Aug 24

FINAL SEASON STANDINGS AND AWARDS

FINAL SEASON STANDINGS AND AWARDS

The 2020 New Jersey Bass Federation tournament season was anything but normal, with the pandemic making things challenging on many levels.

While the Federation did have to cancel its annual open buddy event, it managed to hold its usual 3 point events with modifications, due to an early-season postponement. Nevertheless, the coveted Angler of the Year prizes in both the Boater and Co-Angler Divisions went down to literally the final anglers at the final weigh-in.

BOATER DIVISION

Capturing his first-ever Boater Division Angler of the Year was Donny Diggs of the Quickfire Bassmasters. Diggs was remarkably consistent through all three events. Starting on the Northern Chesapeake, Diggs posted a fourth place finish. He followed that up with a seventh-place finish on Lake Hopatcong. He sealed the deal on the Delaware River where he finished a close second.

Second place in the Boater Division, only four points behind Diggs was Manny Cruz of the United Bass Anglers. The highlight of his season was his impressive victory at the Northern Chesapeake Bay event.

Just behind Cruz in third place was Derick Olson of the Quickfire Bassmasters. Olson’s best finish was his victory in the season’s last event on the Delaware River.

CO-ANGLER DIVISION

The saying “It ain’t over until the fat lady sings” held true in the Co-Angler Division as no less than 5 anglers were in position to take the Co-Angler of the Year award going into the Delaware River event.

When the dust settled in this battle of attrition, the Big D Valley Bassmasters’ Joe Venuto came out on top. Venuto started his season with a fourth place finish on the Northern Chesapeake Bay, followed by a fifth place finish on Lake Hopatcong. Saving the best for last, while other Co-Anglers faltered, Venuto finished in second place on the Delaware River to catapult his way to the top of the standings.

Just behind in second position was Joe Sodora of the Blazin Bass chapter. Sodora was also consistent in all three events, posting sixth, fourth and fourth-place finishes, respectively.

Third place Co-Angler was Mike Wotanowski of the Warren County Bassmasters. Wotanowski posted a victory on the Northern Chesapeake Bay and a second place on Lake Hopatcong

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

The Boater Division Rookie of the Year was Dave Williams of the Quickfire Bassmasters who finished in eighth place overall in that Division.

The Co-Angler Division Rookie of the Year was Mason Bell of the Big D Valley Bassmasters who finished in fourth place in that Division.

Attached are the overall results by Division for all anglers.

FINAL STANDINGS

We would like to sincerely thank all who participated during this difficult time.

Aug 24

DELAWARE RIVER POINT EVENT RESULTS and SUMMARY

DELAWARE RIVER POINT EVENT RESULTS and SUMMARY

The third and last New Jersey Bass Federation event of the 2020 season was on August 23, 2020, on the always challenging Delaware River. While the River holds a healthy population of bass, they are quite finicky and the seven foot tidal swing and vast area the fish have to roam can make it a difficult nut to crack. This is especially true in the summer, when vast weed beds add to the challenge.

This event also decided the end of the year final standings (which will be presented in a separate post).

Boater Division

The Division was a highly competitive affair, with the top 4 spots separated by less than one pound. The winner of the Boater Division was the always consistent Derick Olson of the Quickfire Bassmasters.

Olson weighed in one of the four 5-fish limits, with his 9.64 pounds taking the Boater Division top prize. Olson also won the Ranger Cup prize based on this finish as the highest finishing Ranger Cup eligible angler.

Close behind in second place was Olson’s clubmate, Donny Diggs. Diggs only managed 4 fish, but had 9.17 pounds. Diggs’ kicker fish was the lunker winner in the Boater Division, and weighed 4.69 pounds. Diggs’ second place finish was enough for him to hold on to the top spot and claim the Boater Angler of the Year award.

Finishing just more than one ounce behind, and making it a Quickfire clean sweep in the Boater Division was Cody Barry who weighed in 5 fish totaling 9.09 pounds.

Co-Angler Division

In a strange coincidence of symmetry, like the Boater Division, all three top places went to anglers from one club. In the Boater Division it was Quickfire anglers, while in the Co-Angler Division it was anglers from the Big D Valley Bassmasters

As is typical on the Delaware, the participating Co-Anglers had a tough time catching keeper-sized fish. However, one angler did come up with a 3-fish limit, which was enough to take the Co-Angler top prize. That angler, Mike Bell of the Big D Valley Bassmasters, posted a total of 3.06 pounds, which easily won the Division.

 

Second place with only one fish was Big D’s Joe Venuto. However, that one fish, a 1.87 pounder, was enough for second place as well as the Co-Angler lunker. Even more importantly, it provided Venuto with enough points to claim the Co-Angler of the Year award. Third place went to Big D’s Lou Basciani with 1.67 pounds.

Attached are the overall results for the event and some photos. The first photo shows all the winners (from left – Cody Barry, Derick Olson, Donny Diggs, Mike Bell, Joe Venuto, Lou Basciani).

Thanks to all who participated in this event and the entire season!

Aug 10

CANCELLED – August 13 NJBF quarterly meeting is cancelled.

 August 13 NJBF quarterly meeting is cancelled.

Aug 10

LAKE HOPATCONG POINT EVENT RESULTS and SUMMARY

The second New Jersey Bass Federation event of the 2020 season was held on a beautiful summer day on August 9, 2020, at New Jersey’s largest lake, Lake Hopatcong. While the weather was spectacular, the 40 participating anglers had to deal with the unbelievable summer boat traffic on the lake, which can make it appear ocean-like. This challenge did not detract at all from the quality of the fishing as most anglers brought fish to the scales and the event, in both the Boater and Co-Angler Divsions, was closely contested.

Boater Division

The margin of victory in the Boater Division was a scant 1/2 -pound. The winner of the Boater Division was well-known Hopatcong “stick” Mike Rinaldi.

Rinaldi posted a very solid five-fish limit weighing 13.90 pounds. Rinaldo also won the Ranger Cup prize based on this finish as the highest finishing Ranger Cup eligible angler.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finishing a close second was Al Hudson who also busted the 13 pound mark, with a five-fish limit totaling 13.39 pounds. Hudson was followed by Mike McMahon who finished in third place with 11.20 pounds.

The Boater lunker was a 5.14 pound beast weighed in by NJBF President Mike Keller.

Co-Angler Division

The new 2020 co-angler rule change to a 3 fish limit produced an incredibly close Co-Angler Division finish, as the top 14 anglers were only separated by 3.00 pounds, and the top three finishers were within 0.81 pounds of one another. Winning the event with 5.71 pounds was Scott Cocioppo, anchored by the Division’s largest fish, a 3.28 pound largemouth.

 

 

 

 

 

Second place went to maybe the hottest bass angler in the State. Mike Wotanowski of the Warren County Bassmasters followed up his victory in the season’s first event with a second place finish in this event. In doing so, he weighed in a three-fish limit of 5.48 pounds. Third place went to NJBF veteran Frank McMahon (father of Mike) with 4.90 pounds.

Attached are the overall results for the event and some photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to all who participated!

Results and current point standings on the results page HERE