Morgantown, WV – September 25, 2009

Robby Fleshman was the only angler to weigh in two limits of bass during TBF Mid-Atlantic Division Championship

Robby Fleshman

three day event in Morgantown, West Virginia. On today’s final day he was only able to manage 1 keeper and the disappointment was obvious on his face when he came to the scales.

He thought he had let his biggest opportunity of his fishing career slip through his fingers. Little did he know at that particular time that his one fish would be enough to secure the Division Champions title and earn him his spot in the 2010 TBF Federation National Championship, Presented by the National Guard…it did exactly that.

Fleshman squeaked through based on his first two days limits of bass to become the 2009 Mid-Atlantic Division Champion and the Castrol Maximum Performer award bonus winner. His total catch of 13 pounds even was caught primarily on crankbaits over the three day event, he simply covered a lot of ground and made as many casts as

Fleshman Wins

possible until he got bit. Fleshman anchored the West Virginia team to back to back division titles as the West Virginia 12 man team finished on top with 76-15.We will see if they can make it three in a row at next year’s Mid-Atlantic Division Championship hosted by Maryland.

Some would say West Virginia had a “home lake” advantage ….that was simply not true, especially this week. Any time you fish a event on your “home lake” it can be very tough to win but this week the Monongahela river was anything but normal. There were several things working against the anglers here on the “Mon.” For one the river is normally “dingy” but it is very clear right now. 2. Fall is coming fast and the fish are in transition between their seasonal patterns. 3.There is normally current and this week there was none.

These three things combined to push the bait fish out away from the banks into the middle of the river, where the suspended bass would simply lay in wait and feed at will, then suspend again. Fishing was brutally tough on the championship anglers.

WV Champs

Finishing up in second place overall with 10.09 and leading the Pennsylvania team, who also finished in second place in the team standings with 67-03, was Jeff Miller. Miller led the entire event on day one based on his limit of bass, on day 2 he managed four fish and day 3 only one fish. But he did it all as a non-boater out of someone else’s boat and of course a new partner every day. Another West Virginia angler, Willie Adkins, Jr. finished in third place overall and will advance as the West Virginia Co-angler for finishing second on their team, to the 2010 TBF Federation National Championship Presented by the National Guard. He was only two ounces back of Miller with 10-07.

Here is the full list of the 14 anglers who will advance to the 2010 Championship in Knoxville Tennessee April 22-25.

Nations Capitol Federation

Ed Loughran 8/8 8-14 Angler

Tim Cameron 7/7 8-04 Co-Angler

Delaware

Amos Dixon 6/6 8-06 Angler

Marlon Algier 5/5 6-05 Co-Angler

Maryland

Donald Muir 4/4 5-10 Angler

John Uhler 4/4 5-03 Co-Angler

New Jersey

Ron Schneider 8/8 8-09 Angler

Chris Oeser 6/6 8-09 Co-Angler

Pennsylvania

Jeff Miller 10/9 10-09 Angler

Matt Hartman 7/7 7-10 Co-Angler

Virginia

Damien McMahon 10/10 10-03 Angler….(NOT PICTURED)

Kenneth Owens 7/7 8-06 Co-Angler

West Virginia

Robby Fleshman 11/11 13-00 Angler

Willie Adkins Jr. 10/10 10-07 Co-Angler

2010 TBF National Championship Contenders

Robby Fleshman

Morgantown, WV. – September 24, 2009. The state standings are shaping up to be a two way race for the division champions title and a 5 way race for everything else. Pennsylvania led the first day but West Virginia overtook them today, they are locked in a battle for first place with only 7 ounces between them. West Virginia who is the defending Champions from 2008 finished with 51.03 and Pennsylvania had 50.12, tomorrow’s final day will tell the story is West Virginia can win back to back division titles. New Jersey moved up today and is holding down the third place slot with 35-09.

West Virginia angler Robby Fleshman, was the only angler to weigh in a limit both days of competit

ion and is leading the individual overall division champion’s race. His two day total is 11-08. IF he weighs a limit tomorrow he might be tough to beat. Fleshman was closed lipped about what he is doing as the bite is tough and every ounce will count here this week. Sitting in second place was yesterday leader Jeff Miller who slipped one spot to finish with 9-04. Willie Adkins form West Virginia caught 3 today that moved him into the number three spot at 7.07. Eric Heil and Damien McMahon rounded out the top five with 7.06 and 6.13 respectively.

Matt Hartman

The only other limit caught today (besides Fleshman’s) was captured by 18 year old PA angler Matt Hartman. Matt just fished the 2009 National Guard Junior Angler World Championship through the TBF ranks, and then turned around and qualified through the adult ranks to fish with the Pennsylvania state team, he obviously is an angler to watch in the coming years and today he bested 82 other older more experienced championship qualifiers today with a 5.02 limit that moved him up into 7th overall and 3rd on the PA team. Never in the Federations 40 year history has a junior angler qualified for both the National Guard Junior Angler World Championship and the TBF Federation National Championship, Presented by The National Guard in the same year, we will see tomorrow!

Final day weigh in begins at the Ruby Hazel Park in downtown Morgantown, WV. It is free to the public.

The bite is TOUGH right now on the Monongahela!

Jeff Miller Day 1 Leader

While the city of Morgantown, WV. has been a very gracious host for days while the TBF division championship anglers have been in town, The “Mon” as the locals call it, is rearing its head this week and is refusing to give up its bounty. Normally it will take 15 or 16 pounds a day here to win an event, but most of the typically stained “Mon” is ultra clear right now, (not all of it but most of it), with no current and no place for the baitfish to hide. So, they are balled up in the middle of the river channel and the wily bass are suspended up underneath them and can feed at will. Suspended bass are notorious difficult to catch, they will just sit there and watch you throw everything in the boat at them and then go on by…….its brutally tough.

As is always the case someone will figure out a way to catch some fish, this event is no exception and the team from Pennsylvania “caught them good” today, ….all things being relative on the term “good” of course! The 12 man squad from PA leads with a team total of 28 pounds and 9 ounces. West Virginia jumped from last to finish in second with 25-15 and Virginia sits in third at 20-09.

Anchoring the Pennsylvania Team as the tournament overall leader is Jeff Miller, this Johnstown, Pa angler weighed in a one of only two five bass limits that weighed out at 6.03. Understandably all the anglers were very tight lipped

Eric Hail

about what they were doing and where. The other limit of the day was weighed in by West Virginia’s own Robby Fleshman his five weighed 5.01.

Proving that there are big bass in the Monongahela river, Oil City, Pa angler Eric Heil had the big bass honors today with one fish that weighed exactly 5 pounds! That one fish landed him in 4th overall.

Day 2 of 3 days of weigh-in begins at 3pm EST in downtown Morgantown, West Virginia at the Hazel Ruby McQuin Park amphitheater, right on the riverwalk, it is free to the public.