RICES LANDING, Pa. — A team of veteran Pennsylvania tournament anglers has secured a place in this winter’s Bassmaster Team Championship, crediting rising bass populations on rivers such as the Monongahela and adaptive techniques during a season of frequent rains.
Local anglers ride improved river fisheries to national event
Mark Melega, 57, of Rices Landing, and his cousin Lee Corazzi, 66, of Fredericktown, will join teammate Bucky Mounts of Washington as Pennsylvania representatives in the December championship at Grand Lake, Oklahoma. The trio earned the spot as points winners of the PA River Rats tournament series held near Pittsburgh.
They compete across the region — from Erie to West Virginia — but Melega and Corazzi said the Monongahela has shown notable improvement this year in both numbers and size of smallmouth bass, an encouraging sign for river anglers and for communities that host tournaments.
“I’ve been on that river my whole life and there are more fish and bigger fish than I’ve ever seen in my entire life,”
Corazzi said. Melega added that the team had “a good year,” and that as an individual he is in contention for angler-of-the-year honors in the Washington Bassmasters Club, with a few events left on the calendar.
Adapting rigs to shifting water conditions
Anglers this summer faced frequent rain and elevated river levels that produced turbid, or “dirty,” water at times. Those conditions forced competitors to tweak techniques and lures. The team reported success using modern finesse approaches — notably the drop shot and Ned rig — while leaning on brighter, high-visibility plastics and weighted heads to reach fish holding deeper or in stained water.
- Brighter colors — especially orange and chartreuse — helped entice bites in turbid conditions.
- Quarter-ounce heads on plastic baits allowed anglers to reach deeper fish without sacrificing action.
- Smallmouth bass on the Monongahela and Ohio rivers proved responsive to crawfish-pattern plastics and crankbaits.
“The chartreuse grub has become so popular this year,” Melega said, describing how color and profile shifts helped the team prevail in variable conditions.
What the run of good seasons means locally
For towns along the rivers, stronger fisheries can translate to more regional tournament stops, increased tourism and sales for local bait shops and marinas. Melega and Corazzi’s run is not an anomaly for their partnership: they said this will be their fourth consecutive trip to the national team championship, which rotates host venues and has previously been held in states such as Kentucky and Florida.
Their qualification underlines a pattern many anglers have reported in recent seasons: improved recruitment and growth of gamefish in Pennsylvania’s larger rivers. That trend can reflect a combination of factors, including habitat improvements, water-quality changes and angling pressure shifts — although the anglers in this report point primarily to observable increases in fish size and abundance on stretches of the Monongahela where they regularly fish.
Next steps and what to expect at the national stage
The Bassmaster Team Championship is a high-profile event that draws experienced pairs and teams from across the country. Melega, Corazzi and Mounts will travel to Grand Lake in December to compete against other qualifying teams. The Pennsylvania trio has experience fishing a wide range of waters and conditions, from inland lakes to big rivers, which they say gives them an advantage when a venue demands on-the-water versatility.
For local anglers looking to replicate some of the team’s success: focus on adjustable rigs that can be fished effectively in stained or high water; carry a selection of bright colors; and be prepared to vary weight and presentation to find the strike zone.
| Angler | Hometown | Notable |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Melega | Rices Landing | Qualified for Bassmaster Team Championship; contending for local angler of the year |
| Lee Corazzi | Fredericktown | Longtime Monongahela angler; noted increase in fish size and numbers |
| Bucky Mounts | Washington | Teammate on the PA River Rats points-winning squad |
As the team prepares for December’s championship, their success this year offers a snapshot of how angling tactics are evolving in response to changing water conditions — and how Pennsylvania’s rivers remain an important and improving resource for anglers and the communities that support them.
Gregory Halloran, State Correspondent
