Co-angler Worona victorious on Champlain

Handful of quality bites drive EverStart Northern Division win

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Myron Worona of Hermitage, Pa., caught the day’s second largest co-angler bag – 13-14 – and improved from second place to first with a tournament total of 44-12. He earned a Ranger boat package with motor and trailer for the win.

Worona used spinnerbaits and jigs the first two days and caught 16-2 and 14-12. Today, he bagged two kickers on a crankbait and caught most of his fish on the 3/8-ounce jig. Essential to the jig’s success, he said, was dying the tips of his green-pumpkin trailer chartreuse.

“The jig was important to day because it filled out my limit,” Worona said. “I did not catch a lot of fish today, unlike the last two. But the crankbait caught my two bigger ones, and that’s what helped me today. We were fishing riprap with some grass mixed in there. I think the fish were just up there to feed.”

Worona’s pro, fourth-place Joe Lucarelli, ran south to Ticonderoga. Today’s ride, he said, was not as bad as yesterday. In general, he said he’s impressed with Lake Champlain’s potential.

“Anytime you’re running 74 miles in 4-footers, it’s going to be interesting,” Worona said. “This is an awesome place to fish. I caught 100 fish this week.”

Second-place Mcleod goes wacky

Emily Mcleod of Williston, Vt., led the Co-angler Division on day two, but came up a little short in the final round. Adding her first two days’ weights of 16-8 and 15-1 to her day-three limit of 12-8 gave her a second-place total of 44-1 – just 11 ounces behind Wyrona.

McLeod caught all of her fish on wacky-rigged green-pumpkin Senkos. She used a light nail weight to affect the proper fall rate.

A housewife who likes to bake cookies and spend time with her year-old son Derek, McLeod said that despite missing the win, she’s pleased with how her week went. Earning $3,899 didn’t hurt.

“It’s been awesome; I’ll take second any day,” she said. “Over the past three days, I kicked a bunch of guys’ butts.”

Keister makes big move to third

He started day three in 10th place, but Brian Keister of Cedar Brook, N.J., turned things around in dramatic fashion. Bringing a two-day total of 26-6 into the final round, Keister sacked up 15-15 – the day’s biggest co-angler weight – and moved up to third place with 42-5, earning $3,465.

Keister caught his day-three fish on Strike King spinnerbaits and crankbaits.

Best of the rest

Brad Rutherford of Lavonia, Ga., placed fourth with 40-8 ($3,032), and Kenneth Hoffman of Cambridge, N.Y., took fifth with 37-15 ($2,599).

Rounding out the top 10 co-angler finishers at the EverStart Series Lake Champlain event:

6th: Dick Gum, Woodbridge, Va., 37-2, $2,166

7th: Trudy Noechel, Lost Creek, W.Va., 34-11, $1,733

8th: Chris Kinney-Hermes, Champlain, N.Y., 34-7, $1,300

9th: Chris Girouard, Epsom, N.H., 33-13, $866

10th: Jacob Wheeler, Indianapolis, 33-4, $693