Stiefel Wins Walmart Bass Fishing League Northeast Division Event On The Potomac River
OutdoorHub 06.02.14
Ed Stiefel of Mahwah, N.J., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to win the second Walmart Bass Fishing League Northeast Division tournament of 2014 on the Potomac River. For his victory, Stiefel earned $5,472.
“My day started good,” said Stiefel. “I caught two quality fish in the first 15 minutes. A few minutes later I lost my third fish. It jumped three or four times, and I estimated it to be about five pounds.
“Losing that big fish set me back. I couldn’t get my mind off of it for the rest of the day. Even when I caught two more four-pounders, it was still bothering me. I couldn’t get that five-pounder out of my head all day. Heading back to the marina, I was happy just to have caught a limit.
“It was pretty lucky I guess,” Stiefel continued. “My day was over by noon due to some trolling motor problems and to get the win was a godsend.
“I had originally decided to fish these first two BFL Northeast division events just to prepare myself for the Rayovac FLW Series tournament on the Potomac in two weeks,” Stiefel went on to say. “But now I’m in 10th place in the standings. I think I’ll try and fish the next BFL at Oneida Lake and try to qualify for the Regional and the All-American.”
Stiefel said he stayed on one key stretch of grass in Mattawoman Creek, almost within sight of the launch all day. He said that he caught all of his bass on a white-colored spinnerbait with silver and gold blades.
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: Todd Langford, Ashburn, Va., five bass, 16-3, $2,236
3rd: James Ciferni, Hammond, N.Y., five bass, 15-13, $1,492
4th: Chris Panetta, Red Hook, N.Y., five bass, 15-12, $1,043 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
5th: Shawn Richard, Hatfield, Pa., five bass, 15-6, $894
6th: Robert Parmer Sr., Linden, Pa., five bass, 15-1, $820
7th: Brian Sanson, Chittenango, N.Y., five bass, 14-8, $745
8th: Brian Bylotas, Scott Township, Pa., five bass, 14-7, $633 + $300 Evinrude Bonus
8th: Randy Dustin, Jamestown, N.Y., five bass, 14-7, $633
10th: Barton Wines, Marshall, Va., five bass, 14-3, $522
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Richard Jordan of Muncy Valley, Pa., weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday to win $2,236 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Aaron Bond, Waldorf, Md., five bass, 14-1, $1,118
3rd: Michael Stevens, Libertytown, Md., five bass, 12-12, $745
4th: Robert Gerber, The Plains, Va., five bass, 12-9, $522
5th: Jason McDonald, Lawrenceville, N.J., five bass, 12-3, $447
6th: Brett Holmes, Claverack, N.Y., five bass, 12-2, $410
7th: Terry Stevens, Sterling, Va., five bass, 11-9, $373
8th: Paul Gonzales, Mechanicsburg, Pa., five bass, 11-7, $335
9th: Jim Buehler, Montoursville, Pa., five bass, 11-5, $298
10th: Craig Dubois, Sprakers, N.Y., five bass, 11-3, $261
The top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 2-4 Regional Championship on the James River in Richmond, Va. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the Walmart BFL All-American presented by Chevy. The 2014 BFL All-American is being held June 5-7 on Wilson Lake in Florence, Ala. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
