Jim Ahern wins ABA Division 124 Divisional Championship 9 & 10 Aug
(Burnie Haney captures Angler of the Year and Paul Papke lands Co-Angler title)

This year Division 124 held its two-day championship on Chaumont Bay. As the tournament started all of the anglers were ready to sample the abundant smallmouth that roam the Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario. The event saw light winds and water temperatures in the low to high 70s on both days.

Jim Ahern targeted smallmouth and brought in a day one weight of 17.60 lbs. to post a four pound advantage over the rest of the field. Ahern reports a solid practice period that enabled him to locate fish 6-8 ft deep that were relating to clumps of coon tail grass with scattered rocks. Ahern fished his strengths by pitching and flipping a T-rigged Yum Wooly bug. On day two, Ahern returned to his primary area for a repeat performance as he brought in the big bag at 15.92 lbs. This time he had a couple of largemouth mixed in that brought his total weight to 33.52 lbs. and left the second place finisher roughly 11 lbs. off the pace.

Barton Butts scored a second place finish with 10 bass that weighed 22.09 lbs. Butts also reports targeting fish in 6-8 ft of water, and he concentrated his efforts on flipping the thickest mats in the weed beds. Flipping usually produces better fish and Butts' efforts were rewarded with the big bass of the championship weighing 4.31 lbs.

Third place went to co-angler Andy Simser with a weight of 18.72 lbs. Simser shared the boat both days with Butts and he reports while Butts worked the interior of the wed beds he presented t-rigged Senkos to the open water edges to catch his fish.

Burnie Haney finished the event in fourth place with a weight of 17.61 lbs. Although Haney reports a few missed opportunities on both days, his fourth place finish gave him enough points to win the 2008 ABA-124 Angler of the Year title. Haney says during every tournament this year his approach was to fish top water baits to get a big bite early and hopefully a limit and then mix in crank baits and t-rigged plastics to cull up when conditions were right. His primary baits this year were the Secret Weapon Lure Buzzbait & Quick Strike Spinner baits, Lucky Craft Sammie, G-Splash and Flat CB series crank baits and Venom tubes and Berkley Power baits for the majority of his vertical bait fishing.

Paul Papke turned in the most consistent performance of all co-anglers earning him 2008 ABA-124 Co-Angler of the Year title.






Burnie Haney
Director Division 124
American Bass Anglers