Alex Wetherell of Middletown, Conn., caught 26 pounds, 12 ounces over three days to take the title on the Connecticut River during the Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Divisional held out of Hartford, Conn., Friday.
Sept. 18, 2015
Wetherell Wins On Home Waters In Eastern Divisional
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HARTFORD, Conn. — Alex Wetherell of Middletown, Conn., staged a come-from-behind win Friday on his home waters of the Connecticut River during the 2015 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Divisional.
The 22-year-old angler came in with only four fish on the final day of the tournament. Even though he knew the four largemouth he had were good ones, he wasn’t convinced he could pull out a win with them.
“I was heading in from an hour-and-a-half ride, and I thought as I got closer, I could stop and cast some more,” said Wetherell, a student at Central Connecticut State University. “I stopped at one spot, but I didn’t get any bites.
“Then, instead of stopping any more, I decided to play it safe and come in,” he said. “And I guess it worked out.”
Wetherell’s name is familiar to long-time fans of the sport because five years ago, he hoisted a B.A.S.S. trophy over his head. He was the 2010 Junior Bassmaster World champion when he was just 17. He then went on to fish as many other events as he could with the aim of becoming a professional bass fisherman.
Now, he’s made one big step toward that goal by securing a berth in the 2015 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, Nov. 5-7, in Monroe, La. If he wins his division there, he’ll advance to the bass fishing world’s biggest stage, the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
“I’ve had some really good mentors,” Wetherell said. “Terry Baksay mentored me throughout the Junior Bassmaster program, and Dan Stevens has taught me how to become an ever better fisherman as an adult. I used to only want to fish my strengths, but now I’m open to whatever will help me win.”
Those lessons came in handy during the Eastern Divisional, when he had to change course to upgrade his weight.
“I had been targeting smallmouth each morning, and really throughout the day,” Wetherell said. “But today, I scrapped all that and targeted only largemouth.”
That decision landed him one of the only two double-digit sacks in the competition. His weight increased daily, from 6 pounds, 5 ounces of smallmouth on Wednesday, to 9 pounds, 11 ounces of largemouth on Thursday, to a 10-pound, 12-ounce catch on Friday, the final day.
It was also helpful that the two anglers ahead of him — Day 2 leader Jamie Hartman of New York, and David Dziob of Connecticut, who caught the biggest bag of the tournament on Day 2 — weighed in bags of 2 and 3 pounds, respectively, on Friday.
Wetherell was grateful that he was familiar with the Connecticut River.
“There’s no way to figure out this river in a week or two,” he said. “You have to know certain rocks, certain grass areas, that the bass only get on at certain times of the year. And then you have to hit them at the right tides.
“You could work a certain grassline or piece of wood and get nothing, but then half an hour later, when the tide has changed, you could come back and it’s a whole different story.”
Remembering that fish could change that quickly was key for Wetherell.
“My early morning spot for Wednesday and Thursday was a sand flat down south in Middleton with small bunches of eelgrass,” he explained. “They get up on those flats and feed.”
There, he caught two smallmouth on a topwater on Wednesday and a 12-incher that he later culled on Thursday.
His next area was the Salmon River in Haddam, where he caught three 2-pound-plus largemouth on a Texas rigged worm on Thursday afternoon.
Those catches inspired him to chase only largemouth on the final day, making that hour-and-a-half run south on Friday where he could fish the outgoing tide early in the morning. There, he caught a 3 1/2-pound largemouth dragging a tube and a 4-pounder with a crankbait.
He felt that two of the spots he had hit earlier on Friday to no avail were worth a revisit. He went back and caught his other two bass, right off the same tree.
That’s when he decided to head back to weigh-in. His fishing time was cut short by his long run, and he left his area at 12:30 to get back in, even though he was short of a limit.
By being the top angler on the Connecticut team, Wetherell qualified for the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship. Alongside him will be the following other team winners: Robert Williamson, Maine; George Barnes, Massachusetts; Dave Andrews, New Hampshire; Casey Smith, New York; Charles Sim, Ontario; Brian Croteau, Rhode Island; Cesar Ventura Pecellin Munoz, Spain; and Skip Sjobeck, Vermont.
In a close race among the states, New York won for having the highest cumulative weight. Its 14 members brought in 155 pounds, 8 ounces. Right behind New York was the home team of Connecticut with 149-12. The next-closest state was Vermont with 104-8.
Another competition was taking place simultaneously, too. Each state sent its high school champions to compete on the Connecticut River alongside the adults. Doug Marino and Noah Winslow of Connecticut, with their coach, Terry Baksay, were the top performers among the high school teams with 10 pounds, 2 ounces. Their next-closest competitors were Ben Wiitala and Damon Coleman of Rhode Island with 9-9.
The biggest bass of the Eastern Divisional was caught by Dave Andrews of Massachusetts on Day 1, at 4 pounds, 10 ounces. Jamie Hartman won the Livingston Lures Leader Award of $250 for leading on the second day, and Skip Sjobeck won the A.R.E. Top Angler Award of $250 for being the highest-finishing A.R.E. Truck Caps owner in the tournament.
This divisional was the final one of the season, and now all the contenders for the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship have qualified. Stay tuned to Bassmaster.com leading up to and during the championship, Nov. 5-7, for news regarding amateur bass fishing’s biggest championship.
2015 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Divisional 9/16-9/18
Connecticut River, Hartford CT.
Standings Day 3
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT (CT) 14 26-12 0
2. Dave Andrews Hudson, MA (NH) 13 22-02 0
3. Casey Smith Macedon, NY (NY) 15 21-04 0
4. David Dziob Meriden, CT (CT) 10 20-05 0
5. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY (NY) 11 19-02 0
6. Skip Sjobeck Randolph, VT (VT) 12 18-14 0
7. Chris O’Brien Rochester, NY (NY) 15 18-10 0
8. George Barnes Cambridge, MA (MA) 11 18-05 0
9. Robert Williamson Gorham, ME (ME) 10 17-05 0
10. Charles Sim Ottawa CANADA (ONT) 12 16-11 0
11. Chris Bielert Danbury, CT (CT) 10 16-03 0
12. George Yund Albany, NY (NY) 11 15-03 0
13. Gary Graser Claremont, NH (NH) 10 15-00 0
14. Jeremy Douglas Rochester, NY (NY) 10 14-08 0
15. Joe Holland Jefferson, ME (ME) 7 14-02 0
16. Pete Demoya Plymouth, MA (MA) 11 14-02 0
17. Doug Brownridge Milton ONTARIO CANADA ( 9 13-11 0
18. Mark Desjardin Vassalboro, ME (ME) 7 12-05 0
19. Cesar Ventura Pecellin Munoz Badajoz SPAIN (ESP) 9 12-05 0
20. Steven Pickard Fulton, NY (NY) 8 12-04 0
21. Jim Bianchi Rush, NY (NY) 8 12-03 0
22. Mickey Soler Newington, CT (CT) 9 11-15 0
23. Reed Johnson Farmington, CT (CT) 10 11-12 0
24. Joe Burchill Boston, MA (MA) 8 11-08 0
25. Robert Pepe Plainville, CT (CT) 7 11-06 0
26. James Knox Rutland, VT (VT) 9 11-03 0
27. Ryan Friscia Central Square, NY (NY) 8 11-01 0
28. James Jeffries Rouses Point, NY (VT) 6 11-01 0
29. Daryl Biron South Windsor, CT (CT) 9 11-00 0
30. Brian Croteau Blackstone, MA (RI) 7 10-15 0
31. Larry MacPhail Kingston Ontario CANADA 8 10-09 0
32. John Knowles Oakdale, CT (CT) 5 10-07 0
33. Kal Vaisanen Dundalk ONTARIO CANADA 8 10-04 0
34. HS – CT – Marino / Winslow Naugatuck, CT (CT) 8 10-02 0
35. Glen Bruce Saco, ME (ME) 6 09-12 0
36. Mark Porco Torontoa Ontario CANADA 7 09-12 0
37. HS – RI – Wiitala / Coleman Exeter, RI (RI) 7 09-09 0
38. Jim Lynch Bomoseen, VT (VT) 6 09-07 0
39. David LeBlanc Springfield, NH (NH) 6 09-00 0
40. Chris Adams Rutland, VT (VT) 7 08-15 0
41. Doug Kirkbride Beaver Falls, NY (NY) 6 08-13 0
42. HS – MA – Bramhill Peznola Leominster, MA (MA) 5 08-12 0
43. John Diaco Rochester, NH (NH) 6 08-11 0
44. Scott Dupuis Wilmington, VT (VT) 7 08-08 0
45. John Shpack Attleboro, MA (MA) 6 08-07 0
46. Frank Ramsay Ingleside ONTARIO CANAD 6 08-05 0
47. Dan Tavilla Clelmsford, MA (MA) 8 08-04 0
48. Michael Abernathy Coventry, RI (RI) 6 08-04 0
49. Bob Thornington Kirkfield ONTARIO CANAD 4 08-01 0
50. TJ Valle Rochester, NY (NY) 6 07-15 0
51. Keith Poulin Lisbon, ME (ME) 4 07-14 0
52. HS – VT Belllinghiri / Rexford Grand Isle, VT (VT) 6 07-07 0
53. HS – NH – Conti Cagliano Hampton Falls, NH (NH) 6 07-04 0
54. Edward Kohl Waterford, CT (CT) 3 07-03 0
55. Rafael Diaz Gonzalez Rivasvacia Madrid SPAIN 5 07-02 0
56. Steven Worden Cumberland, RI (RI) 5 06-14 0
57. HS – ME Rodgers / Williamson Gorham, ME (ME) 6 06-12 0
58. Jeremy Von Oesen Dixmont, ME (ME) 4 06-09 0
59. Chris Mann Cornish, VT (VT) 6 06-09 0
60. Dino Moutogiannis Newington, CT (CT) 4 06-06 0
61. Christopher Killoren Marcellus, NY (NY) 4 06-06 0
62. Tom Reynolds Lyme, CT (CT) 4 06-05 0
63. Carlos Montoya Martinez Pozuelo Del Rev SPAIN ( 6 06-03 0
64. Pedro Jose Garcia Perero Minglanilla SPAIN (ESP) 6 06-01 0
65. Bill Wright Whiting, VT (VT) 4 06-01 0
66. Lewis Mendall Wrentham, MA (RI) 3 06-00 0
67. Jim Rockett Intervale, NH (NH) 4 05-15 0
68. Carlos Lopez Madrid Arganda SPAIN (E 6 05-14 0
69. John Lamour Harrowsmith CANADA (ONT 4 05-14 0
70. Miguel Munoz Martinez Cofrentes SPAIN (ESP) 4 05-13 0
71. HS – NY – Arndt Hujar Cicero, NY (NY) 4 05-12 0
72. Patrick Campbell Barrie Ontario CANADA ( 4 05-12 0
73. Ruben Corbella Salvia Mollerusa SPAIN (ESP) 3 05-07 0
74. HS – ON McGarry Gallant Bowmanville CANADA (ONT 4 05-05 0
75. Philip Casto Woonsocket, RI (RI) 2 05-01 0
76. Carlos Perez Zamorano Madrid SPAIN (ESP) 4 05-00 0
77. RC Cooper Nashua, NH (NH) 4 05-00 0
78. Paul LeBlanc Medway, MA (MA) 4 05-00 0
79. Scott Parker Candia, NH (NH) 3 04-15 0
80. Alan Krause Hingham, MA (MA) 4 04-13 0
81. Chuck Sturtevant NoChihenden, VT (VT) 4 04-13 0
82. Timothy Dube Nashua , NH (NH) 4 04-12 0
83. Ronald Bestwick Grisword, CT (RI) 4 04-12 0
84. Jeffrey Kenney Franklin, MA (MA) 4 04-11 0
85. Bob Wetzler Rutland, VT (VT) 3 04-11 0
86. Russell Phillips Guilford, VT (VT) 4 04-10 0
87. John Fortier Sanbornton, NH (NH) 4 04-08 0
88. Ronald Larivee Chepachet, RI (RI) 3 04-07 0
89. Eric Corbella Salvia Mollerusa SPAIN (ESP) 4 04-06 0
90. Javier Casado Izquierdo Caceres SPAIN (ESP) 3 04-02 0
91. Doug Lees Ottawa Ontario CANADA ( 3 03-10 0
92. Matthew Breach Douglas, MA (MA) 3 03-07 0
93. Kevin Miller Merrimack, NH (NH) 3 03-04 0
94. Jason Kervin Auburn, ME (ME) 2 03-04 0
95. Chris Guncheon Warwick, RI (RI) 2 03-02 0
96. Bill Rider Standish, ME (ME) 3 03-01 0
97. Daniel Gonzalez Garcia Madrid, (ESP) 2 02-09 0
98. Steve Beam Manlius, NY (NY) 2 02-07 0
99. Michael Caudle Foxboro, MA (MA) 2 02-06 0
100. Steve Goozey Pomfret Center, CT (RI) 2 02-05 0
101. Phillip Wade New Haven, VT (VT) 2 02-05 0
102. Brian Jarvis Warwick , RI (RI) 2 02-05 0
103. Dwayne Turnage Hollis, ME (ME) 2 02-03 0
104. Dave Spence Pickering CANADA (ONT) 2 02-02 0
105. Jim Burrows Nashua, NH (NH) 2 02-02 0
106. Steve Wilson East Waterboro, ME (ME) 2 01-15 0
107. James Johnson Scitoate, RI (RI) 1 01-09 0
108. Brian Chadwick Woolsich, ME (ME) 1 01-07 0
109. Roy Costa Cranson, RI (RI) 1 01-03 0
110. Shane Fernandez Etobicoke Ontario CANAD 1 01-02 0
111. Gerry Blanchette Concord, NH (NH) 1 01-00 0
112. Juan Carlos Moreno Carretero Sevilla Nueva SPAIN (ES 1 00-14 0
113. Ricky Turczak Housatonic, MA (MA) 1 00-13 0
114. Steve Castagnino Mansfield, MA (MA) 0 00-00 0
114. Steven Dorsey Warwick, RI (RI) 0 00-00 0
114. Shane Hatch Owls Head, ME (ME) 0 00-00 0
114. Joe Mahood Briarcliff Manor, NY (C 0 00-00 0
——————————
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 12 205 289-01
2 10 213 314-02
3 15 216 310-07
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37 634 913-10
TEAM STANDINGS Day 3
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State Lbs-Oz
1 NEW YORK 155-08
2 CONNECTICUT 149-12
3 VERMONT 104-08
4 ONTARIO 101-02
5 NEW HAMPSHIRE 93-09
6 MASSACHUSETTS 90-08
7 MAINE 86-09
8 RHODE ISLAND 66-06
9 SPAIN 65-12
INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 3
——————————
CONNECTICUT
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Alex Wetherell Middletown, CT 14 26-12 0
2 David Dziob Meriden, CT 10 20-05 0
3 Chris Bielert Danbury, CT 10 16-03 0
4 Mickey Soler Newington, CT 9 11-15 0
5 Reed Johnson Farmington, CT 10 11-12 0
6 Robert Pepe Plainville, CT 7 11-06 0
7 Daryl Biron South Windsor, CT 9 11-00 0
8 John Knowles Oakdale, CT 5 10-07 0
9 HS – CT – Marino / Winslow Naugatuck, CT 8 10-02 0
10 Edward Kohl Waterford, CT 3 07-03 0
11 Dino Moutogiannis Newington, CT 4 06-06 0
12 Tom Reynolds Lyme, CT 4 06-05 0
13 Joe Mahood Briarcliff Manor, NY 0 00-00 0
MASSACHUSETTS
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 George Barnes Cambridge, MA 11 18-05 0
2 Pete Demoya Plymouth, MA 11 14-02 0
3 Joe Burchill Boston, MA 8 11-08 0
4 HS – MA – Bramhill Peznola Leominster, MA 5 08-12 0
5 John Shpack Attleboro, MA 6 08-07 0
6 Dan Tavilla Clelmsford, MA 8 08-04 0
7 Paul LeBlanc Medway, MA 4 05-00 0
8 Alan Krause Hingham, MA 4 04-13 0
9 Jeffrey Kenney Franklin, MA 4 04-11 0
10 Matthew Breach Douglas, MA 3 03-07 0
11 Michael Caudle Foxboro, MA 2 02-06 0
12 Ricky Turczak Housatonic, MA 1 00-13 0
13 Steve Castagnino Mansfield, MA 0 00-00 0
MAINE
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Robert Williamson Gorham, ME 10 17-05 0
2 Joe Holland Jefferson, ME 7 14-02 0
3 Mark Desjardin Vassalboro, ME 7 12-05 0
4 Glen Bruce Saco, ME 6 09-12 0
5 Keith Poulin Lisbon, ME 4 07-14 0
6 HS – ME Rodgers / Williamson Gorham, ME 6 06-12 0
7 Jeremy Von Oesen Dixmont, ME 4 06-09 0
8 Jason Kervin Auburn, ME 2 03-04 0
9 Bill Rider Standish, ME 3 03-01 0
10 Dwayne Turnage Hollis, ME 2 02-03 0
11 Steve Wilson East Waterboro, ME 2 01-15 0
12 Brian Chadwick Woolsich, ME 1 01-07 0
13 Shane Hatch Owls Head, ME 0 00-00 0
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Dave Andrews Hudson, MA 13 22-02 0
2 Gary Graser Claremont, NH 10 15-00 0
3 David LeBlanc Springfield, NH 6 09-00 0
4 John Diaco Rochester, NH 6 08-11 0
5 HS – NH – Conti Cagliano Hampton Falls, NH 6 07-04 0
6 Jim Rockett Intervale, NH 4 05-15 0
7 RC Cooper Nashua, NH 4 05-00 0
8 Scott Parker Candia, NH 3 04-15 0
9 Timothy Dube Nashua , NH 4 04-12 0
10 John Fortier Sanbornton, NH 4 04-08 0
11 Kevin Miller Merrimack, NH 3 03-04 0
12 Jim Burrows Nashua, NH 2 02-02 0
13 Gerry Blanchette Concord, NH 1 01-00 0
NEW YORK
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Casey Smith Macedon, NY 15 21-04 0
2 Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 11 19-02 0
3 Chris O’Brien Rochester, NY 15 18-10 0
4 George Yund Albany, NY 11 15-03 0
5 Jeremy Douglas Rochester, NY 10 14-08 0
6 Steven Pickard Fulton, NY 8 12-04 0
7 Jim Bianchi Rush, NY 8 12-03 0
8 Ryan Friscia Central Square, NY 8 11-01 0
9 Doug Kirkbride Beaver Falls, NY 6 08-13 0
10 TJ Valle Rochester, NY 6 07-15 0
11 Christopher Killoren Marcellus, NY 4 06-06 0
12 HS – NY – Arndt Hujar Cicero, NY 4 05-12 0
13 Steve Beam Manlius, NY 2 02-07 0
RHODE ISLAND
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Brian Croteau Blackstone, MA 7 10-15 0
2 HS – RI – Wiitala / Coleman Exeter, RI 7 09-09 0
3 Michael Abernathy Coventry, RI 6 08-04 0
4 Steven Worden Cumberland, RI 5 06-14 0
5 Lewis Mendall Wrentham, MA 3 06-00 0
6 Philip Casto Woonsocket, RI 2 05-01 0
7 Ronald Bestwick Grisword, CT 4 04-12 0
8 Ronald Larivee Chepachet, RI 3 04-07 0
9 Chris Guncheon Warwick, RI 2 03-02 0
10 Steve Goozey Pomfret Center, CT 2 02-05 0
11 Brian Jarvis Warwick , RI 2 02-05 0
12 James Johnson Scitoate, RI 1 01-09 0
13 Roy Costa Cranson, RI 1 01-03 0
14 Steven Dorsey Warwick, RI 0 00-00 0
VERMONT
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Skip Sjobeck Randolph, VT 12 18-14 0
2 James Knox Rutland, VT 9 11-03 0
3 James Jeffries Rouses Point, NY 6 11-01 0
4 Jim Lynch Bomoseen, VT 6 09-07 0
5 Chris Adams Rutland, VT 7 08-15 0
6 Scott Dupuis Wilmington, VT 7 08-08 0
7 HS – VT Belllinghiri / Rexford Grand Isle, VT 6 07-07 0
8 Chris Mann Cornish, VT 6 06-09 0
9 Bill Wright Whiting, VT 4 06-01 0
10 Chuck Sturtevant NoChihenden, VT 4 04-13 0
11 Bob Wetzler Rutland, VT 3 04-11 0
12 Russell Phillips Guilford, VT 4 04-10 0
13 Phillip Wade New Haven, VT 2 02-05 0
ONTARIO
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Charles Sim Ottawa CANADA 12 16-11 0
2 Doug Brownridge Milton ONTARIO CANADA 9 13-11 0
3 Larry MacPhail Kingston Ontario CANADA 8 10-09 0
4 Kal Vaisanen Dundalk ONTARIO CANADA 8 10-04 0
5 Mark Porco Torontoa Ontario CANADA 7 09-12 0
6 Frank Ramsay Ingleside ONTARIO CANAD 6 08-05 0
7 Bob Thornington Kirkfield ONTARIO CANAD 4 08-01 0
8 John Lamour Harrowsmith CANADA 4 05-14 0
9 Patrick Campbell Barrie Ontario CANADA 4 05-12 0
10 HS – ON McGarry Gallant Bowmanville CANADA 4 05-05 0
11 Doug Lees Ottawa Ontario CANADA 3 03-10 0
12 Dave Spence Pickering CANADA 2 02-02 0
13 Shane Fernandez Etobicoke Ontario CANAD 1 01-02 0
SPAIN
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Total $$$
1 Cesar Ventura Pecellin Munoz Badajoz SPAIN 9 12-05 0
2 Rafael Diaz Gonzalez Rivasvacia Madrid SPAIN 5 07-02 0
3 Carlos Montoya Martinez Pozuelo Del Rev SPAIN 6 06-03 0
4 Pedro Jose Garcia Perero Minglanilla SPAIN 6 06-01 0
5 Carlos Lopez Madrid Arganda SPAIN 6 05-14 0
6 Miguel Munoz Martinez Cofrentes SPAIN 4 05-13 0
7 Ruben Corbella Salvia Mollerusa SPAIN 3 05-07 0
8 Carlos Perez Zamorano Madrid SPAIN 4 05-00 0
9 Eric Corbella Salvia Mollerusa SPAIN 4 04-06 0
10 Javier Casado Izquierdo Caceres SPAIN 3 04-02 0
11 Daniel Gonzalez Garcia Madrid, 2 02-09 0
12 Juan Carlos Moreno Carretero Sevilla Nueva SPAIN 1 00-14 0
