Zackery Seal of Findley Lake is all smiles after he won the two-day T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League Northeast Division super tournament in the 1000 Islands.

Submitted photo

CLAYTON — Boater Zackery Seal of Findley Lake brought a two-day total of 10 bass to the scale, weighing 44 pounds, 4 ounces, to win the two-day T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Northeast Division super-tournament at the 1000 Islands on Sunday.

Seal earned $6,066 for his efforts. The Northeast Division is presented by Gajo Baits.

“It was the same deal both days,” said Seal, who earned the first BFL win of his career. “The first day the wind was blowing right out of the southwest, and there were 6- to 8-footers where I was fishing, so it made it real hard to stay on them. The second day the wind laid down and it was absolutely perfect.”

Seal said he fished in the St. Lawrence River both days, and on Day Two he and co-angler Michael Duarte both caught more than 22 pounds and moved up from second place for the win.

“It was just standard stuff. I was fishing from 20 to 40 feet around rocks, and I found an area that had some big ones,” said Seal. “I only lost one fish both days, so that was good. Those smallmouths get your heart pumping when they show themselves and then turn and go right back down.”

Seal said he caught all his fish on a drop-shot rig with a green pumpkin-colored Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm, straight 8-pound-test fluorocarbon line and ¢- and 3/8-ounce weights.

“This is my first win, it was awesome,” said Seal. “I hadn’t fished tournaments in quite a while, and I’m starting to get back into it a bit. I just love going up there, and I caught ’em both days. The second day we just crushed them. As we went on through the day and started catching those big ones, you start thinking about it, and then being on stage and watching the scales settle, it was awesome.”