – Ranger pro Kevin Bishop of Hilton, N.Y., caught a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 2 ounces to lead day three of the Stren Series Northeast Division event on Lake Erie.
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’m in an area with a lot of big fish and more coming in each day,” said Bishop, making his third Stren Series top-10 cut. “The area keeps replenishing itself. You have to work for five bites, but each fish is three and a half pounds or bigger.”
Bishop has four spots that make up his daily milk-run. He’s fishing gobies and small worms on a drop-shot like everyone one else, but believes his pattern is making the difference at the scales.
“I’m fishing an area that has a six-mile range,” he said. “There are four identical spots that are holding the quality fish. I’m just running to each one over and over again, picking up one or two here and a couple off the next. You just have to catch them at a spot when they are feeding.”
Each of Bishop’s spots is rocky, ridge-type area in water ranging from 17 to 23 feet deep. He said the wind is a big plus when fishing these areas, as it makes the fish more predictable and easier to locate.
“When it’s calm, I have to search for them,” he said. “When the wind blows the fish are usually on the backside, out of the current.”
Rounding out the top five pros are Gain pro Vic Vatalaro of Kent, Ohio (five bass, 18 pounds, 13 ounces); Joe Balog of Harrison Township, Mich. (five bass, 18 pounds, 13 ounces); Christopher King of South Amherst, Ohio (five bass, 18 pounds, 6 ounces); and Mike Hoskings of Dumfries, Va. (five bass, 17 pounds, 7 ounces).
Stephen Semelsberger Jr., of Mt. Airy, Md., 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 19 pounds, 8 ounces.
“I’m not doing anything different than anyone else is doing,” said Semelsberger, making his third Stren Series top-10 cut. “I have to give my pro partners all of the credit. They are up there running the trolling motor, fighting the wind and trying to keep us on the spots. All I have to do is sit back, relax, fish and have a good time.”
Semelsberger did more than just sit back and relax. His pro, Ben Felton of Marshall, Mich., had boat troubles and Semelsberger laid down his rod and reel to make repairs.
“He had electrical problems all day,” he said. “As soon as I got my limit at 12:45, I went to work on the boat while Ben finished out his limit. The livewells went out at one point and we had to get a jump on the way back to the weigh-in. It was a tough day, but we got our fish back just in time.”
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Matt Scholzen of Racine, Wis. (five bass, 16 pounds); Jeff Domonkos of Middleburg, Ohio (three bass, 12 pounds, 4 ounces); Larry Drewett of Sterling, Va. (four bass, 11 pounds, 7 ounces); and Robert Sweeney of Baltimore, Md. (three bass, 11 pounds, 6 ounces).
Anglers will take off from Voinovich Park Marina at 6 each morning. Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 3606 Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights 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 Thursday 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.
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, 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.