Jeff Luger of Virginia weighed-in 19 pounds, 13 ounces of Lake Erie smallmouth today to charge from 21^st place to the winner’s circle on the final day of the B.A.S.S. Nation Mid-Atlantic Divisional tournament.

And because of the 4-fish limit in Pennsylvania Luger’s average weight per fish was nearly 5 pounds apiece. His sack included a 5-10 smallie that won Carhartt Big Bass honors for the tournament. Likewise, his bag of bass today was also the heaviest of the 3-day event.

 “I never thought I would have a chance at winning this,” said Lugar, 42, a production manager for M&H Plastics. “I caught 4-12 the first day, and then I had 14-11 yesterday, and I told my partner today, I needed a big bag just to try and make it from the (state) team. At 1 o’clock today, he told me I had won the whole thing. I said there was no way since I had caught 4 pounds the first day, and you can’t win a tournament with this many good fishermen and not have a limit every day. So I don’t know what to say. I am in shock right now.”

Lugar caught all of his fish the final day on a Jackall Lures Crosstail Shad and Strike King 4-inch finesse worm on a drop shot rig with 3/8- and 1/2-ounce weights.

“We went east about 10 miles and started there,” said Lugar. “I caught three fish, and the second one was a 5-pounder. We got to the next spot, and it was lights out for three or four hours. I was catching 3 1/2- and 4-pound fish. It was just one of those days. We caught walleye, drum, yellow perch, rock bass and, of course, some big smallmouth.”

Delaware won the team championship with 387 pounds, 1 ounce, while the New Jersey squad finished second with 364-8.

The Top 10 looks like this:

1.  Jeff Lugar             Mcgaheysville, VA (VA)  10  39-04  0

2.  Jason Vaughn           Bridgeville, DE (DE)    12  39-02  0

3.  Mike Moran             Ruffsdale, PA (PA)      12  38-13  0

4.  Jim Groome             Pittsgrove, NJ (NJ)     12  36-08  0

5.  John Carpenter         Marmona, NJ (NJ)        12  36-06  0

6.  Jim Short              Ocean Pines, MD (DE)    12  36-03  0

7.  Matt Becker            Finleyville, PA (PA)    12  35-03  0

8.  Chris Price            Church Hill, MD (DE)    12  34-14  0

9.  William Pioch          Beckley, WV (WV)        12  34-11  0

10. Michael Sentore        Gloucester City, NJ (NJ 12  34-11  0

 

11. Fabian Rodriguez       Ocean City, DE (DE)     12  34-00  0