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2023 was a year of ups and downs. I struggled to consistently bring a limit to the scales, not something that I am used to. This in turn resulted not appearing in the top 5 in the Angler of the Year standings, for the Outcast Bass Anglers, the entire season.  I ended up tied in points with Bill Steimann with 185 points. Being that Bill weighed in more weight for the year he finished in 8th and I finished in 9th place in the overall standings. One of the highlights of the season was winning Team Tournament #1 of 2023 with long time friend and Club President Kenny Case. (See previous article) This was my 31st Club Tournament Victory. One of the lows of the year came on Bantam Lake in Connecticut. Here my partner, Bill Steinmann, went on to crush the fish and the competition winning the tournament with a five fish limit weighing weighing over 16 pounds. The only good thing to come out of the tournament for me was that I picked all of the spots where Bill caught his fish. {SMH) My final inconsistancy for the year occured at our clubs' Classic. This year the Classic was held at Lake Bomoseen, Vermont. I was in first place after day one with 15 lbs. 4.5 oz. I also weighed in the Day 1 Lunker a 5 lb. 9.5 oz Largemouth Bass. I held a 2 pound lead going into Day 2. On Day 2, I was able to catch a limit, but Day 2 proved to be a much tougher day. I caught a ton of short fish. My weight for day 2 was only 7 lbs and a 1/2 oz. This left the door open for the rest of the field. This Classic was the closest that the club ever had with the Top 4 being seperated by 5 and 1/2 oz. First Place ended in a tie between Bill and Kevin Kohler with 22 lbs. 10 oz. Third Place went to Mike Steimann with 22 lbs. 6 oz. Mike also weighed in a 6 Lb. 5 oz. Largemouth for the Day 2 Lunker. I weighed in a total of 22 lbs. 4.5 oz for 4th Place. {One spot out of the money} To make things worse, when I was helping at the weigh-in, I was going down to the waters edge to release another anglers fish when my feet hit a wet spot and shot out from under me causing me to fall backwards and striking my head on the rocks that I was standing on seconds before. This kind of summed up the season for me. Hopefully in 2024 I will be more consistant and not have any falls. I did catch my bass during the Classic on several key baits which included swimbaits and Venom Hollow Hogs rigged with an 1/2 oz. WOO!Tungsten bullet weight, Texas rigged. However, the majority of my bass (including the 5 lb. 9.5 oz and 4 Pound bass were caught on Senkos (various colors) Neko rigged with a 3/32 oz. WOO! Tungsten nail weight. 

 

                                                                            Day1 Classic Lake Bomoseen, Vermont

  D

 

Old School

Long Time club members Kenny Case and Joe Innella teamed up to win the first Outcast Bass Anglers Team Tournament of the year on June 3rd, 2023. On a tough stingy day on Lake Zoar in Connecticut we were able to put 9 bass on the scales for 14 lbs. 13 oz. just edging out the 2nd place team of Carlos Perez and Joe Pido by 9 oz. Kenny carried us with a nice 5 fish limit weighing 9 lbs. 5 oz.  However, my 4 fish that weighed 5 lbs. 8 oz. was nessary to secure the victory. Both Kenny and I caught most of our bass on Yamamoto Senkos. Kenny was throwing his weightless. I was casting mine on a Neko Rig with a WOO! Tungsten 3/32 oz. nail weight. We had plenty of action throughout the day with about 25 short bass. I also caught a few bass on a 1/8 oz. WOO! Tungsten Ned head with a Bizz Baits Ned Dizzy.

 

      

    First Place Team Tournament Lake Zoar CT.           Kenny showing off two of his bigger bass.

2022 A consistent year with a surprise ending

2022 was a year that was okay, I was able to stay in the top 10 almost all season but really was not able to put together any top three finishes until the last tournament of the year. Originally scheduled for Lake Oscawana, NY, we had to change the venue as we could not get a commitment from the launch owner. So instead of having our year end Oscawana Moolah we had a Bantam Bucks (Double entry fee) tournament on Bantam Lake Connecticut. I was fishing with partner Bob Gregonis and neither of us was doing much until about 11:00 am. Working down a bank I was able to hook a fish, I knew that it was a keeper but not a big fish so I did not ask for the net and went to swing the fish into the boat. To my surprise the fish levitated in the air. Not realizing what was going on at first I was dumbstruck. Then I noticed that the fish had another hook in its mouth and was attached to the tree that was over the bank so I pulled my line towards me brought the fish into the boat and showed Bob that the fish was hooked clearly in the mouth by both hooks. When I released the hook that was in the tree the tree sprang up. This poor fish was broken off and was swimming around with nowhere to go luckily I hooked him and was able to put him into my live well and release him safely at the end of the tournament. I guess this was my first sign of luck for the day. Working down the bank, about another 50 yards from where I caught the other bass, I came  across a rock wingdam that dropped from about two feet of water into about 9 feet of water. It looked like a great spot so I skipped my Yamamoto Senko rigged Neko style with a 1/16 WOO-tungsten weight to the edge of the drop and let the bait sink slowly down. I hooked the fish not knowing exactly how big it was. I called for the net. Unfortunately, my partner did not hear me.The fish swam into deep water and jumped. My partner Bob was shocked and yelled a explanative and stumbled down into the main part of the boat to grab the net. The fish jumped again and Bob goes "Oh my God it's a 6 pounder". The bass came boat side and Bob went to net it and the fish slammed into the side of the boat and then surged down underneath the boat. I played the fish down and Bob was able to net the fish and bring it into the boat. As I went to take the fish out of the net Bob says to me "Thank God the fish was hooked well".  I said, hey Bob look at this and I took my finger and pushed the hook, which was only skin hooked in the roof of the mouth, and it popped out as easy as it could. Unbelievably the fish stayed hooked. It weighed 5 pounds 14 and 1/2 oz and ended up not only being lunker the tournament but also big fish of the year for the club. I was able to secure another nice fish a 3 lb Smallmouth that helped land me into third place for the tournament so the year ended on a high note with a third place finish at Bantam Bucks and Big Fish for the year for the club. This is 2 years in a row that I won big bass of the year and my 4th Big Bass of the year overall. The 3rd place finish helped me to move up in the standings and I finished in 5th place in the Angler of the Year standings.

 

Bantam Bucks 3rd Place and BIG Bass 

  

Thanks to sponsors WOO! Tungsten & Venom Lures   

2022 Classic Saratoga Lake NY  

The 2021 season is a year that I will never forget. Bass fishing has always been a part of my life, but this year my life changed forever. My daughter Kara went through an up and down battle with her health. She was hospitalized from April 10th to August 26th, 2021. All of the time that she was hospitalized she never gave up and was always interested in what my family and I were doing when not visiting her in the hospital. She rooted me on and was an inspiration to me this past season where I was able to win a tournament and also won Big Bass for the year. However, any accomplishments that I could ever make mean nothing as on September 3rd 2021 we lost our beautiful daughter Kara, as she lost her battle and passed away, from heart failure. So I'm not going to write to much at this time. I was able to finish in 1st Place at the clubs tournament at Lake Saratoga in New York in June. I was able to hang on and win the Big Bass of the year award with a 5 lb. 4 oz. Largemouth bass that I caught at Candlewood Lake tournament on July 10th. I felt that my daughter Kara had something to do with me winning, as last season I had a bigger bass and was not able to win the award. After she passed I did not fish the next 2 tournaments and figured that the weight would never hold up. There were some close challenges within 2 oz of the weight. But the weight held up and I won Big Bass for the year. Thanks Kara, I'm sure you had something to do with that. I  love you and I miss you. 

 

 

     

 

     

  This was surely a year of uncertainty with the world having to deal with the Covid-19 Virus. My family was also affected by this horrible virus.  Both my wife and I had become infected back in April. We both had severe symptoms but thank God neither of us were hospitalized. I had actually dropped 29 pounds from being sick. When I regained my sense of smell and taste I started to go back to my old way of eating and gained back 10 lbs. within a weeks time. Thanks to my daughter Kara and my dog Beau I was able to start a new healthier way of living. Kara made up meal plans for me that were Keto Diet oriented (low carbs). I also started to walk Beau daily at least 1.5 miles a day. The result was a loss of 46 lbs. I believe that the weight loss helped me to fish better as I felt better. The season was up in the air as Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York had cancelled all tournaments during the early stages of the Pandemic. A season that was supposed to start in April did not begin until June 12th.

                                                                                 2nd Place  Bantam Lake

 

All the members of the Outcast Bass Anglers were glad to be back on the water. Although, new weigh-in procedures proved to be a challenge. Weighing in from a boat on the water was subject to the weather. At times the wind made it very difficult. Our Club President, Kenny Case, did an excellent job of making the best out of a tough situation. This season started off well for me with a 2nd place finish at Bantam Lake in Connecticut. This was followed up by a 2nd place finish at Oscawana Lake in N.Y. This tournament was a Team Tournament that my partner (Bob Gregonis) and I were declared the Champions. However, after a re-talley we had lost the tournament by 1 ounce. My partner and I were accessed a 4 oz. dead fish penalty.

                                                       Bobby G. and I Team Tournament Champions???

The season went on and my consistency continued. In the next few tournaments I racked up a third, two forth place finishes and my worst finish of the year a 9th place finish at Lake Sacandaga in N.Y. This ended up being my tournament drop in the Angler of the Year standings as I had fished all of the club tournaments this past year. I again had a strong finish in our 2nd Team Tournament of the season held at Candlewood Lake in Connecticut. I brought a 5 lb. 8 oz. Lunker to the scales only to be upstaged by a 5 lb 8.5 oz Lunker caught by "Cowboy" Bill Kohler. Thank goodness that Bill was able to catch a 5 lb. 12 oz. bass in the last tournament of the year as I would have hated to lose the Big Bass of the Year by a half of an ounce. Congrats to Bill for not only winning Big Bass of 2020 but also the Angler of the Year title. My consistency  continued with a third place finish at the "Mullah" which was held at Oscawana Lake in N.Y. This finish sealed my 3rd Place finish in the Angler of the Year race. The club then traveled to Cayuga Lake in upstate N.Y. where we held our club CLASSIC. The event was won by Dennis Packes who quite honestly lapped the field. Although I skunked on day 2 of the tournament I was able to hold on for a 4th place finish. 9 anglers skunked on day 2. Cayuga did not live up to its reputation. We are all hoping that the Pandemic will be under control for the 2021 Spring Season. Hopefully all who are reading this stay healthy as we all look forward to a better year. Thank you to my primary sponsors WOO! Tugsten and Venom Lures for your support.

The 2019 Season started out very hopeful. Myself and fellow club member, John Angrisano, traveled up to Thayer's Marine in Connecticut for their Spring Event where we met BASS Legend Hank Parker. Hank put on a great seminar and then we spent some, one on one, time with him as well. It was worth the 2.5 hour trip to see him.

Next John surprised me Taking me fishing with BASS Elite Angler and Guide Paul Mueller. John set this up to celebrate both of our Birthdays that are in April. We fished in May at Candlewood Lake, Connecticut. We had a good day catching some nice keepers while using techniques that we would not normally employ. Paul wanted us to learn so we fished outside of our comfort zones. Thanks John for a great Birthday gift!

I proved to fish consistently throughout the 2019 campaign. I had placed 4th & 5th on a regular basis but was not able to crack the top 3 and take home any money. The consistency paid off with a 7th Place finish in the Angler of Year race. As always my Venom baits helped my fishing. Using the new Ven-Rig added to my finesse fishing arsenal. In addition my new sponsor Woo Tungsten played a big role in my Neko Rig fishing. I used their Tungsten jig heads for my Wacky rigs and their Tungsten "nail" inserts.

However, the season's ending did not go as well as I would have liked. We traveled up to Lake Oneida in upstate N.Y. for the 2019 Outcast Bass Anglers CLASSIC that was held on Sept. 28th & 29th. After day one I was leading by a little more then a pound. Everyone was struggling but I was able to bring 3 quality fish to the scales. The last one being a 2 lb. 10 oz. Smallmouth caught by the launch ramp in the last 10 minutes of the tournament. I thought that we, me and my partner John Angrisano, had figured things out late in the day and that we would both be able to make a charge to finish in the top three as I was in 1st and John was in 5th. Well day two we had a major cold front come in. A record 7 anglers skunked and I was one of them. Unbelievably, I was able to finish the tournament in fourth place because of how tough the fishing was. On a good note my partner John Angrisano was able to catch 3 keepers that moved him into 3rd place where he was able to cash a check.

We ended the season attending the Fall Bass Fishing Seminar at Reynold's Marine located in Lyme Connecticut. About 5 club members and myself traveled to see former 3 Time BASS Angler of the Year Aaron Martins give a seminar. Even though the seminar was in November it was a beautiful day. Several club members took test drives in some of the newest baas boats on the market. Looking forward to 2020. Tight Lines!

 

                  1st Place Candlewood Lake, Connecticut

2018 was both a challenging year as well as a rewarding year. The pre-season included a trip to Reynold's Marine in Lyme Connecticut where several of our club members (Outcast Bass Anglers) attended Reynold's annual Pro Seminar and BBQ. This year the speaker was Jason Christie. Jason's seminar was very informative and we as a group had a great time checking out all of the new bass boats. I fished the 1st Club Tournament of the 2018 Season which was held on April 28th at Candlewood Lake in Connecticut. Despite an unexpected warm sunny day most club members struggled to bring a bass to the scales. I was one of the 9 that skunked that day. Unfortunately for me while helping my daughter travel out of state I injured my back while handling our luggage. I ended up herniating 2 discs in my back which brought on a very painful case of Sciatica. I ended up missing the next two tournaments while getting treatment.

 However, upon my return I finished in 1st Place at Candlewood Lake Connecticut with 5 bass weighing 15 lbs. 3 oz. I just edged out J.P. Faulkner (The eventual 2018 A.O.Y. Champion) by 2 ounces. This would end up being my 29th Tournament Victory since joining the club. The rest of the season went well with many TOP 5 finishes. Despite missing 3 tournaments and skunking on the first one I finished a respectable 8th Place in the Angler of the Year standings. This qualified me for our clubs CLASSIC which was a two day event in September at Lake Bomoseen in Vermont on 9/21 & 9/22. Here I had as great time catching some quality fish with my partner John Angrisano. However, neither of us brought limits to the scales. My 6 Bass were good enough to finish just outside of the TOP 3 in 4th place. I am looking forward to the 2019 Season although my back has not yet fully healed. I am excited to let you know of a new sponsor - Woo! Tungsten. I am looking forward to using their quality products in the upcoming season.

 

 

 

                                   Me with Jason Christie   

 

 When you read the title you are probably thinking how bad can multiple top 3 finishes, which included my 28th 1st place finish in the club, and a 2nd Place Classic finish be? Well to tell you the truth the bad finishes were bad. This was my first season since my Rookie Season, all the way back in 1987, that I had three tournaments where I skunked. That's right no keeper bass. Now this hurt me in the overall points standings. Although I finished a respectable 9th Place in the A.O.Y. race. Three tournaments with no points is not acceptable. I am hoping to get back to weighing in limits each tournament.

 

      2017 Outcast Bass Anglers CLASSIC held on Oneida Lake, N.Y. 9/29 & 9/30/17

                  Left to right; Joe Innella 2nd Place, Bill Kohler 1st Place and Bill Steinmann 3rd Place.

 

                                                           3rd Place finish Candlewood Lake CT.  Aug. 26th, 2017

 

                                               1st Place Team Tournament Candlewood Lake, CT. July 8th, 2017

                                                                           Brian Holec & Joe Innella

Big Bass Bantam Lake, Ct. June 2nd, 2017

7

3rd Place Lake Lillinonoah, CT. 5/20/17

 

 The off season for club members and myself was quite busy. It started out by attending the Reynolds' Marine Angler seminar. This year they had Tommy Biffle and local Pro Paul Mueller. Both seminars were quite informative. And as always Reynolds' Marine supplied a top notch BBQ. I attended this event with fellow club members John Angrisano, Ken Henyan, J.P. Faukner, Mike and Nicky Wiltshire.

Professional Angler Tommy Biffle and Me

 

  The next part of the off season involved a trip to Houston Texas to attend the 2017 Bass Masters CLASSIC. This was my 2nd CLASSIC and the 1st for my traveling companions John Angrisano, Kenny Case and Bill Steinmann. We had a blast seeing all of the latest equipment, boats and the chance to speak with the Pro's. The weather was great and so was the event. We are planning to return for another CLASSIC in a few years. But this was definitely a Bucket List check off.

 

Left to right; Myself, John Angrisano, Kenny Case and Bill Steinmann

Myself, Legend Hank Parker and Kenny Case

Denny Brauer and Me

2016 was an interesting year. Started off by meeting Professional Bass Angler Ish Monroe at the Reynolds Marine seminar in March. Ish was great. His seminar was very informative, relaxed and funny at times.

                                                                    Ish Monroe and Me at seminar

The fishing year started out tough not only for myself but for the entire Outcast Bass Anglers Fishing Club. The first tournament of the year had only 3 anglers weigh in with a total of 4 bass. Over 18 anglers skunked including myself so 2016 did not start out in the best of ways. As the season progressed so did my luck.  I had two regular season Top 3 finishes (Candlewood and Highland Lakes in Connecticut) and concluded the year with a 3rd place finish at the Classic that was held at Saratoga Lake in New York. The event was won by Bill Kohler.

    TOP 3 2016 Classic
       Left to right; Kevin Kohler 2nd Place, Bill Kohler 1st 
     Place and Joe Innella 3rd Place.

   

  3rd Place finish at Candlewood Lake, Connecticut
   was one of the highlights of the 2016 Campaign.

 

 

 

 

When all was said and done the 2016 campaign was not that bad. I finished with 248 pts. good enough for a 6th place finish in the Angler of the Year standings  which included two regular season 3rd place finishes and a 3rd place finish at the Classic. Hopefully I will be able to improve on these results during the 2017 season.

 

 

 

     Some Fat Mahopac, NY Largemouth

 

 

2015 was a year of ups and downs. Due to some personal obligations I had to miss 4 Club Tournaments this past season. However, I started out my year in decent fashion weighing 3 good bass at Bantam #1. One of the smallmouth weighed in was 3 lbs. 2 oz. (see photo below) which was the leader for the Bronzeback Bruiser award for about a 2 month period. Despite not having a top 3 finish I was starting to move back up in the points race. For 5 straight tournaments I weighed in a limit, which included  two 4th Place finishes. And then it happened. I skunked at Bantam #2, one of my best lakes. I had to miss two tournaments after the skunk, which dropped me even further in the points race but I returned for the Regular Season Finale the Candlewood Cash Tournament. Here I finished in 2nd Place. As this was the first time in club history that all club members qualified for the Classic there was no added pressure. This years Classic was scheduled to be fished out of Lake Champlain, NY. However, due to dangerous wind conditions the tournament had to be moved. So the club fished at near by Brant Lake, N.Y. instead. I was able to finish in 6th place. My catch included the 4 lb. 8 oz. largemouth that is pictured above.

 

After bringing in 5 bass to the scales for a weight of 12 lbs. 9 oz. I found myself sitting in 2nd place after Day 1. I was fishing the 2014 Outcast Bass Anglers Classic, held at Lake Champlain, N.Y. Unfortunately on Day 2 of the tournament I was only able to catch 2 bass for a weight of 4 lbs. 10 oz. This gave me a total of 17 lbs. 3 oz. for the tournament. My catch dropped me down to 4th place where I finished one spot out of the money. My partner for the tournament, Bill Steinmann, was able to make a charge on the final day and found himself going from 5th to 3rd. Bill was responsible for me catching 2 of my bigger fish on Day 1. The two four pounders that I caught were fooled by Bills own creation known as the "Chunk". I rounded out my limit using the Flick Shake technique. I was fishing a 1/8th oz. Owner Ultra Head Wacky Style. I riged the jig head with both Yamamotto 4" Senkos and Venom 4" Salty Slings. The winner of the event was Club Rookie Kevin Kohler. 

Watch the show: Lunkerville: Forever Young: https://youtu.be/IxdRltFL3IU

Joe Innella fished with Mike D. of "Lunkerville" seen on NBC Sports and WFN (The World Fishing Network). Mike was a guest of Joe and the Outcast Bass Anglers Fishing Club. He attended their Annual Family Fun Day fishing derby. The event was held at Whaley Lake in N.Y. All of the kid's had a great time. They received a fishing rod and reel combo and tackle pack courtesy of Lunkerville's title sponsor, South Bend. Also every participant received a trophy. The show should be a good one with lots of fish catching action by the kids and your hosts. Team Lunkerville finished in 5th with a 5 bass limit weighing 8 lbs. 1 oz. But the real winners were all of the kids that attended. They all finished the day with a big smile on their faces.

 

 

 

 

 

It was not pretty. However,  bringing two fish to the scales at the "Candlewood Cash" tournament resulted in a 13th place finish which was enough to propel me into the Outcast Bass Anglers 2014 Classic. I was able to claim 10th place in the club standings. (The top 10 anglers in points qualify for the Classic.) The tournament will be held on Oct.10 th and 11th at Lake Champlain in New York. The Classic was originally scheduled to be fished at North Sandy Pond on Lake Erie. However, due to logistics issues the venue was changed to Lake Champlain.

Well it's time to play catch up. This is my first entry for the 2014 Tournament Season. Unfortunately, I was not able to fish the Season Opener for the Outcast Bass Anglers. I was out of state attending a wedding. So, I was 40 points behind the leader without even wetting my line. The second tournament of the year I should have been attending another wedding as it was the first time in years that I skunked at a tournament. I did not even get a bite. So now I was 80 points down and still did not weigh in a bass in 2014. This led us to the Clubs weekend tournament, two days on Congamond Lake on the Connecticut/Massachusetts boarder. This got me back in the hunt in the points race with a 5th and a 7th place finish. Then I limited four tournaments in a row. I had a few hefty fish as well (see photos) but did not finish any higher then 5th place. I missed another tournament due to family vacation. (which was well worth the drop in the standings) This past Saturday, which was a very tough day on the water, I was able to weigh a small limit 7 lbs. 10 oz. for a 6th place finish. So now that the club is in the final stretch, 3 tournaments left in the 2014 season, I find my self looking in from the outside of the Top 10. Only the Top 10 Anglers from the point standings get to go to the Outcast Bass Anglers Classic. This year it is being held at North Sandy Pond on Lake Erie. I am currently in 11th place, four points out of the last qualifying position. The angler in front of me has fished one more tournament than me so it will be a battle all the way down to our last regular season tournament the "Candlewood Cash". So in review it has been an up and down season. I am hoping to end it on the up side.

Mike Wiltshire and Joe Innella took 2nd Place honors at Outcast Bass Anglers "Summer Heat " Team Tournament held at Mahopac Lake on August 10th, 2013. They weighed in a total of 21 lbs. 3 oz. Mike caught his fish on a variety of lures including a Venom baits Better Beaver, crankbaits and Spro swimbaits. Joe caught his bass on Zara Spooks, crankbaits and Senkos. Most of their fish came from about 8 - 14 feet of water.

Joe Innella finished in 3rd Place at Bantam Lake CT. on July 13th. No one was more surprised than Joe to find out that he placed in the top 3. The tournament hosted by the Outcast Bass Anglers was won by Chris Gerhardt with a 5 bass limit weighing 16 lbs. Mike Wiltshire claimed 2nd with a limit weighing 14 lbs. 7 oz. Joe brought a 5 bass limit to the scales that weighed 10 lbs. 6 oz. Other anglers came close but could not surpase Joe's weight. The 3rd place points came at the right time as Joe came into the weekend holding 6th place in the Angler of the Year standings. The points came at the right time as Joe will be missing the next club tournament.

Joe Innella and Chris Gerhardt finished in 3rd Place at the "Connecticut Clash" Team Tournament held at Candlewood Lake, Ct. May 17th, 2013. They brought 16 lbs of bass to the scales. Joe caught his bass on a Venom Salty Sling and a Keitec swim bait.

Joe Innella Scores Big Bass at Highland Lake,CT.

On his way to a 6th Place finish at the Outcast Bass Anglers first event of the 2013 Season Joe Innella caught a 4 lb. 1 oz. bass to take the Big Bass Award of the tourney. The bass was caught in about 7 feet of water in scattered weeds. She was fooled by a Venom Lures Skip Shad in the Pearl White color pattern. Fellow Venom Pro-Staff member Mike Wiltshire took home Top Honors with the tournament victory.

http://youtu.be/VRh_utJq8DI                                  

Check out this short video that Bob G. took of us running to a spot during a tournament this past August. Makes you want to get out on the water right now.

Joe Innella will be joining the Venom Lures Team for the 2013 Season.
Check out the great soft plastic baits made by Venom by clicking the Venom Lures Banner. 2010-2012 Outcast Bass Angler of the Year Mike Wiltshire turned me on to Venom a few years ago and I have been using the baits religiously. Some of my favorites are the Salt Series Tubes, Skip Shads and Better Beevers (Yes it is spelled correctly). Nothing could be more fun than dragging a Buzz Tail Shad over the slop and watching a Big Bass explode on it. I was just informed that I will be a part of the 2013 Venom Pro Staff so check out their site and get bitten by Venom Lures.

Over the past two years I have been purchasing my Rattling A.T. and swimming A.T. Jigs from Land Big Fish.com. All Terrain Tackle jigs have become a main stay of my tournament arsenal. I have been raving about the quality and fish catching abilities to club members (Outcast Bass Anglers) and Alliance members alike. I am glad that I will now be promoting a product that I have so much confidence in. Check out the website link by clicking the All-Terrain Tackle Banner. Or go to Land Big Fish.com or Tackle Warehouse to purchase these outstanding jigs.

The Outcast Bass Anglers 2012 Classic was held on Oct. 6th - 7th at Lake Champlain N.Y. Although big bass were caught during, Thursday and Fridays, practice days the big fish that Champlain is known for did not show up during the tournament. Chris Gerhardt took home the hardware with 24 lbs. and change. 2012 A.O.Y. winner Mike Wiltshire finished in second and Jimmy Kanca finished 3rd. After day one Joe Innella was holding 6th place with 4 bass weighing 8 lbs. 8 oz. Unfortunately on Sunday Joe only boated 2 keepers. This dropped him down to 7th Place with a total of 12 lbs. 10 oz.

Joe Innella finished in 3rd place at the annual Whaley Wallop that took place at Whaley Lake, N.Y. on Saturday Sept. 15th. The third place finish secured a spot in the Outcast Bass Anglers 2012 Classic to be held at Lake Champlain on Oct. 6th & 7th. Joe weighed in a 5 bass limit for 8 lbs. 8 oz. on a day that stymied the best of the clubs anglers.

Team Spray Nine members Joe Innella and Roberto Reyes finished in 2nd Place at the Outcast Bass Anglers, Oscawana Lake Team Tournament held on August 25th. Joe and Roberto finished 2nd to Winners Chris Gerhardt and Joe Riese who weighed in a total of 9 bass for 19 lbs. 10.5 oz. Team Outcast weighed in 8 bass for a total of 17 lbs. 4 oz. Their weight was anchored by Joe Innella's 5 bass limit weighing 13 lbs. 6 oz. Joe also had the Big Bass of the tournament, a 5 lb. 6 oz. Largemouth. The 40 points earned for being the Top Individual angler put Joe into the 10th qualifying spot for the Outcast Bass Anglers 2012 Classic.

Joe Innella won his 27th Club tournament this past weekend, 8/11/12, at Mahopac Lake in Mahopac N.Y. Joe brought in 5 bass weighing over 12 lbs. to top the field. The most amazing thing was he did it from the back of the boat. Joe was fishing with Outcast Bass Anglers reining Angler of the Year, Mike Wiltshire. Mike was on the board early with 2 keepers. After the early bite slowed, Mike and Joe made a mutual decision to move to an area that both anglers were familiar with. The rest of the day both anglers went back and forth culling a few fish along the way. With about 2 hours left in the tournament Mike picked up a bass over 3 lbs. that put him into the lead. While Mike was weighing his bass Joe hooked what would be the lunker of the tournament a 4 lb. 4 oz. largemouth. This fish was the difference as Mike finished in 2nd place with over 11 lbs. which included a 4 oz. dead fish penalty. Although Joe came off of a successful 2011 campaign he has missed 3 tournaments this year due to family obligations, This victory and the bonus points move him up to striking distance of the last qualifying spot for the 2012 Classic. Joe currently sits in 11th place with a total of 166 pts. 11 pts behind Paul Ritchie who sits in 10th place. (The top 10 anglers in points qualify for the Classic Championship at the end of the season).

Team Outcast finished in 2nd Place at this years Challenge Cup. Atlantic Bass Masters won the event. Joe Innella just missed 2nd lunker by one ounce weighing in a 4 lb. 3 oz. largemouth at the event. The Outcast Team placed in the money with their showing. The team consisted of Capt. Mike Whiltshire, Paul Ritchie, Kenny Case, Joe Innella, Chris Gerhardt and Dennis Packes.

UPDATE: Joe Innella was able to bring 3 fish to the scales, at Outcast Bass Angler's 7th tournament of the season, which was held on July 9th at Oscawana Lake, N.Y. Joe qualified for the "Top Six" to represent the Outcast Bass Anglers at the 2011 Challenge Cup. The Challenge Cup will be held on July 16th at Candlewood Lake with the Top Six competitors from 9 Bass Clubs fishing in the tournament. This years event will include:
ATLANTIC BASSMASTERS, SUFFOLK CO. BASSMASTERS,LONG ISLAND BASSMASTERS, WESTCHESTER ROD & REEL,WATERSHED BASSMASTERS,UNITED BASS ANGLERS,OUTCAST BASS ANGLERS,BERGEN BASSMASTERS and TACONIC BASSMASTERS.

Outcast Bass Anglers Challenge Cup Team
Capt. Mike Wiltshire
Paul Ritchie
Kenny Case
Joe Innella
Chris Gerhardt
Dennis Packes

So far the 2011 season has been a good one. In the first four tournaments Joe Innella has placed in the the top ten 3 times. Opening the season with a 6th place finish at Candlewood Lake, CT. on April 29th. Joe weighed in a five bass limit for 12 lbs. 8 oz. He was able to follow this up with a 2nd place finish at Lake Lillinonoah, CT. on May 7th. Being only one of two anglers to bring a limit to the scales. On May 15th, Joe finished in 2nd place at Bantam Lake also in Connecticut with a 5 bass limit weighing 13 lbs. 13 oz. Joe also took Big Bass honors with a 4 lb. 13.5 oz. bass. Joe is currently in 4th place in the Outcast Bass Anglers, Angler of the Year Race with 199 points.

Hi Everyone,
I am making an appeal for donations for a great program run by the LI Fisherman Magazine, it is called the "Send a Kid Fishing Program". I have been involved with the program since the 90's when I worked for Tempo Youth Services. The program has not been advertizing and is low on funds. So I am doing my part to try and keep a good thing going. With the donations the Fisherman charters out local Party boats so that organizations and or groups such as my old youth center , church groups etc., can give young people a chance to experience fishing. Hopefully turning it into a life skill for a few of them. Please consider a donation of any amount and send it to:

The Fisherman
Send a Kid Fishing Program
14 Ramsey Road
Shirley, N.Y. 11967
Attention: Fred Golofaro

Team Spray Nine members Joe Innella & Roberto Reyes finished in 2nd Place at this seasons Candlewood Clash held on Candlewood Lake Connecticut on June 12th, 2010. Almost repeating last years victory.

Joe Innella & Roberto Reyes won the "Candlewood Clash" Team Tournament on July 12th by a margin of 6 ounces. Joe Innella also took home the BIG BASS Award for the tournament with a 3 lb. 12 oz. Largemouth.

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