Retired West Virginia State Trooper Bill Pioch relied on his patrolling skills to uncover schools of Lake Erie smallmouth and seize the lead at the B.A.S.S. Nation Mid-Atlantic Divisional.
Pioch, 45, caught a four-fish limit of smallmouth bass weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces to take over the lead in the tournament. By finishing Day 2 in first place with 24-13, Pioch won the Livingston Lures Leader Award of $250.
“Basically I drove around until I found the schools of fish, and then we would start fishing,” said Pioch, who owns a security installation business. “It was just like playing video games.”
When he would see fish on the screen, Pioch would lower his drop shot rig straight down into the school. He found fish 20 to 25 feet deep in the morning, but by afternoon the schools had dropped to the 30- to 35-foot range.
The New River Bassmasters club member noticed some of the fish were suspended, and others were hugging the bottom.
“For the suspended fish, we had to drop our lures right on their heads to get them to bite,” said Pioch, who estimated he caught 20 keepers throughout the day. “Once we caught one or two good fish off the school, the fish would spook and move off. So we had to keep hunting.”
Catching smallmouth in deep water is a tactic Pioch frequently employs when fishing at home on Summersville Lake. “We catch bass there up to 60 to 65 feet deep,” he said.
Because the Mid-Atlantic contenders were restricted to Presque Isle Bay the first day of the tournament due to strong winds, Pioch targeted largemouth bass and put together a 9-8 limit to settle into ninth place. He caught all of his green fish flipping Brush Hogs and jigs to grass and rocks in the shallows.
If Pioch finishes as the top angler on his West Virginia team, he will qualify for the B.A.S.S. Nation Championship. Other state leaders hoping to make the championship competition are Jason Vaughn of Delaware with 24 pounds; John Duarte, Maryland, 18-3; Jim Groome, New Jersey, 24-3; Mike Moran, Pennsylvania, 24-1; and Bryant Copley, Virginia, 20-1.
Delaware has taken over the lead in the team competition with 223 pounds, 15 ounces, followed by the host Pennsylvania squad with 206-3.
Patrick Staszewski of Clifton, N.J., took over the lead for Carhartt Big Bass with the 5-1 bass he caught on Day 2.
The Mid-Atlantic Divisional contenders will launch for the final competition day at 5:45 a.m. ET on Friday at the Presque Isle State Park. The final weigh-in will begin at 2 p.m. ET at the same location.
2013 B.A.S.S. Nation Official Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2013 B.A.S.S. Nation Supporting Sponsors: Boat US, Carhartt, Diet Mountain Dew, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Luck-E-Strike, Power-Pole, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.
For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and an expansive tournament structure while connecting directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.
The Bassmaster brand and its multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications – Bassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times – comprehensive Bassmaster website and ESPN2 and Outdoor Channel television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series, B.A.S.S. Nation events and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
B.A.S.S. offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members and remains focused on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala.By: Cara Clark / B.A.S.S.
