White Mule, Five More Minutes Win Orleans County Pro-Am
Consistency is the name of the game in the Lake Ontario Pro-Am tournaments and the Orleans County event held June 11-12 was no different. What a difference a week can make on the lake and all the teams struggled to get legal fish for their boxes. In the end, it was the White Mule team led by Capt. Bob Cinelli of Newfane who led the Professional Division with one of only three12-fish limits for the second day of action out of Point Breeze. Their 12 fish (based on ten points per fish) combined with their weight of 120.23 gave them a second day score of 240.23. When added with their first day total after they boxed 11 fish, the Olcott-based Cinelli Sportfishing team won the Orleans County event with a score of 439.13 points. The earned a check for $5,000.
Right on their heels was the Runnin’ Rebel team led by Capt. Jerry Felluca of Hilton with a score of 417.74 points ($3,500). Like White Mule, they boxed out on Sunday and weighed in 11 fish on Saturday. Third place ($2,800) was the Destiny crew led by Capt. Eric Bickel of Burt who operates out of Olcott. They were the only other team with a Sunday limit, registering a score of 366.52 points – .16 of a point ahead of the Billy V team led by Capt. Billy Ruth of Ithaca who weighed in 11 fish on Sunday ($2,200). Capt. Tom Burke of Altmar and the Cold Steel team ran into the first place jinx and stumbled on day two to finish in fifth with 353.28 points ($1,800). Lone Wolf/Flat Out, led by Capt. Dan Evans of Wilson, in second place after day one, finished with 345.70 points, good for sixth ($1,500).
Rounding out the top 10 were: Screamer – Dave Antenori of Clark’s Summit, PA with 301.33 points for seventh ($1,375); eighth place was Devonian led by Mark Lewis of Brockport with 281.41 points ($1,000); ninth was Capt. Rob Taddeo of Rochester and his Hideout team with 268.30 points ($1,000); and tenth was Vision Quest led by Capt. Pete Alex of Erie, PA with 256.07 points ($1,000). Big fish for the tournament went to Devonian with a 27.82 pound king, earning the check for $250 from Twin Village Recycling. Comeback Award went to the Bill V team for their excellent second day score, winning a Shark Downrigger Weight courtesy Fat Nancy’s Tackle Shop. In the Lake Ontario Challenge Cup race, the Lone Wolf/Flat Out team scored Best in the West overall between Niagara and Orleans events with a cup score of 553 points. Second place went to the Billy V team with 532. Third place was the Screamer team with 518.
In the Amateur Division, it was Tony Chatt’s Five More Minutes team to overcome Jim Skolny’s Dodger/Outcast crew from who led after the first day. Chatt’s West Monroe team weighed in seven fish the final day to bring a two day total of 231.64 points to the scoring table and win their second straight Orleans County event ($1,500 plus merchandise). Second place was Brian Mickatavage’s Subject to Change team from Ashland, Pennsylvania with 192.70 points ($1,200 plus merchandise). Third place was the Fish Nutz team led by Paul Powers of Oswego with 173.45 points ($800 plus merchandise). Mike Geiger of Wellsobor, PA and This Is It was in fourth with 159.33 points ($500 plus merchandise). Dodger, from Manchester, dropped to fifth. Big fish for the Amateur Division and the winner of the Sigg’s Rigs and Northern King special awards (a $350 total prize package) was Chad Kahler of Snyder and the Gill-T Hooker team with a 27.55 pound king salmon. In the Lake Ontario Challenge Cup, Fish Nutz won the Best in the West with a cup score of 562 points. Second place was Dodger with 552 points. Third place was Fish Hawk with 549 points.
In the Recreational Open Division, Saturday’s winners were HK 1 led by Chris Petrucci of Beallsville, PA with a score of 64.22 points. Second place was Fat Floats led by Jason LaRock of Wilson. Big fish was a 16.34 pound king reeled in by the HK 1 team. On Sunday, LaRock’s Fat Floats team set the pace with a score of 74.3 points. They also had big fish with a 15.79 pound king. Second place was Silver Fox led by Scott Bengsch of Webster with 57.47 points.
The tournament circuit heads east to Oswego for the next event July 9-10; and Wayne County July 16-17. Deadline for entering is June 15. Visit www.lakeontarioproam.net for more information.
