Ell, Navies Tie at Walmart Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division Event on the Potomac River
OutdoorHub 06.17.14
Anthony Ell of Stanhope, N.J., and Omari Navies of Fort Washington, Md., each weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds even Saturday to tie for the win in the third Walmart Bass Fishing League Shenandoah Division tournament of 2014 on the Potomac River. For their victories, each earned $3,405, with Ell taking home an extra $300 in sponsor contingencies.
Omari Navies (left) of Fort Washington Md. and Anthony Ell (right) of Stanhope N.J. tied for first place in the June 14 Shenandoah Division event on the Potomac River.
“I caught my fish flipping the grass,” said Ell. “The last part of the incoming tide was key for me, which isn’t normally how it is.
Ell said that he caught most of his fish before 9 a.m. and that he was fishing about 50 yards away from Navies, the man who eventually tied him for the win.
“I lost two big fish,” said Ell. “If I had caught them I would have had over 20 pounds. One of them was just gigantic.”
Ell said that he was flipping a big jig, but declined to give any specific details because he is fishing the upcoming Rayovac FLW Series tournament on the Potomac as a co-angler.
Co-winner Navies is also fishing the upcoming Rayovac FLW series event, but as a boater. He said he would be changing his pattern for the event.
“The pattern I was fishing isn’t going to work during the Rayovac because of the tides,” said Navies. “I was fishing spatterdock plants.
“It was such a bluebird day that the little pockets of shade the leaves provided were key. I only caught eight keeper bass. I’ve been catching those same fish for about two weeks now.”
Navies reported catching his fish flipping a black and blue-colored jig and with a black and blue-colored Berkley Havoc Pit Boss.
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
3rd: Rick Chenoweth, Fredericksburg, Va., five bass, 14-14, $1,514
4th: Mike Morris, Dover, Del., five bass, 14-12, $1,060
5th: Michael Taylor, Providence Forge, Va., five bass, 14-0, $908
6th: Chris Atwell, Mechanicsville, Va., five bass, 13-8, $833
7th: Frank Ippoliti, Mercersburg, Pa., five bass, 13-7, $719
7th: Josh Wagy, Dewitt, Va., five bass, 13-7, $719
9th: Matt Stoupa, Colonial Heights, Va., five bass, 13-3, $605
10th: Wayne Vaughan, Chester, Va., five bass, 12-15, $530
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.
Alexander Barton of Midlothian, Va., weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 13 ounces Saturday to win $2,270 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Robert Bruguiere, Mechanicsville, Va., five bass, 14-5, $1,135
3rd: Chris Novack, Mansfield Center, Conn., five bass, 10-13, $757
4th: Peter Lerner, Philadelphia, Pa., five bass, 10-11, $530
5th: David Williams, Fredericksburg, Va., five bass, 10-9, $454
6th: Dennis Burdette, Lindside, W.Va., five bass, 10-5, $416
7th: Warren Ferguson, Peterstown, W.Va., four bass, 9-13, $378
8th: Mark Finley, Palmyra, Va., four bass, 9-10, $341
9th: Keith Lupo, Fredericksburg, Va., four bass, 9-3, $303
10th: Keith Allen, Sumerduck, Va., five bass, 8-13, $265
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. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.
