By Bill Decoteau
Lake Winnipesaukee, NH Tournament Results
Vintage Wooden Race Boat’s formed a Regatta within the shorelines of Wolfeboro Bay, as antique steam engine vessels signaled their way to open water via Lees Mill. Along the shorelines of Moultonborough Neck’s Camp Robindel forty-seven New England Paralyzed Veterans of America Bass Anglers formed a line of wheelchairs upon a rubberized conveyer belt runway in preparation for the 6th Annual Lake Winnipesaukee NEPVA Bass Tournament.
“All thirty-two of our NEPVA Boater Division Anglers have been paired with volunteer Boat Captains, while NEPVA Anglers registered for our Bank/Pontoon Division competition have been assigned to either the morning or afternoon session on our pontoon boat,” stated NEPVA Tournament Director Tiny LaFontaine. (www.nepva.org)
Foggy
road conditions and scattered showers didn’t defray members of New
Hampshire’s Nam Knights (www.namknightsnh.com)
from saddling their Harley Davidson motorcycles meeting their dedicated
nine year service to loading and unloading their paralyzed veteran
comrades into their partners bass boats. “It’s hard to believe that nine
years has lapsed since we first started assisting our veteran brothers,
so that they might enjoy a day of bass fishing, “chuckled Ray “Hunter”
Brunelle President of the Granite State Chapter of Nam Knights.
The morning briefing and pairing meeting was well received when volunteer Chef Jim Mariano and his crew opened the camps kitchen doors, welcoming every one to a hearty warm breakfast. With the conclusion of breakfast followed by the National Anthem, each angler received a bagged lunch, and then was escorted to the loading docks where the Nam Knights of America Motorcycle Club carefully loaded each NEPVA Angler into their partners’ bass boat.
Under the watchful eye of Angler Productions, Don Gauvin and his cable television camera crew, thirty-two angling teams in the Boater Division boosted huge smiles as they departed the docks in search of a five bass team limit before the 2:00pm weigh-in. When the Bank/Pontoon Division boat pulled away from the docks, anglers assigned to the afternoon session began casting their lines baited with shiners competing from the docks.
It wasn’t long before the New England weather changed bringing rain showers and windy condition to Lake Winnipesaukee. Gathering around a warm fireplace with a cup of coffee, I had the opportunity to actually spend some time with the New Hampshire Nam Knights. Listening to their compassion for all veterans, especially those not quite as physically fortunate, I witnessed an adrenalin flow of American Patriotism that can only live in those who believe in the Freedom of America! Nam Knights live to serve all military and law enforcement veterans, this is their motto……Knights Forever Forever Knights!
I have never witnessed such energetic enthusiasm from an entire group of anglers,” remarked Nam Knight ‘Joker’. “Maybe it’s just the opportunity to get out fishing and enjoy this beautifully scenic body of water? Whatever it is these paralyzed veterans demonstrate a strength and appreciation stronger than anyone I have ever seen for the simple joy of fishing!”
With the ‘Angler Productions’ camera crew loaded unto my Nitro Marine USA, Inc. camera boat, we headed towards Garnet Point. Considering the overcast sky with windy conditions would turn on the smallmouth bite, we found several teams drifting the gravel point with tapered drop-offs. Coming off plane, we idled towards a group of three boats working at varied depths. (www.marineusainc.com)
It
was obvious even these New England Paralyzed Veterans of America Bass
Anglers like to Ham-it-up when being viewed by the lens of a
television camera! Laughter framed with ‘I caught it….No I caught-it,
How’s everyone else doing, don’t tell anyone what we’re throwing for
baits, all seemed to be script lines memorized by each NEPVA Angler.
With several hours of filming under our belt we head back to Camp Robindel in preparation for the 2:00pm weigh-in. Greeting each arriving team approaching the docks Nam Knights retrieved NEPVA Anglers wheelchairs, unloading each angler and then helping them to the weigh-in site. Chef Jim Mariano’s kitchen crew of New Hampshire B.A.S.S Federation Nation Youth Angler’s served warm Homemade Mariano Soup and coffee to everyone.
“Once, all of our NEPVA Anglers are out of their partners boats and escorted to the weigh-in site, we will then call boaters to the scales in groups of five,” announce Weigh Master Soupy Campbell, as a crowd of spectators braved the windy damp weather to cheer on their favorite teams.
Cold front conditions and easterly winds foretold the story of where most of the five bass limits were! Yet, nine teams managed to find the secret in enticing enough bites as they made their limits to the scales. “This is going to be a battle of ounces,” whispered Massachusetts TBF FLW Eastern Regional Youth Champion Rob Ramasci, as he checked each teams catch for the legal 12 inch size requirement. (www.massbass.com)
Carrying their official Northern Bass Supply weigh-in bags to the scales, a crowd of over one-hundred huddled around the scales cheering on their favorite teams. However, when volunteer Boat Captain Jim Ellis and NEPVA partner Vietnam Veteran Tom Blanchard reached the scales the crowd went wild, as Weigh-Master Campbell called out an official five bass limit weighing 12.08 lbs., “Folks we have a new overall leader, anchored with both largemouth and smallmouth lunkers!” (www.northernbass.com)
“We started out working shallow vegetation in the Lee’s Mill area for
largemouth bass, by throwing reaction baits first then slowing down with
weightless Yamamoto Senko’s rigged both Texas and Wacky style. When the
largemouth bite slowed down due to the windy conditions we moved to
deeper outside weedlines for smallmouths,” revealed Boat Captain Jim
Ellis. Blanchard added their largemouth lunker 4.21 lbs and their
smallmouth lunker 3.76lb engulfed weightless Yamamoto Senko’s rigged
wacky style. (www.yamamoto.baits.com)
2005 and 2006 NEPVA Lake Winnipesaukee Champion Boat Captain Paul Gelinas paired with NEPVA partner Paul Reed outdistanced the field claiming second place with a five bass limit tipping the scales at 10.07lbs. Working a combination of baits around the constantly changing weather conditions Gelinas and Reed managed to catch bass all day long. “We were able to land at least one bass in every area, but could not get that kicker bass,” smiled Gelinas as he and Reed congratulated the winning team.
Third place Mr. Trophies went to NEPVA TOC Boat Captain Bob Hegyi and NEPVA Angler Frank Vogeli of New York. Working drop-shot rigs along deeper humps and outside weedlines, Hegyi and Vogeli managed to find active Lake Winnie Bronzebacks all day long. Their five bass limit weighing 9.86 lbs edged out fourth place finishers NEPVA TOC Boat Captain Greg Mazur and NEPVA Angler Ken Munford by .44lbs. (www.mrtrophy.net)
Bank Division 1st Place and Big Fish Top honors went to NEPVA Vice President Craig Cassella. Cassella’s 4 pound smallmouth entertained the entire pontoon boat crew with acrobatic jumps and deep diving antics under the boat and around the outboard motor, before Pontoon Boat Captain Tiny LaFontaine managed to catch and release it. “All of Craig’s bass as well as the other Pontoon/Bank Division anglers’ bass……ate green pumpkin Senkos!!!
The Lake Winnipesaukee NEPVA Bass Tournament ended with an evening Banquet, as Chef Jim Mariano served everyone Oven Roasted Turkey with all the fixings.
God Bless and Best Bass’n
All Photo Credit: Bill Decoteau/THE BASS BUREAU
All NEPVA Bass Trail Tournaments are totally FREE to ALL participates. Individuals interested in fishing the tournaments may contact Tournament Director Tiny LaFontaine @ 1.781.935.2480. As a non-profit organization the tournament trail is funded only by generous donations from its sponsors, with all sponsor donations being tax deductible. For information on becoming an NEPVA sponsor call 1.800.660.1181 or visit NEPVA @ www.nepva.org