Montco Man Wins Major Bass Fishing Tournament In NY

HARLEYSVILLE, PA — A Montgomery County man won a major bass fishing tournament in New York over the weekend.

Grae Buck, of Harleysville, earned a $5,471 cash prize for his victory in Saturday's T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Northeast Division tournament, which was held up on Oneida Lake.

Buck five heaviest bass weighed a total of 16 pounds, 13 ounces for the win.

"I was working in 8 to 12 feet of water and targeting areas that had a mix of rock and grass,” Buck said after the tournament. "I ran around and probably hit 20 different spots. I never found a school – I was plucking them off here and there. There are a bunch of small perch fry in those areas right now, so I was looking for the bait and matching the hatch."

The win marks Buck's fourth career BFL victory.

Malvern's Andrew Heivly earned second place, with five bass at 16 pounds, eight ounces. He won $2,486.

For his catches, Buck used a Tennessee shad-colored and purple-colored Cornerstone Baits Shimmy Shot. He credited the foil on the belly of it which "gives it a little extra glimmer" for assisting him.

“When I casted out there I’d let it sit on the bottom, and then let the slack out without moving the rig," he added. "It was a subtle bite, but I could see the line start moving away. They’re finicky when they are eating perch fry.”

The BFL features 24 divisions in total, with 128 tournaments throughout the season for weekend anglers.