Keith DiLuzio, of North East, is launching Bassin' on the Bay Charters in 2012. Christopher Millette/Erie Times-News photo

Keith DiLuzio isn’t done with pro tournaments, but he’s ready to expand his bass fishing obsession with the launch of Bassin’ on the Bay Charters.

DiLuzio, a North East resident who has regularly fished B.A.S.S. Bassmaster Weekend Series and other events with his wife, Rebecca, went back to school in January and earned his six-pack, towing and master’s captain’s licenses. He says his will be the only strictly bass charter out of Erie and Lake Erie’s Central Basin.

DiLuzio is scheduled to appear as an exhibitor at the Erie Sport & Travel Expo March 2-4 at the Bayfront Convention Center, where he’ll present seminars on fishing the city limits of Erie without a boat — or, as he said, “getting out of your car along the city side and catching fish instead of sitting on a bucket and staring at your bobber.”

North East co-angler Keith DiLuzio took second place Sunday in the American Bass Anglers Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series Lake Erie New York West Division tournament out of Barcelona, N.Y.

DiLuzio logged three bass weighing 12.95 pounds after a half-pound deduction for a dead fish. His actual catch of 13.45 lbs would have won the event.

DiLuzio remains the divisional points leader and his wife, Rebecca, is sixth in points.They’ll fish the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open No. 2 Thursday through Saturday on Lake Erie out of Sandusky, Ohio.

Keith DiLuzio is back on the EverStart Series Tour this week, but the aspiring pro from North East will be hard-pressed to top the performance his family put on this past weekend.

DiLuzio opens competition Thursday on Lake Champlain in a Northern Division event that will pay as much as $35,000 and a Ranger boat to the pro champion and a Ranger boat and as much as $5,000 to the winner in DiLuzio’s class, co-angler.

Fishing continues Friday and Saturday, with daily 6 a.m. takeoffs from Plattsburgh Boat Basin in Plattsburgh, N.Y. Weigh-ins Thursday and Friday are at 2 p.m. at the marina, and Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Plattsburgh Walmart.

The EverStart Series features five divisions and four tournaments each. The top 40 pros and co-anglers from each division qualify for the series championship Oct. 27-30 on Kentucky Lake in Buchanan, Tenn.

EverStart isn’t the only tour in which DiLuzio competes. He was on Chautauqua Lake Saturday for an American Bass Anglers Bassmaster Weekend Series event, finishing seventh among co-anglers for a $188 payday with a three-fish catch of 7.49 pounds.

DiLuzio’s wife, Rebecca DiLuzio, was a revelation, winning the co-angler division and the $1,126 first-place check. She caught three bass weighing a combined 12.25 pounds.

Rebecca and Keith DiLuzio.

“We fished on the south end of the lake in the morning and then we started having boat problems so we came to the north end of the lake. We wanted to make sure we got back in time,” Rebecca DiLuzio told abaproam.com.

“Let’s just say I trained her well Friday when we went up and practiced,” Keith DiLuzio said. “I told her if she hooks any big fish to play them slowly and bring them in the boat, which she did, and she caught several fish and culled the small ones a few times during the day.”

While the DiLuzios were cashing on Chautauqua, their son, 11-year-old Kyle, caught the youth division’s biggest fish in the Erie PA Sport Fishing Association’s Walleye Challenge on Lake Erie. He won $50 and a plaque while fishing with grandfather, Dick Babo.

Kyle DiLuzio.

Another angler from North East, Danny Jones, placed third among boaters on Chautauqua Lake with a five-bass catch of 17.01 pounds. His 5.17-pound bass won lunker honors.

Erie’s Adam Montie placed third among co-anglers with three bass weighing 8.33 pounds.

Keith and Rebecca DiLuzio of North East had plenty to be proud of June 19 when their 10-year-old son, Kyle, won the junior division biggest fish award of a walleye tournament on Chautauqua Lake. His 9.54-pound whopper earned him a $25 check.

But that wasn’t the only success story of the weekend.

Keith DiLuzio, who competes on pro bass fishing circuits, finished fourth and won $286 in a bass tournament at Chautauqua. He lost a 6-pound largemouth at the boat that would have given him the victory. And Rebecca, fishing in a bass tournament for the first time, placed 27th out of 56 anglers.

Learn a bit more about the DiLuzios in Scott A. Messenger’s recent story for NWPA Outdoors.

Thanks to Rebecca DiLuzio for the photo.