Celesti Punched Mats for Title

Bozeman bests co-angler division on Big O

Tim Celesti of Margate, Florida, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds even Saturday to win the FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Gator Division tournament on Lake Okeechobee presented by Power-Pole. For his victory, Celesti took home $6,300.

Celesti punched mats within a five-acre stretch on the north end of the lake. He said that he preferred water that was stained, but still clear of debris.

“After the sun came out the mats warmed up and the fish congregated around them perfectly,” says Celesti, who notched the first win of his career in BFL competition. “I stayed there the entire day and waited for them to eat.”

Celesti that he used one bait – a June Bug-colored Gambler BB Cricket – to catch his stringer of bass.

“I did my best to really get the Cricket up under the mats,” Celesti says. “I would hold it up high and let it drop after about 10 seconds. The bass would eat it and then just sit there. You could hardly feel the bite. It was like you had to give them time to come and look at it, and then drop it on their nose.

“You had to be patient,” continues Celesti. “And you needed a punch skirt. If the bait didn’t have a punch skirt they wouldn’t eat it.”

The Florida angler targeted a single mat around 12:30 p.m. and caught a 4- and 7-pounder within ten minutes of each other to cap off his winning stringer.

The top 10 boaters:

1^st:          Tim Celesti, Margate, Fla., five bass, 22-0, $6,300

2^nd:         Allen Walls, Boca Raton, Fla., five bass, 18-11, $3,000

3^rd:          Austin Murray, Deland, Fla., five bass, 17-7, $2,000

4^th:          Donald Ciacchi, Middleburg Heights, Ohio, five bass, 16-11, $1,400

5^th:          Greg Hughes, Inverness, Fla., five bass, 16-6, $1,200

6^th:          Steve Poland, Port Saint Lucie, Fla., five bass, 16-4, $1,100

7^th:          Roger Crafton, Boca Grande, Fla., five bass, 15-12, $1,000

8^th:          Nicholas Hoinig, Delray Beach, Fla., five bass, 15-8, $900

9^th:          Sandy Melvin, Boca Grande, Fla., five bass, 15-7, $750

9^th:          Jason Jastrzemski, Wellington, Fla., five bass, 15-7, $750

Complete results can be found here.  

Kenneth Harris of Zolfo Springs, Florida, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 8 pounds, 15 ounces and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $1000.

Bozeman wins co-angler title

David Bozeman of Ocala, Florida, weighed in four bass totaling 13 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to earn $3,000 and win the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:          David Bozeman, Ocala, Fla., four bass, 13-7, $3,000

2^nd:         Garrett Farmer, Estero, Fla., five bass, 13-0, $1,500

3^rd:          James Topmiller, Orlando, Fla., five bass, 12-14, $850

3^rd:          Doug Caldwell, Kane, Pa., five bass, 12-14, $1,350

5^th:          Kenneth Bivins, Orlando, Fla., five bass, 12-12, $600

6^th:          Gary Schild, Mundelein, Ill., five bass, 12-8, $550

7^th:          Scott Kirsch, Edgewater, Fla., five bass, 10-13, $500

8^th:          William Carpenella, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., five bass, 10-4, $450

9^th:          Michael Lendl, Pembroke Pines, Fla., five bass, 10-3, $400

10^th:        Bill Grotjahn, Homosassa, Fla., five bass, 9-11, $350

Caldwell caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 3 ounces and earned the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $500.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 13-15 Regional Championship on Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.