HARTMAN WINS WALMART BASS FISHING LEAGUE NORTHEAST DIVISION OPENER ON CHESAPEAKE BAY

                                                                                          

NORTH EAST, Md. (May 4, 2015) – Jamie Hartman of Newport, New York, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 22 pounds, 12 ounces Saturday to win the first Walmart Bass Fishing League Northeast Division tournament of 2015 on the Chesapeake Bay. For his victory, Hartman earned $4,652.

Hartman said he split his day fishing small grass patches in the northeast arm and deeper rocks in the main bay.

“Three of the fish on my stringer came on a Tidal Blue-colored Riot Baits Instigator Jig rigged with a green pumpkin-colored “R” Craw,” said Hartman. “The other two came off of a chartreuse and black-colored Strike King KVD HC 1.5 crankbait.”

Hartman said he found the most success in the rocks towards the end of the day.

“Three of my largest fish came from the rocks,” said Hartman. “The thing about fishing deeper in the rocks is you have to wait for the tide to go down. Once the tide drops the fish move to the outside edges and that’s when you can make your move.”

Hartman said he caught eight keepers over the course of the tournament.

“What really kept me in the hunt was my mindset. I had to stay patient and grind out those bites in the grass before moving to the rocks,” said Hartman.

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:

1^st:          Jamie Hartman, Newport, N.Y., five bass, 22-12, $4,652

2^nd:         Josh Hoshour, Ephrata, Pa., five bass, 20-15, $2,326

3^rd:          Travis Manson, Conshohocken, Pa., five bass, 20-2, $1,551

4^th:          John Schoener, Womelsdorf, Pa., five bass, 18-6, $1,086

5^th:          Ron Lutz, North East, Md., five bass, 17-10, $930

6^th:          Jack Rinkers, Swarthmore, Pa., five bass, 17-9, $853

7^th:          Jeff Choi, Bridport, Vt., five bass, 16-9, $775

8^th:          David Wilder, Middle River, Md., four bass, 16-5, $698

9^th:          Gregory DiPalma, Millville, N.J., five bass, 15-15, $620

10^th:        Joseph Thompson, Coatesville, Pa., five bass, 13-4, $543

Complete results can be found at FLWFishing.com.

Chris Savidge of Shamong, New Jersey, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 1 ounce and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $685.

Corey Bechtel of Macungie, Pennsylvania, weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 16 pounds even Saturday to win $2,326 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers were:

1^st:          Corey Bechtel, Macungie, Pa., five bass, 16-0, $2,326

2^nd:         Rich Harris, Monroe Township, Pa., three bass, 11-11, $1,163

3^rd:          Joseph Murphy, Philadelphia, Pa., three bass, 11-10, $777

4^th:          Cherif Zaher, Orangeville, Pa., two bass, 10-12, $543

5^th:          Kevin Mothersell, Henrietta, N.Y., two bass, 9-14, $445

5^th:          Jacob Weisman, Nanjemoy, Md., four bass, 9-14, $445

7^th:          Jason McDonald, Lawrenceville, N.J., three bass, 9-12, $388

8^th:          Terry Beck, Lock Haven, Pa., three bass, 8-15, $349

9^th:          Carl Hansen, Nottingham, Pa., two bass, 8-6, $310

10^th:        Brandon Esterly, Fleetwood, Pa., two bass, 8-4, $271

Zaher caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $342.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 8-10 Regional Championship on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland. 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.

The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 50 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. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the Rayovac FLW Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.