WADDINGTON, N.Y. — Doug Brownridge has finished two tournaments with 71 pounds and ended up second. He had no plans to finish second in the 2014 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Eastern Divisional, so he resolved to catch 72 pounds — and win.

He did, indeed. Brownridge ended the divisional with 72 pounds, 9 ounces over three days. What’s exceptional about that is all of his bass were smallmouth, averaging nearly 5 pounds each. Well, almost all of them were smallmouth.

“I’ve got one largemouth in my bag today,” he said on the final day. “I had a chance to cull up with a smallmouth that was 1/4 pound heavier, but it didn’t look that healthy.” So Brownridge put the smallie right back into the St. Lawrence River and held onto the largemouth.

Brownridge has led the tournament since its opener on Wednesday and has never even been threatened with losing his lead. He caught 24 pounds, 5 ounces on the first day, and then followed it up with 24-2 sacks on Days 2 and 3. He had the three biggest bags of the tournament.

The Ontario B.A.S.S. Nation angler came into the event with a lot of experience on the St. Lawrence, including 10 to 15 tournament days on the water just this year. In fact, in July, he came in second on the fishery in the Kingston Canadian Open with 70.95 pounds. He knows this water, and he knows his spots.

“The fish in my area are all big,” said Brownridge. “It’s a sunken current break, with clean rock all over it. And I had it all to myself. The closest competitor was 2 miles away.”

He was dragging a 3 1/2-inch Set the Hook tube in a green pumpkin color, called Ten Point, 20 to 22 feet along the rocks at the bottom.

“I was bouncing it as hard as I could,” said Brownridge.

For the first two days, that system worked perfectly, and he had 20 pounds of smallies in the boat by 10 a.m. But on the final day, the spot seemed to give out on him, so he had to make a run. He had been very confident so far in the tournament, but at 9 a.m. on Day 3, he had only two in the boat, and doubt started creeping in.

“That’s why I ran,” Brownridge said. “I took off, 35 minutes or so in the other direction, to another spot similar to this one. That’s where I got the largemouth and a couple of other smallmouth.”

Around 12:30, he went back to his first spot, and the bronzebacks bit then. He got a 4 1/2-pounder within 10 minutes of arriving back at his primary area. Then he culled up to his final-day weight of 24-2.

“I really wanted this trophy,” said Brownridge, gripping his Eastern Divisional hardware.
With that trophy comes a berth in the 2014 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship on Louisiana’s Ouachita River, Nov. 6-8. If he’s the best in the Eastern division there, he’ll advance to the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.

Eight other anglers earned invitations to the championship, as well. Each team sends its top representative. Paul Mueller won Connecticut’s nomination, and he’ll be making a return trip to the championship after competing there last year and advancing to the 2014 Bassmaster Classic, where he finished second. Now he has a chance to compete for a berth in the 2015 Classic.

Other championship qualifiers are Chuck Towns, Maine; Jeff Kenney, Massachusetts; Rob Messenger, New Hampshire; Ken Golubjatnikov, New York; Leo Bevelaqua, Rhode Island; Eric Corbella Salvia, Spain; and Russell Phillips, Vermont.

The teams competed against each other, too, for a chance at a $40,000 Skeeter/Yamaha boat and motor package, based on highest cumulative weight of all of each respective team’s anglers. Host team New York won with 540 pounds, 6 ounces. Behind New York were Connecticut with 532-9 and Ontario with 516-13.

Meanwhile, another competition was brewing. Teenage anglers competed for the award of the top high school division. The young anglers fished the second and third day of the overall competition, and their weight contributed to their team’s overall weight. Ontario’s high schoolers, Cooper Gallant and Danny McGarry, won with 36 pounds, 10 ounces over the two days. They were both competing on behalf of St. Stephens High School. Their sack of 23 pounds, 13 ounces, on Day 2 was the fourth-biggest bag of the tournament behind Brownridge’s bags.

Brownridge can claim the biggest bass of Day 3 with a 5-pound, 11-ounce smallie. But the Carhartt Big Bass award went to James Hanatow and Michael McNamara, both of New Hampshire. Hanatow caught a 6-pounder on Day 1, and McNamara caught the same on Day 2. They will split the $500 award.

Brownridge did claim the Livingston Lures Leader Award of $250 for leading on Day 2.
Stay tuned to Bassmaster.com during the 2014 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship, Nov. 6-8, to find out who from the Eastern Division qualifies to compete in the Classic.
2014 Old Milwaukee BASS Nation Eastern Divisional 9/24-9/26
St. Lawrence River, Waddington  NY.
(ANGLER) Standings Day 3

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts

1.  Doug Brownridge        Milton ONTARIO CANADA ( 15  72-09  0
2.  Ken Golubjatnikov      Pittsford, NY (NY)      15  65-07  0
3.  Rob Messenger          Sunapee, NH (NH)        15  64-00  0
4.  Christopher Killoren   Marcellus, NY (NY)      15  57-14  0
5.  Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT (CT)      15  53-15  0
6.  Mark Rorke             St Cathrines ONTARIO CA 15  53-05  0
7.  Russell Phillips       Guilford, VT (VT)       15  53-05  0
8.  Brad Brodnicki         Buffalo, NY (NY)        15  52-04  0
9.  Mark Cavanaugh         Port Perry CANADA (ONT) 15  52-03  0
10. Abe Kalechman          Ashford, CT (CT)        15  51-14  0
11. Todd Covert            Port Crane, NY (NY)     15  50-08  0
12. Charles Sim            Ottawa CANADA (ONT)     14  50-04  0
13. Dennis Sikorski        Bozrah, CT (CT)         15  50-04  0
14. Kevin Rose Jr          Anniston, CT (CT)       15  48-13  0
15. Joe Valerio            Red Creek, NY (NY)      15  48-01  0
16. Scott Downie           Danbury , CT (CT)       14  47-13  0
17. Pete Demoya            Plymouth, MA (NH)       14  47-00  0
18. Eric Corbella Salvia   Mollerusa SPAIN (ESP)   15  45-15  0
19. Chris O’Brien          Rochester, NY (NY)      15  45-12  0
20. David Maiorano         Clinton, CT (CT)        12  45-09  0
21. Jeff Kenney            Franklin, MA (MA)       15  44-11  0
22. Jim Moorey             Whitinsville, MA (MA)   15  44-11  0
23. Carlos Perez Zamorano  Madrid SPAIN (ESP)      15  44-09  0
24. Leo Bevelaqua          Wyoming, RI (RI)        13  44-05  0
25. Randy Lamanche         Marcellus, NY (NY)      15  43-09  0
26. Jonathan Case          Swanton, VT (VT)        15  43-06  0
27. James Knox             Rutland, VT (VT)        15  43-03  0
28. John Levesque          Nashua, NH (NH)         15  42-02  0
29. Chuck Towns            Readfield, ME (ME)      15  41-13  0
30. Garrett Kruger         Monroe, CT (CT)         15  41-08  0
31. Ricardo Rodriguez Gonzalez S Vicente D Alcantara S 15  41-07  0
32. Chris Molineaux        Hope Valley, RI (RI)    15  41-02  0
33. Frank Ramsay           Ingleside ONTARIO CANAD 15  41-00  0
34. John Diaco             Rochester, NH (NH)      14  40-08  0
35. Bill Kuslaka           Windham, NH (NH)        13  40-03  0
36. Dan Tavilla            Clelmsford, MA (MA)     15  40-00  0
37. Brian Jarvis           Warwick , RI (RI)       13  39-12  0
38. Skip Sjobeck           Randolph, VT (VT)       14  39-10  0
39. Reed Johnson           Farmington, CT (CT)     14  39-02  0
40. Mike Wolfenden         Warwick, RI (RI)        14  39-01  0
41. John Hinckley          Cumberland, RI (RI)     12  39-00  0
42. Michael Elliott        Chelmsford, MA (MA)     13  38-13  0
43. Tim Birch              Waterloo ONTARIO CANADA 12  38-08  0
44. Luis Vilar Patino      Castellon SPAIN (ESP)   12  38-04  0
45. George Puskar          Peekskill, NY (NY)      11  37-15  0
46. David Frey             West Warwick, RI (RI)   13  37-05  0
47. George Cooper          Buxton, ME (ME)         15  37-01  0
48. Fernando Lay           talaurea del reina  SPA 15  36-13  0
49. HS ON – McGarry Gallant Bowmanville CANADA (ONT 8  36-10  0
50. David Dziob            Meriden, CT (CT)        12  36-04  0
51. HS NY – Arndt          Clay, NY (NY)           10  34-02  0
52. John Fitzgerald        Salisbury, VT (VT)      11  34-02  0
53. HS CT – Marino / Winslow Naugatuck, CT (CT)      10  34-01  0
54. Keith Lee              Avon, CT (CT)           15  33-13  0
55. Sheron Brown           Ayer, MA (MA)           12  33-03  0
56. Brian Kelly            Liverpool, NY (NY)      15  33-02  0
57. Jim Lynch              Bomoseen, VT (VT)       11  33-01  0
58. Michael McNamara       Milford, NH (NH)        12  33-00  0
59. Joe Holland            Jefferson, ME (ME)      8  32-15  0
60. Pete Garnier           Lindsey ONTARIO CANADA  12  32-15  0
61. HS NH – Farrington Sterritt Newfields, NH (NH)      10  32-10  0
62. Rick Landry            Hudson, NH (NH)         13  32-09  0
63. Joseba Miquel          vitoria SPAIN (ESP)     14  32-04  0
64. Des Barnes             Aurora CANADA (ONT)     11  31-13  0
65. Adrian Torres Embid    Zaragoza SPAIN (ESP)    13  31-13  0
66. Ramiro Ruben Tarazona Sicilia Tarazona SPAIN (ESP)    14  31-12  0
67. Dwayne Turnage         Hollis, ME (ME)         11  31-05  0
68. Kevin Busch            Vienna, ME (ME)         13  31-03  0
69. James Hanatow          Alstead, NH (NH)        9  30-11  0
70. Ruben Corbella Salvia  Mollerusa SPAIN (ESP)   11  30-05  0
71. Ricky Turczak          Housatonic, MA (MA)     11  30-04  0
72. Allan Smith            Litchfield, NH (NH)     11  30-01  0
73. HS MA – McQuade Jaskolski Dudley, MA (MA)         9  30-01  0
74. John Carmen            Norfolk, MA (MA)        12  29-15  0
75. Farris Deroma          Newton, NJ (NY)         12  29-12  0
76. Scott Guimond          Sebago, ME (ME)         12  29-00  0
77. Ernesto Gonzalez Garcia S Vicente De Alcantara  11  28-05  0
78. Mark Lodge             Alfred, ME (ME)         11  27-14  0
79. John Lamour            Harrowsmith CANADA (ONT 8  27-13  0
80. John Shpack            Attleboro, MA (MA)      10  27-12  0
81. Matt Poissant          Alburg, VT (VT)         12  27-11  0
82. Larry MacPhail         Kingston Ontario CANADA 8  27-08  0
83. Bruce Leeson           Port Rowan ONTARIO CANA 11  27-06  0
84. Ronald Bestwick        Grisword, CT (RI)       9  27-04  0
85. Eloy Fernandez Jofre   L’Ametlla Del Valles SP 11  27-01  0
86. Peter Knight           Fulton, NY (NY)         11  26-13  0
87. Jay Guidaboni          Plymouth, MA (MA)       10  26-10  0
88. HS RI – Bestwick Sampson N Stonington, CT (RI)   10  26-08  0
89. Chuck Sturtevant       NoChihenden, VT (VT)    9  26-04  0
90. Steven Conde           Chepachet, RI (RI)      11  25-13  0
91. Kevin Noel             Burlington, CT (CT)     8  25-10  0
92. Bill Wright            Whiting, VT (VT)        9  25-08  0
93. Jamie Janzen           St Catherines ONTARIO C 10  24-15  0
94. Scott McKay            Mendon, VT (VT)         7  24-10  0
95. Harry Gordon           WATERBURY, CT (CT)      10  23-15  0
96. Steve Wilson           East Waterboro, ME (ME) 11  23-15  0
97. Paul LeBlanc           Medway, MA (MA)         9  22-08  0
98. HS VT – Gaudette Seaman Colchester, VT (VT)     10  21-10  0
99. Scott Barker           Gray, ME (ME)           8  20-15  0
100. Chris Guncheon         Warwick, RI (RI)        9  19-00  0
101. Matthew Breach         Douglas, MA (MA)        7  18-15  0
102. Chris Adams            Concord, NH (NH)        7  18-02  0
103. HS ME – Rodgers Williamson Gorham, ME (ME)         6  18-00  0
104. Steven Worden          Cumberland, RI (RI)     9  17-14  0
105. Kevin Miller           Merrimack, NH (NH)      8  17-10  0
106. Javier Guillen Cordoba Tarragona SPAIN (ESP)   8  17-02  0
107. David Riley            North Attleboro, MA (RI 6  16-06  0
108. Justin Spraske         Swanzey, NH (NH)        7  15-07  0
109. Donnie Staszczyk       Cheetowaga, NY (NY)     6  15-03  0
110. Michael Abernathy      Coventry, RI (RI)       7  15-01  0
111. John Grondin           Scarborough, ME (ME)    7  14-09  0
112. Shawn Grover           Biddeford, ME (ME)      5  13-08  0
113. Chris Mann             Cornish, VT (VT)        6  12-09  0
114. Scott Laliberty        Sabaltus, ME (ME)       4  12-06  0
115. Robert Hegyi           Wales, MA (MA)          5  11-12  0
116. James Jeffries         Rouses Point, NY (VT)   2  04-15  0
———————————————————————–

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1       64       433       1264-14
2       69       466       1388-15
3       59       443       1297-08
———————————-
192      1342      3951-05

TEAM STANDINGS Day 3
———————————-
State                Lbs-Oz
1 NEW YORK             540-06
2 CONNECTICUT          532-09
3 ONTARIO              516-13
4 NEW HAMPSHIRE        443-15
5 SPAIN                405-10
6 MASSACHUSETTS        399-03
7 VERMONT              389-14
8 RHODE ISLAND         388-07
9 MAINE                334-08

INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Day 3
———————————————————————–

CONNECTICUT
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz
1 Paul Mueller         Naugatuck, CT               15   53-15  0
2 Abe Kalechman        Ashford, CT                 15   51-14  0
3 Dennis Sikorski      Bozrah, CT                  15   50-04  0
4 Kevin Rose Jr        Anniston, CT                15   48-13  0
5 Scott Downie         Danbury , CT                14   47-13  0
6 David Maiorano       Clinton, CT                 12   45-09  0
7 Garrett Kruger       Monroe, CT                  15   41-08  0
8 Reed Johnson         Farmington, CT              14   39-02  0
9 David Dziob          Meriden, CT                 12   36-04  0
10 HS CT – Marino / Winslow Naugatuck, CT               10   34-01  0
11 Keith Lee            Avon, CT                    15   33-13  0
12 Kevin Noel           Burlington, CT              8   25-10  0
13 Harry Gordon         WATERBURY, CT               10   23-15  0

MASSACHUSETTS
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz
1 Jeff Kenney          Franklin, MA                15   44-11  0
2 Jim Moorey           Whitinsville, MA            15   44-11  0
3 Dan Tavilla          Clelmsford, MA              15   40-00  0
4 Michael Elliott      Chelmsford, MA              13   38-13  0
5 Sheron Brown         Ayer, MA                    12   33-03  0
6 Ricky Turczak        Housatonic, MA              11   30-04  0
7 HS MA – McQuade Jaskolski Dudley, MA                  9   30-01  0
8 John Carmen          Norfolk, MA                 12   29-15  0
9 John Shpack          Attleboro, MA               10   27-12  0
10 Jay Guidaboni        Plymouth, MA                10   26-10  0
11 Paul LeBlanc         Medway, MA                  9   22-08  0
12 Matthew Breach       Douglas, MA                 7   18-15  0
13 Robert Hegyi         Wales, MA                   5   11-12  0

MAINE
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz
1 Chuck Towns          Readfield, ME               15   41-13  0
2 George Cooper        Buxton, ME                  15   37-01  0
3 Joe Holland          Jefferson, ME               8   32-15  0
4 Dwayne Turnage       Hollis, ME                  11   31-05  0
5 Kevin Busch          Vienna, ME                  13   31-03  0
6 Scott Guimond        Sebago, ME                  12   29-00  0
7 Mark Lodge           Alfred, ME                  11   27-14  0
8 Steve Wilson         East Waterboro, ME          11   23-15  0
9 Scott Barker         Gray, ME                    8   20-15  0
10 HS ME – Rodgers Williamson Gorham, ME                  6   18-00  0
11 John Grondin         Scarborough, ME             7   14-09  0
12 Shawn Grover         Biddeford, ME               5   13-08  0
13 Scott Laliberty      Sabaltus, ME                4   12-06  0

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz
1 Rob Messenger        Sunapee, NH                 15   64-00  0
2 Pete Demoya          Plymouth, MA                14   47-00  0
3 John Levesque        Nashua, NH                  15   42-02  0
4 John Diaco           Rochester, NH               14   40-08  0
5 Bill Kuslaka         Windham, NH                 13   40-03  0
6 Michael McNamara     Milford, NH                 12   33-00  0
7 HS NH – Farrington Sterritt Newfields, NH               10   32-10  0
8 Rick Landry          Hudson, NH                  13   32-09  0
9 James Hanatow        Alstead, NH                 9   30-11  0
10 Allan Smith          Litchfield, NH              11   30-01  0
11 Chris Adams          Concord, NH                 7   18-02  0
12 Kevin Miller         Merrimack, NH               8   17-10  0
13 Justin Spraske       Swanzey, NH                 7   15-07  0

NEW YORK
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz
1 Ken Golubjatnikov    Pittsford, NY               15   65-07  0
2 Christopher Killoren Marcellus, NY               15   57-14  0
3 Brad Brodnicki       Buffalo, NY                 15   52-04  0
4 Todd Covert          Port Crane, NY              15   50-08  0
5 Joe Valerio          Red Creek, NY               15   48-01  0
6 Chris O’Brien        Rochester, NY               15   45-12  0
7 Randy Lamanche       Marcellus, NY               15   43-09  0
8 George Puskar        Peekskill, NY               11   37-15  0
9 HS NY – Arndt        Clay, NY                    10   34-02  0
10 Brian Kelly          Liverpool, NY               15   33-02  0
11 Farris Deroma        Newton, NJ                  12   29-12  0
12 Peter Knight         Fulton, NY                  11   26-13  0
13 Donnie Staszczyk     Cheetowaga, NY              6   15-03  0

RHODE ISLAND
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz
1 Leo Bevelaqua        Wyoming, RI                 13   44-05  0
2 Chris Molineaux      Hope Valley, RI             15   41-02  0
3 Brian Jarvis         Warwick , RI                13   39-12  0
4 Mike Wolfenden       Warwick, RI                 14   39-01  0
5 John Hinckley        Cumberland, RI              12   39-00  0
6 David Frey           West Warwick, RI            13   37-05  0
7 Ronald Bestwick      Grisword, CT                9   27-04  0
8 HS RI – Bestwick Sampson N Stonington, CT            10   26-08  0
9 Steven Conde         Chepachet, RI               11   25-13  0
10 Chris Guncheon       Warwick, RI                 9   19-00  0
11 Steven Worden        Cumberland, RI              9   17-14  0
12 David Riley          North Attleboro, MA         6   16-06  0
13 Michael Abernathy    Coventry, RI                7   15-01  0

VERMONT
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz
1 Russell Phillips     Guilford, VT                15   53-05  0
2 Jonathan Case        Swanton, VT                 15   43-06  0
3 James Knox           Rutland, VT                 15   43-03  0
4 Skip Sjobeck         Randolph, VT                14   39-10  0
5 John Fitzgerald      Salisbury, VT               11   34-02  0
6 Jim Lynch            Bomoseen, VT                11   33-01  0
7 Matt Poissant        Alburg, VT                  12   27-11  0
8 Chuck Sturtevant     NoChihenden, VT             9   26-04  0
9 Bill Wright          Whiting, VT                 9   25-08  0
10 Scott McKay          Mendon, VT                  7   24-10  0
11 HS VT – Gaudette Seaman Colchester, VT              10   21-10  0
12 Chris Mann           Cornish, VT                 6   12-09  0
13 James Jeffries       Rouses Point, NY            2   04-15  0

ONTARIO
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz
1 Doug Brownridge      Milton ONTARIO CANADA       15   72-09  0
2 Mark Rorke           St Cathrines ONTARIO CA 15   53-05  0
3 Mark Cavanaugh       Port Perry CANADA           15   52-03  0
4 Charles Sim          Ottawa CANADA               14   50-04  0
5 Frank Ramsay         Ingleside ONTARIO CANAD    15   41-00  0
6 Tim Birch            Waterloo ONTARIO CANADA     12   38-08  0
7 HS ON – McGarry Gallant Bowmanville CANADA          8   36-10  0
8 Pete Garnier         Lindsey ONTARIO CANADA      12   32-15  0
9 Des Barnes           Aurora CANADA               11   31-13  0
10 John Lamour          Harrowsmith CANADA          8   27-13  0
11 Larry MacPhail       Kingston Ontario CANADA     8   27-08  0
12 Bruce Leeson         Port Rowan ONTARIO CANA   11   27-06  0
13 Jamie Janzen         St Catherines ONTARIO C 10   24-15  0

SPAIN
Angler               Hometown                   No./lbs-oz
1 Eric Corbella Salvia Mollerusa SPAIN             15   45-15  0
2 Carlos Perez Zamorano Madrid SPAIN                15   44-09  0
3 Ricardo Rodriguez Gonzalez S Vicente D Alcantara S 15   41-07  0
4 Luis Vilar Patino    Castellon SPAIN             12   38-04  0
5 Fernando Lay         talaurea del reina  SPA   15   36-13  0
6 Joseba Miquel        vitoria SPAIN               14   32-04  0
7 Adrian Torres Embid  Zaragoza SPAIN              13   31-13  0
8 Ramiro Ruben Tarazona Sicilia Tarazona SPAIN              14   31-12  0
9 Ruben Corbella Salvia Mollerusa SPAIN             11   30-05  0
10 Ernesto Gonzalez Garcia S Vicente De Alcantara  11   28-05  0
11 Eloy Fernandez Jofre L’Ametlla Del Valles SP  11   27-01  0
12 Javier Guillen Cordoba Tarragona SPAIN             8   17-02  0