Mass Teams Strive to Qualify for New England 2-Day
Boutin & Brease
Win Bartons Cove by Ounces
Going into the Bartons Cove event Team Whaler (John Ozgood and Scott Lowe) were tied with Ron Boutin and Darrin Brease with 192 points. "We have never fished Bartons Cove before," replied Team Whaler as TheBassBureau cameras zoomed in on their early morning topwater techniques. "However, this place is absolutely beautiful!" Of course having a three-half pound largemouth in your livewell to start the day was not hard to take either!
Dock talk mentioned a tournament the day before was won with a five-bass limit just under twenty pounds in the cove! As the last boat in the second flight idled pass the check-out point, it was obvious most teams wanted to dip into this huge honey-hole! However, Boutin and Brease headed north into the shallow water where the rivers masive smallmouth bass roam. "We went into New Hampshire, secured our NH licenses, Boaters Certificate, and equipped our terminal tackle with lead-free weights, as required by NH Fishing & Wildlife laws," revealed Boutin. Having drawn Boat #8 Boutin & Breases first flight take-off headed them in the right direction from the get-go!
Boutin & Brease were not the only Massachusetts Teams to venture into the skinny smallmouth territory. Team Grizzly (Chris Blais and Dave Dardannelli), creeped slowly behind them. "I knew my 75 HP Opti Max was not going to keep up with the larger outboards, but I also knew once I was there we would be able to drift in six-inches of water with my 18 Tracker Grizzly," said Blais.
Adult/Youth Team Gasbarro, found the shallow gravel flats of the upper Connecticut River a bit to low as they ran aground. "Jake and I were on plane when I noticed the water over the top of the gravel flat was lower than expected. I quickly shut-off the outboard, trimmed up just in time as we slid our fiberglass rig right on top of the gravel bar," reported Everett Gasbarro. Utilizing Team Gasbarro Power, and some help from the rivers current, Team Gasbarro managed to free themselves with enough time to land a few smallmouths for the weigh-in. Keeping to Professional BASS Angler Mike Iaconellis Never Give Up motto, Team Gasbaros efforts earned them a 12th place finish at Bartons Cove, placing them in the overall standings within the Top-10 Teams, as well as in 1st Place in the race for Massachusetts Adult/Youth Anglers of the Year!
With zero bass in their livewell, and the day half over Al Gagliarducci and Andy Chase decided to head north. We were on plane when all of a sudden we spun our props hub," recalls Chase. Making a call for assistance, Gagliarducci and Chase were aided by Art Quinville and his partner, who just happen to be on the water. While Gags & Chase replaced their prop, Charlie Jutrus and Al Golfieri ran into outboard problems, needing a tow back into Bartons Cove, they utilized their trolling motor to finish their tournament day.
With air temperatures into the mid-nineties, water temperatures soared into the mid-eighties, leaving most teams with few bass bites. Waiting for the dam at Millers Falls to open and start drawing water, teams were extremely disapointed when the two oclock opening never happened! Only six teams managed to secure a 5-bass limit, while seven teams zeroed and eight teams managed one or two keepers!
When the scales were officially closed Father & Son Adult/Youth Teams Cummings and Bourque were neck & neck, as each team managed to secure an almost non-existing 5-bass limit. Mark Bourque and son Zach, once again demostrated why they were the 2009 New England Regional Adult/Youth Champions! Landing a 4th Place Bartons Cove finish with 7.49 lbs, Team Bourque earned prestigious points towards another New England Regional Championship. Team Cummings slipped to 7th Place, but along with Team Joyce they were chosen as tournament candidates for the 2010 USA Marine Sportsmenship Award.
Anchored with the tournaments Lunker Largemouth at 5.48 lbs Bill ONeil and John Millett, netted 3rd Place with 3-Bass weighing 8.82 lbs. Along with $220.00 Cash The Optimum Baits Lunker Award, swimbaits and Competive Edge sponsor prizes, the likeable Team was All Smiles excepting their cash and prizes! Nitro Man Bob Hegi and partner Larry Letendre, managed to once again show the field their team is headed for the Regional Championship. Carrying a 5-Bass limit totaling 7.16 lbs the Nitro/Mercury Team claimed the final Cash/prize payout, along with precious points in the standings, placing them in the Top-10 overall standings.
Randy Phillips and partner Wayne Marquis, earned Smallmouth Lunker rights as their Bronzeback tipped the scales at 2.83 lbs, edging out Boutin & Breases smallmouth at 2.64 lbs. Accepting their Optimum Baits TABU Tackle Tiny Tims swimbaits, and a cash bonus of $120.00, the first time contenders on the Massachusetts Division Trail weighed 5-bass for 10.36 lbs!
Boutin & Breases 5-bass smallmouth bag of 10.62 lbs, knocked Phillips & Marquis out of 1st Place by .26 lbs, as the #1 Team in the Race for Angler of Year on the Mass. Division, Ron Boutin & Darrin Brease were crowned the Bartons Cove Champions. Boutin & Brease pocketed $400.00 along with a Norton Brass Rattler Fish Grip and Competitive Edge tackle products. Shaking hands with the Champs Randy Phillips and Wayne Marquis received $200.00 and a bag full of Competitive Edge tackle.
Claiming the Smallest Fish of the tournament and now the smallest bass of the season so far, Jay Surriera and Tom Kellys lively smallmouth, kept alive in Tracker Marine livewells measured just 12 inches at 0.69 lbs. Surriera & Kelly laughed, however the smallest bass award is a beautiful USA Marine Plaque same as the Lunker of the year!!!!
Bass Have Clam-Shell Tight Lips
While thunderstorms rampaged the Cape Cod area and surrounding New England states on Saturday morning, afternoon sea-breezes cleared the way for Sundays Mass. Divisions second seasonal tournament on Mashpee-Wakeby Ponds.
Known for its huge population of both smallmouth and laregmouth bass, eager contending teams were anxious to venture out on the 729 Acre impoundment. Dock-talk and winning limit weight rumors echoed throughout the morning drive-thru registation. As Scott Atchue and partner Ken Spear checked each teams livewells and attached trolling motor ribbons. Trish Decoteau collected launch fees, handed each team maps of the ponds, while 20 competing teams drew their boat numbers and launched their rigs.
Calm surfaces beckoned topwater baits, during the 7:00 AM starting time, however as the day wore on typical New England changing conditions called for anglers to keep digging deep into their tackle. Bob Hegi and Larry Letendre utilized everything from drop-shots, small jigs up to 25 foot depths, plus weightless senkos and flukes in shallow weed infested backwaters. "When that wind started to turn the lake into rising white-caps, we switched to spinnerbaits," stated Hegi. Not a bad decision for the 5th Place (4-Bass, 7lb 9.8oz) finishers, as Lentendres spinnerbait was inhaled by the tournaments Lunker Smallmouth. Tipping the scales at 3lbs 9.4oz, their Bronzeback earned them an extra $100.00 in the Split-Lunker Pool, and precious points inching them closer to qualifing for the New England 2-Day Regional Championship.
High winds eliminated the tournament committtee from setting up the weigh-in tent, and displaying all of their sponsors prizes upon tables. But, with the help of Bob Merderios, an ABA Hall of Fame Member, the USA Bassin Drive-thru weigh-in proceeded flawlessly!
As the Leaders Board registered each teams total number of bass with weights, once again the Mass. Division Team results proved a very tough bass bite prevailed. Of the twenty competing teams; 5-teams zeroed, 11 teams failed to get their 5-bass limit, and only 4-teams managed to unlock Mashpee-Wakebys lockjaw bass to carry a 5-bass limit to the scales!
I suppose if you are only allowed one keeper bite, it might as well be the Lunker......right? Keith Cancian and teammate Dan Milligans single legal bass did just that! Claiming the Lunker Largemouth Pools $100.00, Plus the Optimum Bait Tournament Lunker Double Diamond Swimbait Prize, Cancian/Milligans 3lb 11.4oz Lunker also earned them a 10th Place Top-10 finish.
Cash payouts went to the Top-4 Teams, while sponsor prizes were handed out to the Top-12 Teams. Targeting largemouth bass once again Team Dryer proved their consistent performance. Carrying 4-bass weighing 8lb 3.2oz to the scales, earned the father and son team $70.00.
Running their Boston Whaler all over the interconnecting ponds, John Ozgood and Scott Lowe placd 3rd, managing to be one of the few teams to assemble a 5-bass limit. Collecting $120.00 for their 9lb 1.2oz limit, Ozgood and Lowe also catapulted themselves into a tie for the Angler of the Year Race, with Team Ron Boutin and Darin Brease for a total of 192 points. Team Dryer is right behind them with 190 points.
Mashpee-Wakeby local anglers Steve Goodman and George Smith, also found the bite to be extremely difficult. Carrying a 5-bass mixed bag of smallmouths and largemouth, anchored with a 3lb 1.2oz smallmouth, Goodman/Smiths limit weighed in at 10lbs 7.2oz. Steve Goodman who also competes in the highly competitive USA Bassin New Hampshire Division, was quick to praise the tournament champions. Goodman and Smith received $190.00 for their second place finish.
Wearing smiles as huge as their 5-bass 12lb 13.2oz limit, all largemouths, father and son "Team Shea" received a standing ovation from their fellow competitiors for a job well done! Although, they were as tight-lipped about their presentations and baits as a Mashpee-Wakeby Clam, Jason Shea did reveal one comment! "My Dad was literally outstanding with his techniques today, as he landed three identical largemouths in a roll. This was the turning point in the tournament for us." Anchored with a 2lb 13.2oz largemouth, the Mashpee-Wakeby Champions received 100 points plus $320.00. With three remaining Mass. Division Tournaments, Team Shea looks forward to qualifing for their second Regional Championship.
The Next Generation Teams narrowed the distance between each team, and proved these young guns know how to locate and catch bass! Jacob Gasbarro managed to land 2-smallmouth and 1-largemouth for him and his dad as their total weight settled at 2lbs 3.8oz. "Jacob managed to get all the keeper bites and landed every bass we weighed in today," said the senior Team Gasbarro member. Jacob also managed to weigh in the smallest bass, a largemouth @ 11.6 oz, placing Team Gasbarro in the lead for the Mass Divisions Smallest Bass Award. Jacobs secret was his Uncle Bucks Bass Pro Shops tackle!
Team Bourque was the only Next Generation Team to bring a 5-bass limit to the scales, and one of only 4 teams in the entire torunament to do so! Utilizing two basic techniques, drop-shotting and Spider Grubs, Zach Bourque applied his learned knowledge form his dad Marc, and like Jacob Gasbarro, Zach placed all 5-bass in their Nitro USA Marine livewell!
Team Bourque revealed that most of their bass 3-smallmouths and 2-largemouths came from depths of 4-5 feet. "These bass were in a transitional pattern from spawning to post spawn making them extremely difficult to catch," echoed Marc Bourque. Adding, "It really took an enormous amout of patience and finesee to catch them, and Zach lead the way all day long!"
Team Bourque mentioned that their fifth keeper came on their last cast. "It was 2:55 PM and we needed to be back for 3:00 PM. making our final cast proved to productive when we landed a 1lb 5.2oz largemouth." Team Bourque finished 6th overall with 7lbs 6.2oz, out of the 20 competing teams!
Going into the third tournament of the Mass. Divisional season, Team Garbarro leads the Next Generation Teams in Points, Team Bourque is hot on their tail, and idling in third place is Team Cummings. Kegan Cummings was all smiles when asked how his day on the water went. "My dad and I caught five different species of fish, and none were bass," laughed Kegan. "We even caught two herring?"
