2018 Costa FLW Northern Division Lake Erie: One and Done-Day 2 & 3 Cancelled!

Neil Farrow Wins!

By Colin Moore

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Wicked winds halts tournament.
(Photo: FLW)

A stubborn weather front packing westerly winds lingered overnight in the eastern basin of Lake Erie near Buffalo and forced the cancellation of the final day of the Costa FLW Series Northern Division tournament presented by Polaris. Ron Lappin, Costa FLW Series tournament director, made the call at about 4 a.m. after boating out to the mouth of the protected harbor where the tournament was headquartered.

In effect, it was a one-day tournament, as Lappin called off the second day of the event Friday because of dangerous boating conditions on Erie’s open waters.

“As soon as I got out to the opening, I saw 5-footers washing up,” said Lappin. “The front that was supposed to go through yesterday evening [Friday] apparently didn’t. The weather report showed gusts to about 22 mph coming in until about 10 a.m., then letting up some, then picking up again in the afternoon. So even if we had waited an hour or two, it wouldn’t have made much difference.

“There’s no sense in taking chances. This is the type of waterway that can get really dangerous in a hurry,” Lappin said. “Going out in even marginal conditions is asking for trouble, so for the best interests of everyone involved we ended the tournament with the standings as they are.”

Ontario pro Neil Farrow was declared the winner on the strength of his 24-pound, 4-ounce limit of smallmouths in the event’s opening round Thursday. Ben Wright of Peru, N.Y., was runner-up with 24-3, Charles Sim of Nepean, Ont., was third with 23-3, JT Kenney of Palm Bay, Fla., was fourth with 23-2 and J. Todd Tucker of Moultrie, Ga., was fifth with 22-15.

In Thursday’s opening round, 44 pros had limits that each weighed 20 pounds or more, while nine co-anglers accounted for 20-pounds-plus sacks. Sakae Ushio of nearby Tonawanda, N.Y., won the co-angler division with 23-7.

Lappin said that the top 43 places each on the boater and co-angler sides would receive checks. The payout begins at 9 at the weigh-in trailer at Safe Harbor. The next Costa FLW Series Northern Division matchup is set for Sept. 6-8 out of Clayton, N.Y. That event will decide the final divisional standings.

Fine levied at Northern Open

By B.A.S.S. Communications
Sep 2, 2011

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Nate Wellman, winner of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open on Lake Erie last week, has been penalized for rules violations during the tournament.
B.A.S.S. officials today released the following statement:

“Bassmaster Elite Series angler Nate Wellman has been fined and placed on a one-year probation due to violation of B.A.S.S. tournament rule 3(vii), which prohibits ‘suggesting to another competitor that he violate these (B.A.S.S.) rules.’ After an investigation, B.A.S.S. officials found that the outcome of the tournament and the final results were in no way compromised and did not result in changes to the final standings of the Bassmaster Northern Open on Lake Erie. The fine monies will be donated to the Ohio B.A.S.S. Federation Nation to support its conservation efforts.”

Bassmaster Bass Pro Shops Northern Open Northern Open #2 Day 3: Wellman Wins!

Wellman captures Erie Open, fulfills goal of reaching ClassicBy

By: David Hunter Jones

Bassmaster Press Release

Aug 27, 2011

SANDUSKY, Ohio -- Nate Wellman has had a dream since he was 12 years old: to fish in the Bassmaster Classic.
Since then, he’s strived to make that dream a reality by trying to qualify through the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens as well as the Bassmaster Elite Series, but before today, he’s always come up short.


Well Worth the Wait.
(Photo:  Seigo Saito BASS)

 With his win on Lake Erie, he’ll be able to live out that dream this February on Louisiana’s Red River at the 2012 Classic.
The victory was even more special because Wellman had never won on his home water of Lake Erie despite compete on the lake for more than 10 years.
 “I can’t even explain what this means to me. To come here and win means an awful lot, but to get to go to the Classic means the world,” he said.
Wellman narrowly missed a spot in the 2011 Classic with his third-place finish in the 2010 Northern Opens point standings. Only the top two anglers advanced.
Along with the Classic berth, Wellman also takes home a fully-rigged Nitro boat with a 225-horsepower Mercury outboard and nearly $9,000 cash. His Day Three catch weighed 18-4, giving him a three-day total of 63-11and almost a two-pound margin of victory.

Bassmaster Bass Pro Shops Northern Open Northern Open #2 Day 2: Wellman Still on Top!

Wellman keeps lead but Devries' 26-7 puts him in hunt

 

Erie Beasts!
(Photo: Seigo Saito BASS)

By David Hunter Jones

Bassmaster Press Release

Aug 26, 2011

SANDUSKY, Ohio -- Weights soared on Day Two of the 2011 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open on Lake Erie as the winds calmed and gave anglers access to more areas.
On Day One, there were six anglers who cracked the 20-pound mark, with Nate Wellman’s 22-4 topping the list. Friday, 15 anglers crossed that mark, with John Devries tallying an astounding 26 pounds, 7 ounces of smallmouth. However, Elite Series pro Wellman managed to retain his lead with a catch of 23-3, giving him 45-7.

“I pulled up to where I left ’em biting yesterday afternoon, and it was awesome,” Wellman said. “In my first three casts, I caught two fish, and I was throwing 3-pounders back before I had a limit.”
“I ended up leaving there with four fish. But, they were even more loaded up on my third spot. Between the two of us (Wellman and his co-angler), we probably caught 70 bass there.”
Wellman lost several fish that he estimates would’ve given him another two pounds or so. He also says that the spot is replenishing every day. Going into the event, Wellman had 12 areas he planned to fish, but he’s only hit five of them so far.

Bassmaster Bass Pro Shops Northern Open Northern Open #2 Day 1: Wellman on Top!

By David Hunter Jones

Aug 25, 2011

BASSMASTER Press Release

Wellman leads day 1!
(Photo: Steve Bowman BASS)

SANDUSKY, Ohio -- Lake Erie’s highly-mobile smallmouth bass had much of the field scrambling for bites on Day One of the second 2011 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open, but several pros were able to adapt and crack the 20-pound mark.
No one was more surprised at leader Nate Wellman’s weight than Wellman himself.
“My weight was a complete shock. I really thought I had 18 pounds, but as I got to the scales, they felt a lot heavier,” he said. “But, I’m sure glad they put on that weight.”
In practice, Wellman found two areas that held fish bigger than the ones he caught today, but they weren’t home when he arrived this morning, so he fell back on Plan B.