PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — The question was asked repeatedly and Carl Jocumsen answered conclusively. Will largemouth bass play a significant role in the SPRO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain?

That would be a “yes,” perhaps followed by the traditional “Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi!”

Sacking up a limit of big Champlain green ones that weighed 23 pounds, 2 ounces, the pro from Toowoomba, Australia leads Day 1 by a margin of 1-6 over Drew Cook.

“That was pretty fun, but it didn’t come easy” Jocumsen said. “I didn’t make some good decisions at the start; I ran all over the place trying to get a big bite and ended up making a big long run (to the south end).

“They don’t start biting until later in the morning anyway and I was boat 97, so I had a long day. It all lined up for me to test my stuff here and then go. I left the upper end at 9:30, got down there and started getting bites right away.”

This picturesque natural lake straddling the New York/Vermont border has long enjoyed a reputation for diversity, with lots of big largemouth and a much larger population of big smallmouth (the brown ones). Over the past decade or so, the latter have dominated most Champlain tournaments.

Smallmouth like to roam and chase baitfish schools, often over deep water, so the lake offers much more area for these fish to do what they do. Largemouth, on the other hand, tend to be homebodies that rarely move far from whatever grassbed, rock point, laydown or dock they favor.

By their behavior, largemouth are more easily targeted, but most anglers expected heavy fishing pressure in the prime areas due to the tournament’s format. Shortly after the 2026 schedule was announced, a coin flip selection identified five events that would allow forward facing sonar — a game-changing tool for targeting open water smallmouth — and four that would not.

With Champlain in the latter group, Jocumsen knew the field would lack a major tool that’s typically used to track down and engage roaming smallmouth. Plenty of old-school smallmouth techniques remain relevant, and Jocumsen actually started his day trying a few. However, when his opening plan did not pan out, he shifted gears and went all-in for the largemouth game.

“I didn’t come into this event expecting this, but I knew it could be in the plan, for sure,” Jocumsen said. “I just knew that with the pressure that the north has received, the south end of the lake could be a sneaky area.”

Champlain offers varying levels of largemouth habitat end to end, but Jocumsen made an hour-and-a-half run south to Ticonderoga. Named for the historic fort on the New York side, “Ti,” as it’s called holds the lake’s most concentrated largemouth habitat, mostly comprising submersed aquatic vegetation.

The first Australian to win a Bassmaster Elite event (Lake Tenkiller, 2019), Jocumsen saw about six other tournament boats in the Ti area. Anchoring his bag with a 5-4, his strategy included particular elements that allowed him to excel.

“I’m using slow presentations, but I’m doing something a little different — I’m fishing on the outside of where (most others are fishing) and I think it just pushed the fish to me,” Jocumsen said. “I’m fishing about 7-8 feet, so pretty deep (for largemouth).”

Jocumsen said he concentrated on a half-mile stretch that included several sweet spots of habitat variances.

“There are little nuances, little spots, little areas that just switch on,” Jocumsen said. “There are bite periods too, so tomorrow, I have to just put my head down and fish really methodically and just hope it happens again.”

Cook, who makes his home in Cairo, Ga., is in second place with 21-12. Taking advantage of the calm, bright conditions, Cook spent most of his day targeting smallmouth and then went shallow to hunt largemouth. He weighed a mixed bag with four smallmouth and one big largemouth.

“I was never going fish for largemouth until I had my baseline for smallmouth (weight),” Cook said. “I needed 17 pounds of smallmouth before I’d go largemouth fishing because I fished for largemouth in practice and never found that motherlode.

“I found a couple places that had one to three fish, but not those places that have 50 fish in one little area. I was a little hesitant to spend a whole lot of time doing it.”

Cook caught his smallmouth on crankbaits and bladed jigs. He caught his big largemouth on a wacky-rigged SPRO Wacky Snack in a milfoil bed.

Chris Zaldain of Fort Worth, Texas is in third place with 21-10. Spending his day in the lake’s upper end, Zaldain said he fished near other anglers, but he was fishing a unique habitat feature with a presentation no one else around him was using.

“The lake’s natural wind current positions the fish I’m fishing for and it sets them up ready to bite,” Zaldain said. “I’m doing something somewhat off-the-wall and I think this pattern could hold up for four days.”

Like Jocumsen, Zaldain weighed a limit of largemouth. He found plenty of smallmouth, but given their nomadic nature on Champlain, he felt the largemouth offered greater consistency.

Cook holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead with a 5-13.

Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 640 points. Cook — the 2019 Rookie of the Year — is in second place with 637, followed by Cory Johnston of Otonabee, Canada with 634, 2022 Bassmaster Classic champion Jason Christie of Dry Creek, Okla., with 566, and Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., with 566.

Caleb Hudson of Lincolnton, Ga., leads the Pro-Guide Batteries Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year standings with 559 points.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET at Plattsburgh City Marina. The weigh-in will be held at the marina at 3 p.m.

Live coverage of the 2026 SPRO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain will be available on August 14 at 8 a.m. ET on Bassmaster.com. FS1 will host the morning action on August 15 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. before heading to Bassmaster.com. Championship Sunday coverage can be found on FS1 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and conclude on Bassmaster.com.

Discover Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast are hosting this event.

 

2026 Bassmaster Elite Series Title Sponsor: Progressive

2026 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Progressive, Toyota
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Humminbird, Mercury, Mountain Dew, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Lew’s, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, VMC, Yokohama

 

About B.A.S.S.

B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, Turtlebox Bassmaster Opens Series presented by Battery Tender, Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Junior Series, TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

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Connect with #Bassmaster on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

Media Contact: Mandy Pascal, Communications Manager, 334-414-8677, [email protected]

 

2026 Bassmaster Elite Series at Lake Champlain 8/13-8/16
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh  NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TN AUSTRALIA  5  23-02  101
Day 1: 5   23-02
2.  Drew Cook              Cairo, GA                5  21-12  100   $1,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-12
3.  Chris Zaldain          Boyd, TX                 5  21-10   99
Day 1: 5   21-10
4.  Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA             5  21-08   98
Day 1: 5   21-08
5.  Kyle Patrick           Cooperstown, NY          5  20-13   97
Day 1: 5   20-13
6.  Cory Johnston          Otonabee CANADA          5  20-08   96
Day 1: 5   20-08
7.  Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         5  20-06   95
Day 1: 5   20-06
8.  Chris Johnston         Peterborough Ontario CA  5  19-14   94
Day 1: 5   19-14
9.  Jason Christie         Dry Creek, OK            5  19-13   93
Day 1: 5   19-13
10. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD                5  19-11   92
Day 1: 5   19-11
11. Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI            5  19-10   91
Day 1: 5   19-10
12. Seth Feider            Elko New Market, MN      5  19-08   90
Day 1: 5   19-08
13. Cooper Gallant         Bowmanville Ontario CAN  5  19-05   89
Day 1: 5   19-05
14. Lee Livesay            Longview, TX             5  19-04   88
Day 1: 5   19-04
15. Paul Marks             Cumming, GA              5  19-03   87
Day 1: 5   19-03
16. Beau Browning          Hot Springs, AR          5  19-02   86
Day 1: 5   19-02
16. Trey McKinney          Carbondale, IL           5  19-02   86
Day 1: 5   19-02
18. David Gaston           Sylacauga, AL            5  19-00   84
Day 1: 5   19-00
19. Patrick Walters        Eutawville, SC           5  18-14   83
Day 1: 5   18-14
20. Luke Palmer            Atoka, OK                5  18-12   82
Day 1: 5   18-12
21. Fisher Anaya           Eva, AL                  5  18-11   81
Day 1: 5   18-11
21. Jeff Gustafson         Kenora, ON Ontario CANA  5  18-11   81
Day 1: 5   18-11
23. Caleb Hudson           Lincolnton, GA           5  18-10   79
Day 1: 5   18-10
24. KJ Queen               Catawba, NC              5  18-08   78
Day 1: 5   18-08
25. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA             5  18-07   77
Day 1: 5   18-07
26. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN            5  18-06   76
Day 1: 5   18-06
26. JT Thompkins           Myrtle Beach, SC         5  18-06   76
Day 1: 5   18-06
28. Pake South             Winnsboro, TX            5  18-05   74
Day 1: 5   18-05
29. Justin Atkins          Florence, AL             5  18-04   73
Day 1: 5   18-04
30. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC              5  18-03   72
Day 1: 5   18-03
31. Cody Meyer             Eagle, ID                5  18-02   71
Day 1: 5   18-02
31. Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX               5  18-02   71
Day 1: 5   18-02
33. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX           5  18-01   69
Day 1: 5   18-01
33. Matt Messer            Warfield, KY             5  18-01   69
Day 1: 5   18-01
33. Bryant Smith           Roseville, CA            5  18-01   69
Day 1: 5   18-01
33. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL         5  18-01   69
Day 1: 5   18-01
37. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC           5  18-00   65
Day 1: 5   18-00
37. Joey Cifuentes III     Clinton, AR              5  18-00   65
Day 1: 5   18-00
39. Will Davis Jr          Sylacauga, AL            5  17-15   63
Day 1: 5   17-15
39. Tristan McCormick      Bon Aqua, TN             5  17-15   63
Day 1: 5   17-15
39. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS         5  17-15   63
Day 1: 5   17-15
42. Emil Wagner            Marietta, GA             5  17-13   60
Day 1: 5   17-13
42. Tyler Williams         Barnett, MO              5  17-13   60
Day 1: 5   17-13
44. Dakota Ebare           Brookeland, TX           5  17-11   58
Day 1: 5   17-11
44. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL           5  17-11   58
Day 1: 5   17-11
46. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL            5  17-10   56
Day 1: 5   17-10
47. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID             5  17-09   55
Day 1: 5   17-09
48. Justin Hamner          Northport, AL            5  17-08   54
Day 1: 5   17-08
49. Jay Przekurat          Stevens Point, WI        5  17-07   53
Day 1: 5   17-07
50. Wesley Gore            Clanton, AL              5  17-06   52
Day 1: 5   17-06
51. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC            5  17-05   51
Day 1: 5   17-05
51. Aaron Jagdfeld         Rochester Hills, MI      5  17-05   51
Day 1: 5   17-05
53. Easton Fothergill      Grand Rapids , MN        5  17-04   49
Day 1: 5   17-04
53. Sam Hanggi             Knoxville, TN            5  17-04   49
Day 1: 5   17-04
55. Cliff Pace             Ovett, MS                5  17-02   47
Day 1: 5   17-02
55. Jacob Powroznik        North Prince George, VA  5  17-02   47
Day 1: 5   17-02
57. Austin Cranford        Oklahoma City, OK        5  17-01   45
Day 1: 5   17-01
58. Robert Gee             Knoxville, TN            5  17-00   44
Day 1: 5   17-00
58. Matt Robertson         Kuttawa, KY              5  17-00   44
Day 1: 5   17-00
58. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC                5  17-00   44
Day 1: 5   17-00
61. Logan Parks            Auburn, AL               5  16-14   41
Day 1: 5   16-14
62. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR               5  16-11   40
Day 1: 5   16-11
63. Wes Logan              Springville, AL          5  16-10   39
Day 1: 5   16-10
64. Alex Redwine           Blue Ash, OH             5  16-09   38
Day 1: 5   16-09
65. Blake Capps            Muskogee, OK             5  16-08   37
Day 1: 5   16-08
66. Andrew Loberg          Guntersville, AL         5  16-07   36
Day 1: 5   16-07
67. Bryan New              Leesville, SC            5  16-06   35
Day 1: 5   16-06
68. Jake Whitaker          Hendersonville, NC       5  16-05   34
Day 1: 5   16-05
69. Kyoya Fujita           Yamanashi CA JAPAN       5  16-04   33
Day 1: 5   16-04
70. Brandon Card           Salisbury, NC            5  16-03   32
Day 1: 5   16-03
71. Bob Downey             Detroit Lakes, MN        5  16-02   31
Day 1: 5   16-02
72. Tucker Smith           Birmingham, AL           5  16-01   30
Day 1: 5   16-01
73. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN         5  16-01   29
Day 1: 5   16-01
74. Cody Huff              Ava, MO                  5  15-15   28
Day 1: 5   15-15
74. Kyle Welcher           Valley, AL               5  15-15   28
Day 1: 5   15-15
76. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA                5  15-14   26
Day 1: 5   15-14
76. Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ            5  15-14   26
Day 1: 5   15-14
76. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN           5  15-14   26
Day 1: 5   15-14
76. Brock Reinkemeyer      Warsaw, MO               5  15-14   26
Day 1: 5   15-14
80. Jordan Lee             Cullman, AL              5  15-11   22
Day 1: 5   15-11
81. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA           5  15-06   21
Day 1: 5   15-06
82. John Garrett           Union City, TN           5  15-05   20
Day 1: 5   15-05
83. Cole Sands             Johnson City, TN         5  15-04   19
Day 1: 5   15-04
84. Drew Benton            Panama City, FL          5  14-15   18
Day 1: 5   14-15
85. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               5  14-14   17
Day 1: 5   14-14
86. Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI                5  14-10   16
Day 1: 5   14-10
87. Evan Kung              Pickering Ontario CANAD  5  14-05   15
Day 1: 5   14-05
88. Nick Trim              Galesville, WI           5  14-04   14
Day 1: 5   14-04
89. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              5  14-00   13
Day 1: 5   14-00
90. Randy Howell           Guntersville, AL         5  13-14   12
Day 1: 5   13-14
91. Kenta Kimura           Osaka OK JAPAN           5  13-13   11
Day 1: 5   13-13
92. John Cox               Debary, FL               5  13-10   10
Day 1: 5   13-10
92. Taku Ito               Dalton GA JAPAN          5  13-10   10
Day 1: 5   13-10
94. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ          5  13-01    8
Day 1: 5   13-01
95. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ               5  12-10    7
Day 1: 5   12-10
96. Jacob Foutz            Philadelphia, TN         5  10-01    6
Day 1: 5   10-01
97. Kyle Norsetter         Cottage Grove, WI        5  08-11    5
Day 1: 5   08-11
98. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN             0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Drew Cook                Cairo, GA           05-13      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        97       485      1669-15
———————————-
97       485      1669-15