2024 PA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

YOU MISSED IT !!!

First off we would like to thank our host Union Springs Village Council for their hospitality and excellent launch facility. This was a record weekend on Cayuga Lake launching out of Union Springs, NY where the single day weight record would be broken by Mark Bower on day 1 with 25.40lbs and it would take 20lbs just to be in the top 10 on the angler side. Not to be out done, the coanglers would bring the smack down with a near 20lb bag to lead their division. The big fish also came out to play with 1 five pounder after another getting erased until Justin Holewinski put a 6,32 on the scale to take it for the angler side. Chris Longo would take day 1 honors with a 5.09 for the coanglers.

Day 2 and not only did the heat continue with temps well into the 90s, so did the big bags which kept coming. 10 more 20lb plus bags would be brought in along with along with countless 18 and 19lb bags. But were any of the day 1 leaders and contenders able to do it again. 2nd place Keith Houseknect would be the first of the top 5 day 1 anglers to come in with only 17,39 and fall to 6th. Fifth place Bob Brody would come in with another 20lb bag and keep his spot. With word that the other 3 angler in the top 5 had caught them again we waited…..first to arrive was day 1 leader Mark Bower who said he was struggling early; then said he got the bites he needed but Mike has a giant and it is going to be close. Mark weighed in 24,09 to give him a total of 49.49lbs!!!! a new 2 day total weight record. A little while later, Shumanis made his way to the tanks. First up was his big fish that did not disappoint; a 8.09 largemouth and biggest fish of the tournament. However his 24.63 bag would leave him two and half pound short of the gold ring. Where is Bryan…..reports were that he had a big bag….needing just under 30lbs to take the lead, Mark still wasn’t breathing that easy. When Brian arrived, he wouldn’t have 30 but he did have 25.53. Not enough for the win but enough to take over the single day weight record.  What an amazing 2 days. There would be one more story to tell. You go out and have a great day. You come in with 20.54 and find out you are 5 pounds out of the lead and not even in a check spot. So, what do you do. You go out and get more. That is what Mitch Heaton did and he upgraded to a 22.32 limit vaulting him into 4th place. Let that sink in; 42.36 for 4th place. It took 40lbs just to get a check and 46 to make the top 3.

Now for the coanglers. Day 2 would start with the 17 pounds just inside the cut line and 2 19lb bags leading the way. Kade Wesner, the day one leader, would return on day 2 with another solid limit just short of 20lbs giving him  a total of 39.15! Now he would have to wait. Scott Hileman who was only 0.27 behind him could only find just under 16lbs today so he was safe for now. Then came Jason Cavanaugh with a Big Bag and a Big Fish. He would start with a 7.21 giant and finish with 23.24 pounds just missing knocking Kade out by 0.80. With a sigh of relief, he anxiously awaited another Jason to come to the scales. Jason Ortiz that is who went out only 0.66lbs behind him. Jason said I don’t have a 7 pounder but I have good ones. And that he did – 20.43 and he takes 1st place by 0.05lbs as Kade walks away clutching the sides of his head in disbelief. 39.20 and Jason Ortiz is the 2024 coangler Champion……and the other part of the story, you are a coangler with over 30lbs and don’t make the top 5.

Here are the numbers