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Jamie Hartman of Newport, N.Y., takes the lead on Day 2 of the the Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Divisional on the Connecticut River held out of Hartford, Conn., after bringing in 8 pounds, 9 ounces for a two-day total weight of 16-5. Photo by Tyler Wade/B.A.S.SHARTFORD, Conn.

Jamie Hartman of Newport, N.Y., brought in a limit of five bass nearly identical in weight to his first-round catch on the Connecticut River Thursday, and now he holds the lead in the 2015 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Divisional with 16 pounds, 15 ounces.

“Today, I fished as a nonboater,” said Hartman, “and I didn’t get to make the run I did yesterday. I only got to go to two of my spots.”

But that changes on Friday, when he takes back control of his own boat and gets to make the hour-plus run south to where he caught the second-heaviest limit of the first round. He trailed another New York angler, Steven Pickard of Fulton, after the first day of fishing.

“Tomorrow will be about staying consistent,” said Hartman, who’s managed to be consistent so far with 8 pounds, 6 ounces on Wednesday and 8-9 today.

His lead does not unnerve him.

“I fish hard every time, every single time I get on the water,” said the New York B.A.S.S. Nation member. “It’s just about putting your head down and grinding.”

Hartman had never fished the Connecticut River until he got here for practice. And the river is nothing like his home lake of Oneida.

“It’s very humbling,” he said. “The fish are scattered, and there’s not a lot of good isolated targets.”

What he found on today was one really good smallmouth — 3 1/2 pounds — something he would love to duplicate on the final day.

“I am hoping to get a couple of early bites tomorrow like I did the first two days,” said Hartman, who spends his winters driving a truck locally in the Northeast region and dedicates his summers to fishing.

If he manages to hold onto his lead — at least on the New York state team — Hartman will be heading to Monroe, La., for the Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship for the second time. The first time was in 2010, the only other time he’s qualified for a championship, and it happened to also be in Monroe on the Ouachita River.

“I finished fourth there and missed the Classic by 3 ounces,” Hartman said. He said he loves the idea of getting back there and giving it another shot.

The other anglers who are currently in their state lead and vying for a spot in the championship are David Dziob, Connecticut; Mark Desjardin, Maine; George Barnes, Massachusetts; Dave Andrews, New Hampshire; Charles Sim, Ontario; Brian Croteau, Rhode Island; Cesar Ventura Pecellin, Spain; and Skip Sjobeck, Vermont.

The dock talk was that the weights would be better for the second day, and they were — but almost immeasurably so. The biggest bag of the day was substantial, though. David Dziob of Connecticut brought in 13 pounds, 3 ounces today — the biggest of the tournament so far by 3 1/2 pounds. Dziob is going back for even more on Friday. He left his spot at noon so it could rest before the final day of competition.

Hartman holds the lead over Dziob by only 5 ounces. But Dziob’s catch helped his team of Connecticut take over the state lead of the New York team by a single ounce. It’s a close race in the team competition, which is based on the cumulative weight of all the anglers in a state. Currently, Connecticut leads with 105 pounds, 9 ounces, New York has 105-8, and the next-closest state is nearly 30 pounds behind them. The winning state takes home a Triton/Mercury package worth $38,000.

Competition resumes Friday. Anglers will take off from Riverside Park at 6:15 a.m. ET, and they’ll conclude the tournament with the weigh in at Riverside Park at 2:15 p.m. Keep up with the action at Bassmaster.com.
2015 B.A.S.S. Nation Title Sponsor: Old Milwaukee

2015 B.A.S.S. Nation Premier Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, GoPro, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha

2015 B.A.S.S. Nation Supporting Sponsors: A.R.E. Accessories, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Huk, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Nationwide, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series presented by Allstate, Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.

Las Vegas, Nev. – September 16, 2014 – Roy Hawk capped off a great past month for his family on Wednesday in the desert outside of Las Vegas. After competing in the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup, and watching his son Sunny win the Co-Angler title there, Hawk crested the peak of a mountain of his own he has been close to reaching the summit before when he claimed victory in the 2015 WON Bass Nitro / Mercury U.S. Open.

                          2015 WON Bass U.S. Open Champion Roy Hawk – photo by Dan O’Sullivan

Hawk began the final day of the event less than half a pound behind the leader; however, the consistency of his weights made many believe that he held the inside track to win. Then the final day started, and Hawk went fishless until after eleven o’clock in the morning. His final day weight of 8.75 pounds brought his total winning weight to 29.40 pounds.

“I really wasn’t getting too uptight because I had a better bite in the afternoon on most of my practice days,” he said. “The only thought that kept going through my head was that I had lost one of the events in the past because I tried to force a reaction bite that wasn’t there; so, I scaled down and finesse fished until I couldn’t stand it anymore after the morning went slowly.”

That approach only presented a single keeper that his AAA partner caught at 11:15. “I tried it for a little while after that, and then went back to my primary areas, and started getting bites,” he said. “I had a double hookup on my topwater bait that gave us fish number two and three, and then managed to catch a few more on the topwater and a jig to fill out the limit a cull a couple.”

He reported heading back towards Callville Bay for weigh-in without much anticipation. “I really felt like I had left the door open once again, and really didn’t have much chance of winning,” he said. “I thought the only chance I had was if other anglers struggled too, and that happened today. I can’t believe I won the U.S. Open, I am completely blessed.”

Hawk said that he spent his whole practice period and tournament fishing the lower basin near the dam, Hemmingway Harbor and Kingman Wash. He reported fishing a team tournament a few weeks ago that showed him there was potential in the area. “I never went anywhere else to practice because I felt so good about it, and I spent my whole tournament in the lower basin in sight of the entrance to the dam.”

Hawk said three lures were responsible for his win. The primary lure, which allowed him to target fish targeting shad chasing bass that would occasionally school, was a Duo Realis Pencil topwater lure. He said he produced a few on a SPRO crankbait as well as a Yamamoto Football Jig and Double Tailed Grub Trailer.

For his victory, Hawk will earn the keys to a U.S. Open themed red white and blue 2015 Nitro Z8 bass boat and Mercury ProXS 200 outboard valued at nearly $40,000 and an additional $50,500 in cash, bringing his total winner’s purse to nearly $100,000.

Clayton Meyer, of Henderson, Nev., like most of the field struggled to produce the consistent weight he had the previous two days. However, his 7.53-pound limit on day three brought his total weight to 27.43 pounds; enough for second place for the event. “I never really felt like I had a chance to win at any point during the day because I didn’t do enough on the water today,” he said. “I can’t say that I am disappointed because I really did all I could, I just never really got the kind of bite that would have made the difference today. As it is, Roy (Hawk) won by a big margin for Lake Mead (nearly two pounds) and a $20,000 payday for second place is a pretty big deal.”

Lake Havasu, Ariz. pro Shaun Bailey caught the big bass of the tournament on the final day; a 4.56-pound largemouth he reported catching on a jig.

On the amateur side, Tyler Rempe of Sierra Vista, Ariz. was a part of the big day with his pro partner Ben Grande on day two that helped him take the lead on the AAA side. He came to the scales with 9.50 pounds today and held on to the lead he grasped on day two, winning with a total weight of 29.75 pounds. He managed to withstand the charge of Phoenix, Ariz. AAA Tim Demecs, who finished the event with 28.43 pounds

For the complete final standings of both divisions, see below.

All that remains is to award the prizes to the field. That happens at 7:00PM form the Railhead Room at Boulder Station Casino in Las Vegas. The entirety of the awards ceremony will be broadcast on the Costa See What’s Out There Live Show until its conclusion.

The WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury Marine U.S. Open Costa See What’s Out There Webcasts can be accessed by visiting www.wonbass.com, or directly at the event page of the 2014 The WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury Marine U.S. Open See What’s Out There page presented by Costa Sunglasses.

The WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury Marine U.S. Open Live Webcast has been presented by Costa Sunglasses, the event is also brought to you by Nitro Boats, Mercury Outboards, Costa Sunglasses, Bass Pro Shops, Bridgford Foods, Daiwa, Seaguar, Plano Molding, Cousins Tackle, YoZuri, Pro Mar, Eagle Claw TroKar, Lowrance, St.Croix Rods, Okuma, Big Hammer, Storm, Top This, Phenix Rods, Livingston Lures, Global Fish Mounts, Frabill, Dude Wipes, Industrial Strength Sunscreen, MudHole, Bass Underground and A.D.D. Offroad.
2015 WON Bass U.S. Open Champion Roy Hawk – photo by Dan O’Sullivan
Las Vegas, Nev. – September 16, 2014 – Roy Hawk capped off a great past month for his family on Wednesday in the desert outside of Las Vegas. After competing in the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup, and watching his son Sunny win the Co-Angler title there, Hawk crested the peak of a mountain of his own he has been close to reaching the summit before when he claimed victory in the 2015 WON Bass Nitro / Mercury U.S. Open.

Hawk began the final day of the event less than half a pound behind the leader; however, the consistency of his weights made many believe that he held the inside track to win. Then the final day started, and Hawk went fishless until after eleven o’clock in the morning. His final day weight of 8.75 pounds brought his total winning weight to 29.40 pounds.

“I really wasn’t getting too uptight because I had a better bite in the afternoon on most of my practice days,” he said. “The only thought that kept going through my head was that I had lost one of the events in the past because I tried to force a reaction bite that wasn’t there; so, I scaled down and finesse fished until I couldn’t stand it anymore after the morning went slowly.”

That approach only presented a single keeper that his AAA partner caught at 11:15. “I tried it for a little while after that, and then went back to my primary areas, and started getting bites,” he said. “I had a double hookup on my topwater bait that gave us fish number two and three, and then managed to catch a few more on the topwater and a jig to fill out the limit a cull a couple.”

He reported heading back towards Callville Bay for weigh-in without much anticipation. “I really felt like I had left the door open once again, and really didn’t have much chance of winning,” he said. “I thought the only chance I had was if other anglers struggled too, and that happened today. I can’t believe I won the U.S. Open, I am completely blessed.”

Hawk said that he spent his whole practice period and tournament fishing the lower basin near the dam, Hemmingway Harbor and Kingman Wash. He reported fishing a team tournament a few weeks ago that showed him there was potential in the area. “I never went anywhere else to practice because I felt so good about it, and I spent my whole tournament in the lower basin in sight of the entrance to the dam.”

Hawk said three lures were responsible for his win. The primary lure, which allowed him to target fish targeting shad chasing bass that would occasionally school, was a Duo Realis Pencil topwater lure. He said he produced a few on a SPRO crankbait as well as a Yamamoto Football Jig and Double Tailed Grub Trailer.

For his victory, Hawk will earn the keys to a U.S. Open themed red white and blue 2015 Nitro Z8 bass boat and Mercury ProXS 200 outboard valued at nearly $40,000 and an additional $50,500 in cash, bringing his total winner’s purse to nearly $100,000.

Clayton Meyer, of Henderson, Nev., like most of the field struggled to produce the consistent weight he had the previous two days. However, his 7.53-pound limit on day three brought his total weight to 27.43 pounds; enough for second place for the event. “I never really felt like I had a chance to win at any point during the day because I didn’t do enough on the water today,” he said. “I can’t say that I am disappointed because I really did all I could, I just never really got the kind of bite that would have made the difference today. As it is, Roy (Hawk) won by a big margin for Lake Mead (nearly two pounds) and a $20,000 payday for second place is a pretty big deal.”

Lake Havasu, Ariz. pro Shaun Bailey caught the big bass of the tournament on the final day; a 4.56-pound largemouth he reported catching on a jig.

On the amateur side, Tyler Rempe of Sierra Vista, Ariz. was a part of the big day with his pro partner Ben Grande on day two that helped him take the lead on the AAA side. He came to the scales with 9.50 pounds today and held on to the lead he grasped on day two, winning with a total weight of 29.75 pounds. He managed to withstand the charge of Phoenix, Ariz. AAA Tim Demecs, who finished the event with 28.43 pounds

For the complete final standings of both divisions, see below.

All that remains is to award the prizes to the field. That happens at 7:00PM form the Railhead Room at Boulder Station Casino in Las Vegas. The entirety of the awards ceremony will be broadcast on the Costa See What’s Out There Live Show until its conclusion.

The WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury Marine U.S. Open Costa See What’s Out There Webcasts can be accessed by visiting www.wonbass.com, or directly at the event page of the 2014 The WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury Marine U.S. Open See What’s Out There page presented by Costa Sunglasses.

The WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury Marine U.S. Open Live Webcast has been presented by Costa Sunglasses, the event is also brought to you by Nitro Boats, Mercury Outboards, Costa Sunglasses, Bass Pro Shops, Bridgford Foods, Daiwa, Seaguar, Plano Molding, Cousins Tackle, YoZuri, Pro Mar, Eagle Claw TroKar, Lowrance, St.Croix Rods, Okuma, Big Hammer, Storm, Top This, Phenix Rods, Livingston Lures, Global Fish Mounts, Frabill, Dude Wipes, Industrial Strength Sunscreen, MudHole, Bass Underground and A.D.D. Offroad.