Seneca Falls, N.Y. — New Jersey’s Pete Gluszek hasn’t fished a Bassmaster Classic since 1999, but he’ll be back in 2013 after winning the Bass Pro Shops Northern Open on New York’s Cayuga Lake. Gluszek went wire-to-wire at the event, posted the best catches in the field on each of the first two days and a finishing with a three day total of 56 pounds, 1 ounce. It was good enough to outdistance second-place finisher Stephen Browning of Arkansas by 4-12.
Gluszek fished two patterns to catch his bass — starting deep and finishing shallow, contrary to conventional bass fishing wisdom.
“Early in the morning I was flipping and pitching milfoil in 10 to 16 feet of water,” Gluszek said. “I was using a black 5-inch Yamamoto Senko behind a 1/2-ounce Round Valley tungsten sinker. Later in the day, as the sun came up, lots of bass were moving shallower and I caught them by skipping a weightless black Senko underneath boat docks.”
Gluszek focused his attentions on a 15-mile stretch of water in the central part of Cayuga Lake. He made the switch from his deep pattern to his shallow water pattern at about 11:00 each morning.
For the win, Gluszek earned $4,800 in cash and a Triton/Mercury boat and motor package worth more than $45,000, but the automatic berth in the 2013 Bassmaster Classic on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake has him excited, too. He last fished the championship in 1999 when he finished 31st on the Louisiana Delta.
“Amazing! It’s the biggest thing in fishing,” Gluszek said. “It’s why I started fishing as a professional.”
New York’s Ken Golub caught a 5-11 largemouth that was the best of Day 1. It withstood several close calls and finished as Carhartt Big Bass of the tournament, earning Golub $500.
“I caught that fish on one of my first few casts of the morning. She was about 40 feet deep off a steep drop on a point,” Golub explained. “She hit a 3/4-ounce black and blue custom made football jig with a Pro Edge Baits JRiv Craw trailer. I was just dragging the bait across the bottom when she struck.”
On the co-angler side of the competition, Todd Sterner of Mechanicsburg, Pa., took first place with a three-day total of 25-12. He jumped from fifth place after Day 2 into the lead with a final round catch of three bass weighing 8-8. For his efforts he earned a Skeeter/Yamaha boat and motor package worth more than $35,000.
The other race going on this week was the battle for invitations to fish the 2013 Bassmaster Elite Series. The top five anglers in the points standings in each of the three Opens divisions (Northern, Southern and Central) are guaranteed an invitation.
The top anglers in the Northern Division this season were Chad Pipkens of Michigan, Clifford Pirch of Arizona and Jason Christie of Oklahoma. Stephen Browning of Arkansas (already an Elite Series pro), Chris Daves of Virginia and Kurt Dove of Texas tied for fourth. The final events of the Southern and Central Opens will take place over the next two months.
2012 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2012 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Mercury, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha.
2012 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsor: Boat U.S., BOOYAH, Carhartt, Humminbird, Luck “E” Strike, Minn Kota, Power-Pole
About B.A.S.S.
For more than 40 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.
The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications —Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times — comprehensive website Bassmaster.com and ESPN2 and Outdoor Channel television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, Cabela’s B.A.S.S. Federation Nation events and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala.
Media Contact: Cara Clark, 205-313-0955, cclark@bassmaster.com, or Dave Precht, 205-313-0931, dprecht@bassmaster.com.