Jul 13

TEAM TOURNAMENT RESULTS

The annual NJBF six-man Team Tournament pits six members from each club against one another to see which club gets bragging rights for the year as the top club.  This year’s event was held on the mighty St. Lawrence River on July 9 and 10.  This legendary fishery is the land of the giant smallmouth bass, and even with variable wind conditions, and mostly post-spawn fish, the fishing did not disappoint!
 
Making it a Three-Peat was the Big D Valley Bassmasters (BDVB).  This team showed impressive balance and overall, weighed in 60 fish totaling 207.88 pounds, winning by over 16 pounds over the second-place team.  Although, it was not easy as going into Day 2 of the event, the BDVB was in third place, more than 7 pounds behind. But on Day 2, they had four anglers post 20+ pound bags.  Leading the team in weight was Donny Diggs, who finished third individually in the Boater Division with 38.89 pounds.  The other BDVB Boaters also finished in good stead, with Ian Martin in fifth place, Dave Williams in sixth place and Nick Angiulo in seventh place.  Equally impressive was BDVB’s Co-Anglers.  In that regard, Joe Venuto won the Co-Angler Division posting a huge Day 2 weight, and a two-day total of 36.89 pounds.  Desmond Byfield contributed an additional 22.73 pounds.  
 
The second-place team, Blazin Bass also brought impressive weight to the scales.  In all, that club weighed in 59 fish weighing 191.16.  
 
Other individual accomplishments of note were the overall big fish for the event.  In the Boater Division Dan Goykhman weighed in a 5.53 pound beast, and in the Co-Angler Division Adam Pruzansky weighed in the 5.09 pound big fish. 
 
Along with a team event, this event is used to qualify anglers for both the 2026 TBF District 15 National Semi-Final (NSF) and the 2027 TBF National Championship.  The NSF qualifiers are, in the Boater Division – Dan Goykhman, Mike Zampese, and Donny Diggs: and in the Co-Angler Division – Joe Venuto, Adam Pruzansky, and Bob Zeleny.  
 
By virtue of their first-place finishes, Dan Goykhman and Joe Venuto are considered the 2026 NJ State Champions and are automatically qualified for the 2027 TBF National Championship in the Boater Division and Co-Angler Division, respectively.

Winning BDVB team(l/r):  Nick Angiulo, Desmond Byfield, Dave Williams, Joe Venuto, Ian Martin, Donny Diggs

Individual Boater and Co-Angler winners Dan Goykhman and Joe Venuto

Co-Angler qualifiers

Jun 23

SARATOGA LAKE RESULTS

What an event! Predictably, the NJBF’s third event of the season, a two-day affair on June 19 and 20 at Saratoga Lake came down to ounces, and a meteoric comeback.
 
Saratoga’s reputation as a fish factory held up as all 14 teams posted five-fish limits on both tournament days. This was notwithstanding the fact that the incessant winds made fishing quite difficult.
 
After day one, the entire field was within 2.5 pounds, making it a shootout on day two. While most of the top teams from day one had comparable day two weights, it was not enough to combat the massive day two limit posted by the winning team.
 
That team, consisting of Derick Olson and Mike Keller, were mired in second to last place on day one. However, their day two limit of 16.70 pounds gave them a two-day total of 27.98 pounds, enough to win the event by just over one-half pound. For their efforts, the team received $2,110.
 
Second place went to Sheana Schneidereit and Lucas Aguilar. That team had over 13 and one-half pounds each day for a total of 27.44 pounds. Their second-place finish was worth $1,150.
 
Close behind in third place was the team of Carlos Jimenez and Mike Delmonaco with 10 fish weighing 26.72 pounds. That team received $570.
 
The big fish for the event went to the team of Craig Townsend and Kevin Collins with a 4.12 pound largemouth. That fish was worth $280.
 
The overall results and some photos are attached. The first photo is of all the winners followed by the winning team, the second and third place finishers and the lunker winners. 
 
The last event at Lake Hopatcong will decide the final yearly standings and who will qualify for the District 14 National Semi-Final. Register early!

May 04

NORTHERN CHESAPEAKE BAY – FINAL RESULTS

The second NJBF event of the season, held on May 3, on the Northern Chesapeake Bay presented a number of challenges for the 19 teams to conquer. The main challenge was the weather, where a severe high pressure front welcomed the anglers with unseasonably cold temperatures and cold, gusty winds of 10 to 25 mph. Adding to that was the 15-inch Maryland size minimum and the fact that there were several other tournament trails sharing the water. While these obstacles led many teams to catch smaller than normal bags for the body of water/time of year, most reported catching good overall numbers of bass.
 
The winning team of Nick Angiulo and Joe Venuto reported catching nearly 30 keeper-sized fish on the day. While their 17.94 pound bag had no true “kicker” fish, they weighed in three fish in the 4-pounds range and two others in the 3-pound range. For the victory, the team received $1,910.
Second and third place was decided by less than two ounces. Taking second place with 16.47 pounds was the team of Desmond Byfield and Dave Williams. This team also reported catching numerous keepers on the day, many in close proximity of the first place team, Byfield and Williams received $1,040. Close behind with 16.36 pounds was the team of Derick Olson and Mike Keller, who received $520.
The lunker for the event, a 4.25 pound largemouth, was caught by the team of Sheana Schneidereit and Lucas Aquilar. They received $380.

The next event is a two-day event on Saratoga Lake. It should be a good one! REGISTER EARLY!

Apr 20

NORTHERN CHESAPEAKE BAY REGISTRATION – LESS THAN TWO WEEKS TO GO

The second event is set for May 3 on the Northern Chesapeake Bay (Charlestown Ramp).  As in previous years, this year’s circuit is a “buddy” or “team” event.
 
To register, CLICK HERE.  
 
The deadline is 11:59 p.m. on April 30. Late entries will not be accepted.
 
Remember, to be eligible both you and your partner must be NJBF members. Not a member, send an email to nickangiulo@verizon.net for more information.