Bowker leads TBF Eastern on Winnipesaukee

Rhode Islanders take top two spots but New Hampshire leads race among the states

GILFORD, N.H. – With beautiful Lake Winnipesaukee as the backdrop, The Bass Federation’s Eastern Divisional kicked off today with sunny skies and crisp fall temperatures. The winds were calm and the fish were ripe for the biting, as evidenced by leader Chris Bowker’s opening-day catch of 14 pounds, 2 ounces.

That catch also propelled Bowker to the lead on the Rhode Island team, and in fact, Rhode Island gave the competition a one-two punch today, as the No. 2 overall angler is Bowker’s fellow Rhode Islander Mike Mantha.

At this week’s TBF Eastern Divisional, seven 12-man teams representing New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut and New York are competing, and TBF awards cash prizes to the state teams based on their members’ total catches over three days of competition. Currently, the New Hampshire team leads that race with a day-one haul of 111 pounds, 5 ounces, just 2 ounces more than the Massachusetts team’s 111-3 day-one catch.

Contenders are also gunning for slots in the 2009 TBF National Championship, as each state’s winner will advance to that event as a boater. Each state’s runner-up advances to the nationals as a co-angler.

This week’s overall winner will receive a $500 Wal-Mart gift card as the Castrol Maximum Performer.

Bowker brings in mixed bag

Bowker, a resident of Marshfield, Mass., but fishing for the Rhode Island team, fished with Maine state leader Laurence Hogue today, and the partnership paid off for both, as currently Hogue sits in fourth place overall.

“Today I had a great partner in Larry Hogue,” Bowker said. “We each had our limit of smallies by 9 a.m. and then decided to find some largemouths to cull up our weight, and we were able to do that.”

Hogue’s smallmouth method of choice was Carolina-rigging and drop-shotting in 25 to 30 feet of water. For the bigger largemouths, he targeted isolated structure in 4 to 10 feet of water using a Senko.

“I’ve been fishing a long time,” he said. “At my age, qualifying for the national championship would be a lifetime dream come true.”

This is Bowker’s sixth divisional.

Gildea guns for another championship berth

In third place overall and tops in Massachusetts is 2008 TBF National Championship qualifier Jim Gildea of Weston, Mass. Gildea brought in a limit of five bass today weighing 13 pounds to lead the Massachusetts team by 1 pound, 4 ounces.

“The bite was tough today,” Gildea said. “I had to work through a bunch of spots. I dropped a fish early that would have helped me.”

Gildea said he caught his bass today drop-shotting a Yamamoto Kut Tail worm.

“I fished around bait all day, which is my key pattern,” he said.

Hogue claims early lead in Maine

Leading the Maine squad is the aforementioned Hogue with a day-one catch of five bass weighing 12 pounds, 14 ounces. That puts him in fourth place overall and gives him a 1-pound, 13-ounce advantage on the Maine team.

“It would be pretty special to make the TBF National Championship,” Hogue said. “I’ve been trying for a while – I started fishing club events when I was 12 years old.”

Hogue caught his bass today on a drop-shot, keying on 22 feet of water.

Slow day hands Gagner Vermont lead

On top in Vermont after day one is Gilbert Gagner of Highgate Springs, Vt., with five bass weighing 12 pounds, 6 ounces, good for fifth overall.

“Fishing was wicked slow,” Gagner said of his opening-day experience. “I had nine bites all day.”

Gagner said today’s sunny weather – and “flat” water – helped him, which could be troublesome tomorrow, with a forecast calling for cooler temperatures with a bit of wind.

“I’ll likely switch to a drop-shot tomorrow and my weight will probably drop,” he said. “I practiced different than I usually do, which is to practice for a limit of fish. For this tournament, I practiced to win and to only get five key bites and 11 to 13 pounds each day.”

Gagner used a topwater most of the day to land his bass, following that up with a tube.

Two anglers tied for New Hampshire lead

In a tie for sixth place overall are two New Hampshire anglers, making for a tight race on that state’s team. John Diaco of Rochester, N.H., and Bayard Lohmiller of Milford, N.H., each caught five bass weighing 12 pounds, 2 ounces to enter the competition’s second day in a dead heat.

Kane takes Connecticut lead

In first on the Connecticut squad is Mike Kane of Clinton, Conn., with a 10-pound day-one catch that has him tops in his state by a 1-pound, 3-ounce margin.

“I feel pretty confident that I’ll catch a limit each day,” Kane said. “If we get wind blowing tomorrow it actually may help me.”

Kane is targeting fish that are suspended around perch, using a custom crankbait made by Tournament Force Tackle.

Lamoy claims New York top spot

First after day one on the New York team is Rob Lamoy of Chazy, N.Y., with a four-bass catch weighing 8 pounds, 9 ounces. He currently leads his state team by 1 pound, 14 ounces.

Competition continues tomorrow with a 7 a.m. takeoff from the Silver Sands Marina located in Gilford, N.H. Tomorrow’s weigh-in will also be held there beginning at 3 p.m.