Johnston claims second Bassmaster Elite Title with win at St. Lawrence River

Aug. 18, 2024

WADDINGTON, N.Y. —  On a day dimmed by clouds and rain, lightning struck a second time for Canadian superstar Cory Johnston.

After claiming his first blue trophy at the season’s fourth event at the St. Johns River, the pro from Otonabee, Canada, tallied 102 pounds and claimed the $100,000 top prize at the Humminbird Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.

“It was a lot of hard work; I put a lot of time into this,” Johnston said. “I’ve said it 100 times, this is my favorite place to come, this is my favorite crowd with all my family and friends, all the Canadian support — and it’s a short drive home."

After placing fourth on Day 1 with 25 pounds, Day 2 saw Johnston add 27-7 and tie rookie Robert Gee for second. On Semifinal Saturday, Johnston weighed 24-14 and slipped back to second, 13 ounces behind Gee.

With Championship Sunday delivering 24-11, Johnston surged to the top and edged Gee by 1-9. Enhancing his victory, Johnston earned his second entry into the Bassmaster Century Club, which recognizes an angler for catching 100 pounds or more with four days of five-bass limits.

Notably, Johnston was the first angler to earn a Bassmaster Century Club Belt with all smallmouth by weighing a tournament total of 100-5 during the 2022 Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River. He finished second to Wisconsin’s Jay Przekurat, but Johnston weighed in before Przekurat and wrote his name in the record book.

All week, Johnston made a big run into Lake Ontario and did most of his work on an 80-yard stretch of bottom in 33 feet that was loaded with big smallmouth. The first two days brought calm conditions and fairly easy fishing, but Days 3 and 4 saw big winds roil the lake and severely challenge boat control and presentations.

Confident with what lives on that spot, Johnston said he was committed to his game plan.

“I screwed up here last year and spent too much time in the river the first day and blew my chances at winning,” said Johnston, who placed sixth in the 2023 Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River. “I said, ‘I’ll never make a cast in this river again. I don’t care if there are 12-footers in the lake.’

“There weren’t 12s, but there were 8s and 10s. I didn’t have a lot of fishing time — about three hours a day — but I made it worth it.”

Catching his fish on a drop shot, Johnston used a 6th Sense Party Minnow and a prototype 6th Sense minnow. He rigged his drop shot with a 3/8-ounce weight in all conditions but adjusted his presentations accordingly.

“The first two days, I couldn’t move the drop shot; I’d have to cast it out and let it sit there and that was it,” Johnston said. “The last two days, I’d cast it past them and drag it through them.”

Coming into the season with a trio of second-place finishes, Johnston was yearning for an Elite win.

“It’s been five years, and I hadn’t won (an Elite event) until this year,” Johnston said. “I’ve been close a few times and I just had a feeling. I told (Bassmaster Emcee Dave Mercer), ‘Florida’s not going to be the only one.’"

Sweetening the experience, Johnston’s younger brother Chris (who finished fourth) won the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year title with 758 points. The first Canadian to win a Bassmaster Elite Series tournament — the 2020 event at the St. Lawrence River — Johnston also owns the distinction of being the first Canadian to win the Bassmaster AOY title.

“It’s unbelievable,” Johnston said. “What more can you ask for? It’s been an incredible week, for sure.”

Gee, who makes his home in Knoxville, Tenn., spent most of Day 1 in Lake Ontario and caught a limit of 25-12. The next three days saw him lock onto what’s largely a St. Lawrence River community hole between Carleton Island and the main channel.

Focusing on a point with scattered boulders and breaks, Gee fished a jighead minnow rig with a 1/4-ounce head and a 5-inch bait. He turned in weights of 26-11, 25-11 and a final-round limit of 22-5. Gee’s 100-7 total earned the event’s other Century Club entry.

“I gave it all I had out there up against the two greatest smallmouth fishermen in the world (the Johnstons),” Gee said. “The fish just didn’t bite that well for me. The wind changed direction, so I didn’t get to present my bait directly with the current.

“It was kind of at an angle and I think that kind of threw them off because it wasn’t swimming true with the current.”

Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., finished third with 98-9. His daily weights were 23-10, 25-10, 24-2 and 25-3.

McKinney, who won the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Rookie of the Year title, spent most of his time in the river and caught his fish on a jighead minnow rig with a Strike King Z-Too.

“Today I was out there working as hard as I could to try and catch ‘em,” McKinney said. “I feel absolutely blessed. I never thought I’d stand up here and catch another 25-pound bag.

“It’s an unbelievable fishery. I’d love to live closer.”

McKinney earned the $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for Day 4 with his 5-9.

Joey Cifuentes III won the $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the tournament honors with his 6-15. He also won the $1,000 daily award on Day 1.

Reigning Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors champion Justin Hamner, who finished 61st, won the $10,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Year award for the 11-pound, 7-ounce giant he caught at the 2024 AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Fork.

Chris Johnston won the $2,000 CrushCity Monster Bag of the Tournament award with his 29-5 Day 3 limit.

McKinney also took home an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, while Drew Benton earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Gee earned an additional $4,000 while McKinney claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

The St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce hosted the tournament.

2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC

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 500,000-member 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 Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, 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, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series scored by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors.

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

Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 256-424-2390, cgay@bassmaster.com

2024 Humminbird Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River 8/15-8/18
St. Lawrence River, Waddington  NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

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

1.  Cory Johnston          Otonabee CANADA         20 102-00  103 $130,000.00
Day 1: 5   25-00     Day 2: 5   27-07     Day 3: 5   24-14     Day 4: 5   24-11
2.  Robert Gee             Knoxville, TN           20 100-07  102  $45,000.00
Day 1: 5   25-12     Day 2: 5   26-11     Day 3: 5   25-11     Day 4: 5   22-05
3.  Trey McKinney          Carbondale, IL          20  98-09  101  $76,000.00
Day 1: 5   23-10     Day 2: 5   25-10     Day 3: 5   24-02     Day 4: 5   25-03
4.  Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA 20  96-02  100 $128,000.00
Day 1: 5   23-02     Day 2: 5   20-11     Day 3: 5   29-05     Day 4: 5   23-00
5.  Jordan Lee             Cullman, AL             20  93-00   99  $35,000.00
Day 1: 5   22-00     Day 2: 5   23-00     Day 3: 5   27-13     Day 4: 5   20-03
6.  Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC             20  92-13   98  $25,000.00
Day 1: 5   24-13     Day 2: 5   25-12     Day 3: 5   20-06     Day 4: 5   21-14
7.  Drew Benton            Panama City, FL         20  91-12   97  $28,000.00
Day 1: 5   24-04     Day 2: 5   23-07     Day 3: 5   21-07     Day 4: 5   22-10
8.  Patrick Walters        Eutawville, SC          20  89-14   96  $27,000.00
Day 1: 5   24-12     Day 2: 5   24-03     Day 3: 5   20-07     Day 4: 5   20-08
9.  Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA          20  87-03   95  $26,000.00
Day 1: 5   24-02     Day 2: 5   23-09     Day 3: 5   20-13     Day 4: 5   18-11
10. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 20  83-10   94  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   22-15     Day 2: 5   21-08     Day 3: 5   25-15     Day 4: 5   13-04
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Joey Cifuentes III       Clinton, AR         06-15      $1,000.00
2   Shane LeHew              Catawba, NC         06-12      $1,000.00
3   Chris Johnston           Otonabee Ontario CANADA06-07      $1,000.00
4   Trey McKinney            Carbondale, IL      05-09      $1,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Joey Cifuentes III       Clinton, AR         06-15      $2,000.00
CRUSHCITY MONSTER BAG

Chris Johnston           Otonabee,           29-05      $2,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        96       491      2000-08
2        98       494      2015-09
3        48       248      1003-11
4        10        50       212-05
----------------------------------
252      1283      5232-01

by AnglersChannel

Johnston takes Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year title with big rally

Aug. 17, 2024

WADDINGTON, N.Y. — After finishing in 31^st place Friday, his second-straight frustrating day on the St. Lawrence River, Chris Johnston still managed a smile.

“I might have one trick up my sleeve still,” Johnston said. “I haven’t practiced it. I’m just going to wing it. I have nothing to lose now. I can fish with no pressure. I know there’s big ones that live there. I hope the wind makes them bite a little better.”

Man, did he ever wing it, rallying with 29 pounds, 5 ounces – the biggest five-bass limit of the tournament so far – and clinched the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year title in the process.

“You have no idea how much stress I was under the last couple of days,” said the 35-year-old Johnston, who is from Otonabee, Ontario. “Everything that could have gone wrong did. A couple of nights I didn’t get to sleep until like one in the morning.

“I got a lot of gray hairs these last three days. I think when I started this year, I didn’t have one. But they’re coming in thick now.”

Johnston was in unfamiliar territory after the first two days of this tournament. In five previous Elite Series events here – 20 competition days – he’d finished in the Top 10 every day and was in the Top 3 on 15 of those 20 days. He became the first Canadian to win an Elite Series tournament in 2020 when he won on the St. Lawrence.

So, when he fell from 16^th place on Day 1 to 31^st place on Day 2, Thursday and Friday, Johnston was in unfamiliar territory. The trick he had up his sleeve was going to a couple of places near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, where he’d had much success in the past.

“I got spun out the last couple of days,” Johnston said. “I had too much going through my mind, thinking about where I needed to go to catch the 27 or 28 pounds that live out here. Today, I just said, ‘You know what? It’s too rough on the lake, and I know two spots in the river that have the potential to get the 25 or 30 pounds that I need.’”

Coming into this tournament Justin Hamner, the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors champion, was leading the AOY standings by 13 points over Johnston and 19 points over Jacob Foutz, the third-year pro from Charleston, Tenn. Hamner, who is from Northport, Ala., fell out of the running when he finished 61^st on Friday and missed the Day 2/Top 50 cut.

Foutz finished Friday in ninth place but was only 3½ pounds ahead of Johnston in the tightly packed standings. Saturday’s rough water on Lake Ontario kept Foutz from repeating his success of the previous two days. One year ago, he was on the edge of failing to requalify for the Elite Series.

“It’s been an incredible year just have a chance at AOY the last few days of the year,” said Foutz, who weighed only 14-9 Saturday and fell to 35^th place. “This time last year I didn’t know if I was going to be back on this stage. Just to turn it around is awesome.

“I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface of this whole deal. It’s been a heck of a year. I have no complaints.”

2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC

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 500,000-member 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 Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, 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, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series scored by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors.

-30-

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

Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 256-424-2390, cgay@bassmaster.com

by AnglersChannel

Gee takes slim lead on Day 3 at Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River

Aug. 17, 2024

WADDINGTON, N.Y. —  Rookie standout Robert Gee distanced himself from seasoned veteran Cory Johnston geographically and, more importantly, statistically to tally a 3-day total of 78 pounds, 2 ounces and take over the Day 3 lead at the Humminbird Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.

Day 2 found Gee and Johnston tied for the top spot with 52-7 each. Now, the young angler from Knoxville, Tenn., heads into Championship Sunday with a 13-ounce lead over Johnston.

“It’s been a blessing; everything’s just going right, and I can’t do anything wrong,” Gee said. “I’m going to keep riding this train as far as it will take me and just give God the glory."

Chris Johnston, Cory’s younger brother, won the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year title with 758 points. The first Canadian to win a Bassmaster Elite Series tournament — the 2020 event at the St. Lawrence River — Johnston also owns the distinction of being the first Canadian to win the Bassmaster AOY title. For this honor, he claimed a top prize of $100,000.

“I couldn’t have done it in a better place,” Johnston said. “Waddington has been great to me.”

Making his home in Otonabee, Ontario, Johnston posted a Day 1 weight of 23-2 and landed in a three-way tie for 15th place with Keith Combs and Jake Whitaker. Johnston added 20-11 on Day 2 and slipped to 31st.

Righting the ship, Johnston caught a Semi-Final Saturday limit of 29-5 and tied California pro Bryant Smith for the largest limit of smallmouth caught in a B.A.S.S. event. Smith set his mark at last year’s St. Lawrence event.

“I remembered how to catch bass today and man, did it ever feel good,” said Johnston, who sits in fourth place with 73-02. “I got spun out the past two days with just too much going through my mind. I was thinking about where I need to run to catch 27 to 28 pounds.

“Today I said, ‘It’s too rough on the lake and I know two spots in the river that have the potential to get the 25 to 30 pounds I need. I put my head down and just went fishing. It’s amazing what happens when you just go grinding.”

Gee, who has notched three Top 10s in his first Elite season (second at Smith Lake, third last week at Champlain and fourth at the season-opener at Toledo Bend), spent most of his first day in Lake Ontario and caught a second-place limit of 25-12.

Shifting gears, he did all of his second-round work just inside the river, where he targeted isolated boulders and shelves along a point running out from Carleton Island. This spot yielded 26-11 — Gee’s personal best smallmouth limit.

Returning to his river deal, Gee added a third-round limit of 25-11.

“I’m on probably the best spot in the river,” Gee said. “I’m going to sit there all day and hopefully I can catch five, because they’re all big.”

Noting that his spot has been loaded with hefty fish, Gee attributes the mix of quality and quantity to a vibrant habitat.

“There’s a lot of life on that spot; there’s a lot of drum, there’s a lot of carp and there’s a lot of bait,” Gee said. “There’s a lot of gobies, too, because I’ve seen them rise up off the bottom and come check out my bait.

“It’s the first main big point facing into the current at the mouth of the lake. It’s just a money hole.”

Gee said he has been rotating through about seven waypoints in the general area. He’s catching his fish on a jighead minnow rig with a 5-inch bait that mimics the gobies.

“They sit on those rocks and shelves, and I just go down and go back, go down and go back,” Gee said. “I have to keep the bait above the fish for them to bite it."

Also hailing from Otonabee, Ontario, Cory Johnston braved the huge waves of a wind-whipped Lake Ontario to sack up a third-round limit of 24-14. Along with his first two days’ limits of 25-0 and 27-7, Johnston sits in second with 77-5.

“It was as big as I’ve ever seen it out there,” Johnston said of the lake’s turbulence. “There were definitely some 10-foot (waves); lots of 8s and lots of 6s. It made things really difficult, but we managed to catch five of the right ones.

“I’m going to go out there tomorrow and do it again. I came back probably 40 minutes early, so I’m going to have an extra 40 minutes tomorrow. We’ll see if we can go catch five great big ones.”

Johnston, who won the year’s fourth Elite at the St. Johns River, has been targeting an 80-yard stretch of bottom in about 40 feet. He’s rotating through four different baits and has caught fish on each.

Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., is in third with 73-6. Turning in daily weights of 23-10, 25-10 and 24-2, McKinney stayed in the St. Lawrence and caught his fish on drop shots and a jighead minnow rig with a Strike King Baby Z Too in Tennessee Shad.

With this performance, McKinney secured the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Rookie of the Year title with 734 points and collected the $10,000 award.

After becoming the youngest angler to win an Elite title in the season’s second event at Lake Fork, the 19-year-old McKinney was disqualified from the Smith Lake Elite tournament for a rules violation. Taking his year’s totality into consideration, McKinney said he considers it all a learning experience.

“To see the highs and lows this year, this (award) means so much,” McKinney said. “This rookie class is so good, it’s an absolute honor.”

Chris Johnston earned the $1,000 Phoenix Boats Big Bass award for Day 3 with his 6-7.

Joey Cifuentes III is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the tournament honors with his 6-15.

Chris Johnston leads the CrushCity Monster Bag of the Tournament standings with his 29-5.

The Top 10 anglers advance to Championship Sunday. In addition to the $100,000 top prize, the winner earns an invitation to fish the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors March 21-23 on Lake Ray Roberts in Fort Worth, Texas.

Sunday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET at Whitaker Park. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 3 p.m.

Coverage of the Humminbird Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River will air on FS1 on Sunday on FS2 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. ET. Bassmaster LIVE will be streaming on Bassmaster.com.

The St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce is hosting the tournament.

2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC

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 500,000-member 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 Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, 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, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series scored by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors.

-30-

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

Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 256-424-2390, cgay@bassmaster.com

by AnglersChannel

Ito gets the right bites to lead Day 1 at Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River

Aug. 15, 2024

WADDINGTON, N.Y. — It was a case of quality over quantity, but Japanese superstar Taku Ito was just fine with the 5-bass limit of 26 pounds, 2 ounces that leads Day 1 of the Humminbird Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.

Ito, who won the 2021 St. Lawrence Elite event — also run out of Waddington — and claimed his second blue trophy June 30 at Smith Lake, heads into Day 2 with a 6-ounce margin over rookie Robert Gee.

One of the highlight reel moments from Ito’s first Elite win was his crowd-pleasing tale of finding a brown-fish-laden spot he named “Smallmouth Disneyland.” The Lake Ontario goldmine that yielded a 26-pound Championship Sunday limit held so many fish that Ito claimed he got downright picky about only targeting the bigger fish on his screen.

Flash forward three years and Ito said he saw fewer fish, but the ones he saw were the ones he needed.

“The fish were alone today; I couldn’t find (schools) of bass,” said Ito, who makes his home in Chiba, Japan. “I only caught six or seven bass. It was so hard, but they were big ones.

“I think the 3-pounders and 2-pounders are schooling, but the 5- and 6-pounders are always alone.”

Making the 80-plus-mile run to Lake Ontario, Ito fished in 15 to 35 feet of water and looked for scattered rock bottom throughout a 2-mile area. This habitat, he said, holds lots of crawfish, which he believes attracts the bigger fish.

“I used the trolling motor a lot and went everywhere shallow to deep,” Ito said. “When I’d finally find a fish, it was very simple: Cast, hold, shake, bite; easy.

“My area is not perfect. There are (fresher) areas somewhere, but I like the crawfish-eaters. They are swimming very close to the bottom.”

Anchoring his bag with a 6-pounder, Ito said he made a few casts with a Neko rig but ended up catching the majority of his fish on a drop shot. Using a 1/2-ounce weight, Ito tied his drop shot with an 18-inch leader — a detail he believes made a strategic difference in his presentations.

“With a short leader, casting accuracy is good, but a longer leader makes a softer fall and that’s (more stealthy),” Ito said. “When I cast, the fish find the bait (higher in the water column) and with a soft fall, I’ll get a bite.”

With Day 1 bringing mostly calm conditions and Friday’s forecast showing a similar complexion, Ito’s hoping to stack his numbers ahead of what’s expected to become a rougher weekend.

“For my fish, calm weather is good, because they’re swimming close to the bottom,” Ito said. “But in big waves I can’t see them.

“I have a couple of areas that I didn’t check today, so I will find some spots if (the weekend brings rough weather). I’m in a big area, so I’m always looking around.”

Hailing from Knoxville, Tenn., Gee is in second place with 25-12. Doing most of his work in the lake with a drop shot, Gee ended his day by fishing areas close to takeoff. All of his weight came from Lake Ontario.

“I stayed on one spot (in the lake) all day long, caught what I caught by noon and then ran back and threw a spinnerbait around Waddington,” he said.

Gee said he matched his drop shot baits to the gobies and crawfish he believes the big fish are eating.

Notably, Gee finished second to Ito at Smith Lake. Suffice to say, he’s planning to even the score, but he knows that doing so will require a crafty plan.

“The fish are very, very smart here now,” Gee said. “The first time I came here in 2019 for a college tournament, they would meet your drop shot halfway before it got to the bottom and catch it. Now, they’ve been fished for so much, it’s really tough to get them to bite.”

Kyoya Fujita of Yamanishi, Japan, is in third place with 25-8. Fujita, who won the season opener at Toledo Bend Reservoir, fished the mouth of Lake Ontario and caught his fish on a drop shot.

Speaking through a translator, Ito said he fished clean and did not lose any bass. Fujita also noted that he’s optimistic about his position and his potential.

“I’m only 10 ounces behind the leader, and there is a big chance that I can catch 30 pounds (on Day 2),” he said. “It can happen. I just have to have the big fish bite tomorrow and I’m going to go for it.”

Joey Cifuentes III is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-15.

Ito leads the CrushCity Monster Bag of the Tournament standings.

Jacob Foutz of Charleston, Tenn., leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 749 points. Chris Johnston of Otonabee, Canada, is in second with 747, followed by reigning Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors champion Justin Hamner of Northport, Ala., with 746, Cory Johnston of Otonabee, Canada, with 730, and Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., with 724.

McKinney leads the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Rookie of the Year standings with 724 points.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET at Whittaker Park. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 3 p.m.

Coverage of the Humminbird Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River will air on FS1 on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET and Sunday on FS2 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Bassmaster LIVE will be streaming on Bassmaster.com all four days.

The St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce is hosting the tournament.

2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC

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 500,000-member 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 Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, 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, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series scored by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors.

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

Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 256-424-2390, cgay@bassmaster.com

2024 Humminbird Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River 8/15-8/18
St. Lawrence River, Waddington  NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

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

1.  Taku Ito               Dalton GA JAPAN          5  26-02  103
Day 1: 5   26-02
2.  Robert Gee             Knoxville, TN            5  25-12  102
Day 1: 5   25-12
3.  Kyoya Fujita           Yamanashi CA JAPAN       5  25-08  101
Day 1: 5   25-08
4.  Cory Johnston          Otonabee CANADA          5  25-00  100
Day 1: 5   25-00
5.  Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC              5  24-13   99
Day 1: 5   24-13
6.  Patrick Walters        Eutawville, SC           5  24-12   98
Day 1: 5   24-12
7.  Jacob Foutz            Charleston, TN           5  24-07   97
Day 1: 5   24-07
8.  Drew Benton            Panama City, FL          5  24-04   96
Day 1: 5   24-04
9.  Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA           5  24-02   95
Day 1: 5   24-02
10. Joey Cifuentes III     Clinton, AR              5  24-01   94   $1,000.00
Day 1: 5   24-01
11. Alex Wetherell         Middletown, CT           5  23-12   93
Day 1: 5   23-12
12. Matt Robertson         Kuttawa, KY              5  23-11   92
Day 1: 5   23-11
13. Trey McKinney          Carbondale, IL           5  23-10   91
Day 1: 5   23-10
14. Wesley Gore            Clanton, AL              5  23-04   90
Day 1: 5   23-04
15. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX           5  23-02   89
Day 1: 5   23-02
15. Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA  5  23-02   89
Day 1: 5   23-02
15. Jake Whitaker          Hendersonville, NC       5  23-02   89
Day 1: 5   23-02
18. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TN AUSTRALIA  5  22-15   86
Day 1: 5   22-15
19. Jeff Gustafson         Kenora, ON Ontario CANA  5  22-09   85
Day 1: 5   22-09
19. Bryan New              Leesville, SC            5  22-09   85
Day 1: 5   22-09
21. Kyle Norsetter         Cottage Grove, WI        5  22-08   83
Day 1: 5   22-08
22. Scott Martin           Clewiston, FL            5  22-08   82
Day 1: 5   22-08
23. Jonathan Kelley        Old Forge, PA            5  22-07   81
Day 1: 5   22-07
24. Timothy Dube           Nashua , NH              5  22-06   80
Day 1: 5   22-06
24. Logan Parks            Auburn, AL               5  22-06   80
Day 1: 5   22-06
26. Drew Cook              Cairo, GA                5  22-05   78
Day 1: 5   22-05
27. Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX              5  22-03   77
Day 1: 5   22-03
28. Bryant Smith           Roseville, CA            5  22-02   76
Day 1: 5   22-02
29. Justin Hamner          Northport, AL            5  22-01   75
Day 1: 5   22-01
29. Jacob Powroznik        North Prince George, VA  5  22-01   75
Day 1: 5   22-01
31. Jordan Lee             Cullman, AL              5  22-00   73
Day 1: 5   22-00
32. Tyler Williams         Belgrade, ME             5  21-14   72
Day 1: 5   21-14
33. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            5  21-13   71
Day 1: 5   21-13
33. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK             5  21-13   71
Day 1: 5   21-13
35. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD                5  21-13   69
Day 1: 5   21-13
36. John Garrett           Union City, TN           5  21-12   68
Day 1: 5   21-12
37. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              5  21-11   67
Day 1: 5   21-11
38. Cole Sands             Calhoun , TN             5  21-10   66
Day 1: 5   21-10
39. Cody Huff              Ava, MO                  5  21-09   65
Day 1: 5   21-09
40. Ben Milliken           New Caney, TX            5  21-08   64
Day 1: 5   21-08
40. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN             5  21-08   64
Day 1: 5   21-08
42. Justin Atkins          Florence, AL             5  21-07   62
Day 1: 5   21-07
43. JT Thompkins           Myrtle Beach, SC         5  21-06   61
Day 1: 5   21-06
44. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         5  21-05   60
Day 1: 5   21-05
45. Kenta Kimura           Osaka OK JAPAN           5  21-01   59
Day 1: 5   21-01
45. Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI                5  21-01   59
Day 1: 5   21-01
47. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL            5  21-00   57
Day 1: 5   21-00
48. Seth Feider            New Market, MN           5  20-14   56
Day 1: 5   20-14
49. Logan Latuso           Gonzales, LA             5  20-13   55
Day 1: 5   20-13
50. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR               5  20-12   54
Day 1: 5   20-12
51. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA             5  20-10   53
Day 1: 5   20-10
52. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC               5  20-09   52
Day 1: 5   20-09
53. Will Davis Jr          Sylacauga, AL            5  20-07   51
Day 1: 5   20-07
53. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX              5  20-07   51
Day 1: 5   20-07
53. Mike Huff              London, KY               5  20-07   51
Day 1: 5   20-07
56. Jay Przekurat          Plover, WI               5  20-04   48
Day 1: 5   20-04
57. John Soukup            Sapulpa, OK              5  20-02   47
Day 1: 5   20-02
58. KJ Queen               Catawba, NC              5  20-00   46
Day 1: 5   20-00
59. Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA             5  19-15   45
Day 1: 5   19-15
60. Kyle Patrick           Cooperstown, NY          5  19-12   44
Day 1: 5   19-12
60. Chris Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX           5  19-12   44
Day 1: 5   19-12
62. Kyle Welcher           Valley, AL               5  19-11   42
Day 1: 5   19-11
63. Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ            5  19-10   41
Day 1: 5   19-10
63. Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI            5  19-10   41
Day 1: 5   19-10
65. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  5  19-08   39
Day 1: 5   19-08
65. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY              5  19-08    0
Day 1: 5   19-08
67. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA             5  19-05   37
Day 1: 5   19-05
68. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS         5  19-03   36
Day 1: 5   19-03
69. Frank Talley           Belton, TX               5  19-02   35
Day 1: 5   19-02
70. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC           5  18-15   34
Day 1: 5   18-15
71. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN         5  18-14   33
Day 1: 5   18-14
71. Marc Frazier           Newnan, GA               5  18-14   33
Day 1: 5   18-14
73. Todd Auten             Clover, SC               5  18-12   31
Day 1: 5   18-12
74. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              5  18-11   30
Day 1: 5   18-11
75. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN           5  18-10   29
Day 1: 5   18-10
76. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ          5  18-10   28
Day 1: 5   18-10
77. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                 5  18-08   27
Day 1: 5   18-08
78. John Cox               Debary, FL               5  18-05   26
Day 1: 5   18-05
79. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               5  18-04   25
Day 1: 5   18-04
80. Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX               5  18-03   24
Day 1: 5   18-03
81. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC                5  18-01   23
Day 1: 5   18-01
82. Joseph Webster         Hamilton, AL             5  18-00   22
Day 1: 5   18-00
83. Lee Livesay            Longview, TX             5  17-11   21
Day 1: 5   17-11
84. Chad Pipkens           Dewitt, MI               5  17-09   20
Day 1: 5   17-09
85. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          5  17-07   19
Day 1: 5   17-07
86. Wes Logan              Springville, AL          5  17-06   18
Day 1: 5   17-06
87. David Gaston           Sylacauga, AL            5  17-05   17
Day 1: 5   17-05
88. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA                5  16-11   16
Day 1: 5   16-11
89. Bob Downey             Detroit Lakes, MN        5  16-11   15
Day 1: 5   16-11
90. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC            5  16-07   14
Day 1: 5   16-07
91. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL         5  16-03   13
Day 1: 5   16-03
92. Matty Wong             Honolulu, HI             5  15-12   12
Day 1: 5   15-12
93. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL             5  15-05   11
Day 1: 5   15-05
94. Jason Christie         Dry Creek, OK            4  14-06   10
Day 1: 4   14-06
95. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN            5  14-05    9
Day 1: 5   14-05
96. Buddy Gross            Chattanooga, TN          5  12-13    8
Day 1: 5   12-13
97. Brandon Card           Salisbury, NC            4  12-02    7
Day 1: 4   12-02
98. Cooper Gallant         Bowmanville Ontario CAN  5  11-13    6
Day 1: 5   11-13
99. Alex Redwine           Blue Ash, OH             5  11-01    5
Day 1: 5   11-01
100. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID             3  10-04    4
Day 1: 3   10-04
101. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ               0  00-00    0
Day 1: 0   00-00
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Joey Cifuentes III       Clinton, AR         06-15      $1,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        97       496      2021-14
----------------------------------
97       496      2021-14

by AnglersChannel

Late-day rally lifts Loughran to victory at Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain

Aug. 12, 2024

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Entering Championship Monday at the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain, Day 3 leader Ed Loughran III thought he needed another 20-pound bag to win his first blue trophy. So, when he finished with a 16-pound, 14-ounce limit of smallmouth, he was just hoping he would still finish in the Top 5.

It turned out he had the exact weight he needed.

With a four-day total of 80-12, the veteran angler from Richmond, Va., notched his first Elite Series title, edging out Canada’s Chris Johnston by 1 ounce to earn the $100,000 check and a blue trophy.

The 2011 Toledo Bend Elite Series event has been the only other Elite Series event settled by a 1-ounce difference in total weight.

“I had zero thought that I had won. I was hoping to just stay in the Top 5,” Loughran said. “It’s unbelievable. I’ve never won a big tournament. I’ve had Top 5s in big tournaments … but I’m always a little short. I didn’t have any realistic expectation of winning one, but after yesterday I thought I might have a chance.

“The money will come and go, but that trophy will not go anywhere.”

Opening the tournament in 38th with 19-1, Loughran landed bags of largemouth weighing 22-15 and 21-14 to jump into the lead on Semi-Final Sunday. But if he didn’t make a critical move on Day 4, Loughran feels he wouldn’t have won.

Toward the end of the day, Loughran left his primary area and moved uplake to a spot he had not yet fished in the tournament. Just before he reached the spot he was intending to fish, he noticed a group of smallmouth on his forward-facing sonar that were piled up around several rocks.

“I sat there and caught a dozen fish,” Loughran said. “One was a 3-10 and I caught two other 3-pounders. Had that not happened, I would not have won. It is nuts. I hadn’t even fished it yet this week.”

A tidal river aficionado, Loughran started fishing Lake Champlain in 1991 and has grown to love the lake. This week, after missing the last two Elites due to medical issues, he traveled south to an area he had never fished before in an attempt to stay away from competitors fishing for Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year points.

Loughran described his best area as a rock ridge in 5 to 10 feet of water with milfoil beds in the vicinity. Using his Garmin LiveScope, he identified three high spots on the ridge that were holding the majority of the bass. The best part: he had the area all to himself.

“There was a lot going on. You had some creeks coming in and some milfoil beds around. You’ve got several high spots with chunk rock and grass mixed in,” he explained. “It was pretty protected, too. All of that offers really good habitat.

“If there was another angler in there, I wouldn’t have won and I wouldn’t have gotten a check.”

Smallmouth and largemouth inhabited the area, but the smallmouth stayed on one side of the ridge while the largemouth hunkered down on the other side. Loughran landed a mixed bag on Day 1, but on the second and third days he brought all largemouth to the scales, including a 5-12 on Day 3.

To generate most of his bites, Loughran dragged either a ½-ounce green pumpkin Missile Baits Ike’s Mini Flip or a ⅜-ounce homemade jig paired with either a Missile Baits Craw Father or Missile Baits Chunky D. He trimmed down the Chunky D to match the profile he felt the bass were eating.

He pitched those jigs using a 7-foot-6 heavy Shimano Expride rod paired with a Shimano Chronarch MGL 8:1:1 baitcasting reel and 20-pound Berkley fluorocarbon.

“I think these fish are eating on small crayfish,” Loughran said.

He also landed several key bass on a ½-ounce green pumpkin Z-Man Evergreen Chatterbait JackHammer with a Missile Baits Spunk Shad trailer in the goby bite color.

Once Loughran reached his primary area on the final day, the Virginia pro landed three smallmouth on consecutive casts around 8:45 a.m. After a short lull, he picked up a topwater walking bait and filled out his limit with two more smallmouth.

From there, however, the bite slowed down tremendously before Loughran executed his last-minute heroics with a drop shot rigged with a Missile Baits Bomb Shot in goby bite.

“The lake was off today for whatever reason,” he said. “I had one largemouth bite all day. It was terrible. Before, I was catching 20. Smallmouth had come in and taken over.”

Johnston, meanwhile, was just an ounce away from claiming his second career Elite Series trophy with bags of 20-0, 21-14, 19-8 and 19-5, totaling 80-11. There were several bass that came unglued this week that would have carried him past Loughran.

“I’m regretting a couple of the fish I lost the last two days,” the five-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier said. “Any of them would have done it for me. Being that close, it sucks. I’d rather lose by 5 pounds, to be honest. It is what it is. That’s fishing, and I’ll try to catch them next week.”

Most of the week, Johnston targeted smallmouth on deeper breaks in the northern section of Lake Champlain. Using his forward-facing sonar, he would comb large areas searching for quality smallmouth with a 4-inch minnow rigged on either a ⅜-ounce or ½-ounce head.

Johnston’s bass were feeding on perch and would move between 15 and 50 feet of water.

The smallmouth bite did not produce first thing on Day 4, so Johnston decided to fish for largemouth and lost two, one of which he believed would have helped his bag. He returned to his smallmouth waters and wrangled up an 18-pound limit before returning to a stretch of shallow reeds in an attempt to catch a kicker largemouth.

“(The smallmouth deal) wasn’t working. I probably gave it too long in hindsight,” h said. “The last hour I went back largemouth fishing and caught a 4-pounder that was pretty damn close, but not enough. One perch it spit up would have done it for me.”

Tennessee’s Robert Gee finished third with a total of 80-9, his third Top 5 of the season. Targeting smallmouth in the Inland Sea and Malletts Bay, the Knoxville rookie never left the Top 10 with bags of 21-1, 19-15, 19-13 and 19-12.

Ridges dropping from 35 feet to 50 feet with perch or alewives were the key areas for Gee. The bigger bass, Gee said, were eating the perch close to the bottom of the lake. He mid-strolled a 5-inch Yamamoto Shad Shape Worm on a ¼-ounce jighead to catch the majority of his smallies. A Juices Jig crappie/bass hair jig in the Tennessee shad color landed a couple of key bass as well.

Gee experienced his best day of smallmouth fishing on Monday morning. He has no idea how many bass he caught, but he quickly reached the 18-pound mark and was able to make several more key culls. Unfortunately, he could not find a 5-pound bass on the final day that would have lifted him to victory.

“It was probably the best day of smallmouth fishing I’ve ever had, numbers wise,” Gee said.

Canada’s Cory Johnston landed the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of Day 4, a 5-5 largemouth. New York rookie Kyle Patrick claimed Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament honors with a 6-2 largemouth he caught on Day 1, earning a total of 3,000 in bonuses. Patrick also claimed the $1,000 BassTrakk Contingency bonus for accurate weight recording.

Day 1 leader Seth Feider claimed the $2,000 bonus for the CrushCity Monster Bag of the Tournament with his 23-11 limit of largemouth from the first day.

Alabama’s Will Davis Jr took home an additional $3,000 for being the highest-placing entrant in the Toyota Bonus Bucks program, while Texas’ Chris Zaldain earned $2,000 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

As part of the Yamaha Power Pay program, Gee earned an additional $4,000 while South Carolina’s Patrick Walters claimed an additional $1,500 for being the second-highest placing entrant.

With one event remaining on the Elite Series schedule, 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors champion Justin Hamner still holds the lead in the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 671 points while Johnston is second with 658 points. Tennessee’s Jacob Foutz is third with 652 points, South Carolina rookie JT Thompkins is fourth with 634 points and Illinois rookie Trey McKinney is fifth with 633 points.

Thompkins leads the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Rookie of the Year race followed by McKinney in second. Tennessee’s John Garrett is third with 622 points, Alabama’s Wesley Gore is fourth with 621 points and Tyler Williams is fifth with 594 points.

The Adirondack Coast and City of Plattsburgh hosted the tournament.

2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC

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 500,000-member 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 Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, 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, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series scored by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors.

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

Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 256-424-2390, cgay@bassmaster.com

2024 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain 8/8-8/12
Lake Champlain, Plattsburg  NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 4

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

1.  Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA            20  80-12    0 $100,333.00
Day 1: 5   19-01     Day 2: 5   22-15     Day 3: 5   21-14     Day 4: 5   16-14
2.  Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA 20  80-11  102  $35,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-00     Day 2: 5   21-14     Day 3: 5   19-08     Day 4: 5   19-05
3.  Robert Gee             Knoxville, TN           20  80-09  101  $30,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-01     Day 2: 5   19-15     Day 3: 5   19-13     Day 4: 5   19-12
4.  Matt Robertson         Kuttawa, KY             20  79-03  100  $25,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-13     Day 2: 5   20-13     Day 3: 5   20-02     Day 4: 5   17-07
5.  Cory Johnston          Otonabee CANADA         20  78-09   99  $21,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-12     Day 2: 5   20-01     Day 3: 5   19-15     Day 4: 5   18-13
6.  Patrick Walters        Eutawville, SC          20  78-03   98  $19,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-10     Day 2: 5   18-03     Day 3: 5   20-06     Day 4: 5   18-00
7.  Will Davis Jr          Sylacauga, AL           20  77-08   97  $18,000.00
Day 1: 5   20-15     Day 2: 5   20-09     Day 3: 5   18-05     Day 4: 5   17-11
8.  Jacob Foutz            Charleston, TN          20  77-03   96  $17,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-04     Day 2: 5   20-11     Day 3: 5   18-07     Day 4: 5   16-13
9.  Chris Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX          20  75-00   95  $16,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-01     Day 2: 5   21-07     Day 3: 5   18-12     Day 4: 5   13-12
10. Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ           20  74-02   94  $15,000.00
Day 1: 5   22-11     Day 2: 5   18-15     Day 3: 5   17-09     Day 4: 5   14-15
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Kyle Patrick             Cooperstown, NY     06-02      $1,000.00
2   Greg Hackney             Gonzales, LA        05-07        $333.33
2   Ed Loughran III          Richmond, VA        05-07        $333.33
2   Caleb Sumrall            New Iberia, LA      05-07        $333.33
3   Matt Herren              Ashville, AL        05-15      $1,000.00
4   Cory Johnston            Otonabee CANADA     05-05      $1,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Kyle Patrick             Cooperstown, NY     06-02      $2,000.00
CRUSHCITY MONSTER BAG

Seth Feider              New Market, MN      23-11      $2,000.00

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1       100       503      1865-09
2       100       504      1789-03
3        50       250       906-12
4        10        50       173-06
----------------------------------
260      1307      4734-14

by AnglersChannel

Two-pronged approach carries Zaldain to Day 2 lead at Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain

Aug. 10, 2024

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — When the weights are as tight as they are at the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain, Chris Zaldain knows he needs to fish for bigger-than-average bass in order to separate himself from the field.

The Fort Worth, Texas, pro applied his big-bass style of fishing to near perfection on Day 2, landing 21 pounds 7 ounces to take the lead at Lake Champlain with a two-day total of 42-8. He holds a slim lead over Ed Loughran III in second with 42-0 and third-place Jacob Foutz with 41-15.

Zaldain opened the tournament in seventh place with 21-1 and now finds himself in prime position to win his first Elite Series trophy, a title he almost claimed at this lake in 2021.

“It felt great. This place has been good to me in the past,” he said. “How do you catch bigger-than-average fish? Simply put, you have to fish for them. I’m definitely in my comfort zone.

“These fish set up just like (they did) in California where I grew up,” Zaldain continued. “They set up on the most obvious stuff,” Zaldain explained. “That single sailboat in the middle of the cove, a bridge piling, pillars, rock openings, the real obvious stuff, but that stuff gets absolutely hammered. So, you have to throw something different in there.”

The remnants of Hurricane Debby pushed through New York Friday, bringing heavy rains and wind to the area and ultimately forcing the postponement of Day 2. Mostly sunny skies prevailed today, and the Elite pros continued to put on a bass-fishing clinic, catching 100 limits and 1,789-3 total pounds.

“This place is setting up really nice after the rain we’ve had,” he said. “Rising water and moving water sets the largemouth up like no other.”

Zaldain has attacked Champlain with a two-pronged approach this week. The eight-time Classic qualifier started each day by catching 17 to 18 pounds of smallmouth in one specific area before searching for kicker largemouth later in the day. His two limits have each featured three smallmouth and two largemouth.

The smallmouth he has located are between 10 and 18 feet of water. Zaldain has mixed some “old school” smallmouth fishing with some “new school,” utilizing several dragging baits while also picking a couple of smallies off with his forward-facing sonar. Most of them are under 4 pounds, however.

“Right now, it is hard to catch a brown one over 4 pounds. I’m catching a lot between 3.65 and 3.90. But when you get a largemouth bite, they are all over 4 pounds.”

All of Zaldain’s green fish have come out of grass in 10 feet of water or less in one of four sweet spots, and the amount of current moving through the area plays an important role in how the largemouth set up in the grass. A swimbait has produced many of his larger bites.

“I’m constantly looking at the current,” Zaldain said. “I’m fishing on top of the grass as well as the edges and holes. I’m not using forward-facing sonar. I’m just reading water, reading current and reading wind.”

Zaldain filled out his limit within the first couple of hours of Day 2 before moving to his largemouth area. There, he landed a 4-pound largemouth and a 5-pounder, his two biggest bass of the day.

“That was awesome. The wind was howling on this little spot, and I had caught a couple flipping in the area,” he said. “I caught one that was a 3-pound largemouth that had a 5-pounder and a 4-pounder with it. I kept flipping and (didn’t catch anything), so I picked up my swimbait and I think I caught those two.”

While he’s caught over 21 pounds each day, Zaldain has lost several big bass — including one he believed to be close to 6 pounds today — that could have given him some separation over the field.

“I executed kind of poorly these last few days. I feel like I should be leading this thing by a lot,” he said.

After missing the last two tournaments due to health issues, Loughran finds himself in contention for his first Elite Series title. He opened the tournament in 38th with a 19-1 mixed bag before landing a 22-15 limit of largemouth on Day 2, his biggest bag ever at Lake Champlain.

“Traditionally when I come up here, it is easy for me to catch some decent smallmouth and I really struggled this week,” he said. “I’m a drop-shotter, I’m not a minnow-pinger. I caught some of those drop-shot fish on Day 1 and thought it was going to be good until Day 1.”

On Saturday, Loughran stayed in a small area of the lake with shallow vegetation where he had found both largemouth and smallmouth. The majority of his bites have come between 5 and 10 feet of water. After a little flurry early on, the bite slowed down, but a key bait change helped Loughran cull up to his final tally.

“I changed up a little and just started catching them,” he said. “I’ve got a couple other little spots close by and I haven’t touched them. So hopefully there are bass there, too.”

With bags of 21-4 and 20-11, Foutz jumped from sixth to third on Day 2. The Tennessee angler finished eighth at Lake Champlain last year and is looking to improve that showing this time around.

Foutz has been targeting pelagic smallmouth between 20 and 60 feet of water. Many of the smallmouth are in groups — some groups as small as 3 and some schools as big as 20 and 30.

“If they are grouped up, you are pretty much guaranteed a bite,” he said. “The singles are bigger ones, but they are the hardest to catch. I think I have a bait deal figured out to help trigger the bigger ones in the group to bite instead of having to weed through 3-pounders.”

After landing the majority of his weight within the first 10 minutes of Day 1, the second day started much slower for Foutz, but as the day wore on, he was able to locate several groups of smallmouth.

“I knew the fish had changed and that the wind probably moved them around,” Foutz said. “I went to an area I found late on Day 1 and trolled around and picked a nice one off here and there.”

Greg Hackney, Loughran and Caleb Sumrall split Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day honors on Day 2 as each caught a bass weighing 5-7 while New York rookie Kyle Patrick holds Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Tournament honors with a 6-2 largemouth he caught on Day 1.

Day 1 leader Seth Feider holds the CrushCity Monster Bag of the Tournament with his 23-11 limit of largemouth from Thursday.

Alabama’s Justin Hamner, winner of the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors, leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 677 points. Illinois rookie Trey McKinney is second with 660 points, followed by Tennessee’s Jacob Foutz in third with 657 points. Chris Johnston of Canada is fourth with 656 points and Missouri’s Cody Huff is fifth with 645.

McKinney leads the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 660 points, followed by South Carolina’s JT Thompkins in second with 635 points and Alabama’s Wesley Gore in third with 627.

The Top 50 anglers will launch from the Plattsburgh City Dock beginning at 7 a.m. ET Sunday and return for weigh-in at 3 p.m. The Top 10 anglers take center stage on Championship Monday.

Coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain will air on FS1 on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. Bassmaster LIVE will be streaming on Bassmaster.com each day.

The Adirondack Coast and City of Plattsburgh are hosting the tournament.

2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC

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 500,000-member 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 Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, 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, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series scored by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors.

-30-

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

Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.com

2024 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain 8/8-8/12
Lake Champlain, Plattsburg  NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2

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

1.  Chris Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX          10  42-08  103
Day 1: 5   21-01     Day 2: 5   21-07
2.  Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA            10  42-00    0     $333.00
Day 1: 5   19-01     Day 2: 5   22-15
3.  Jacob Foutz            Charleston, TN          10  41-15  101
Day 1: 5   21-04     Day 2: 5   20-11
4.  Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA 10  41-14  100
Day 1: 5   20-00     Day 2: 5   21-14
5.  Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ           10  41-10   99
Day 1: 5   22-11     Day 2: 5   18-15
6.  Matt Robertson         Kuttawa, KY             10  41-10   98
Day 1: 5   20-13     Day 2: 5   20-13
7.  Will Davis Jr          Sylacauga, AL           10  41-08   97
Day 1: 5   20-15     Day 2: 5   20-09
8.  Wesley Gore            Clanton, AL             10  41-07   96
Day 1: 5   21-01     Day 2: 5   20-06
9.  Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA          10  41-02   95     $333.00
Day 1: 5   19-07     Day 2: 5   21-11
10. Robert Gee             Knoxville, TN           10  41-00   94
Day 1: 5   21-01     Day 2: 5   19-15
11. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN        10  40-15   93
Day 1: 5   21-08     Day 2: 5   19-07
12. Seth Feider            New Market, MN          10  40-12   92
Day 1: 5   23-11     Day 2: 5   17-01
13. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                10  40-11   91
Day 1: 5   20-08     Day 2: 5   20-03
14. Logan Latuso           Gonzales, LA            10  40-04   90
Day 1: 5   20-01     Day 2: 5   20-03
15. Trey McKinney          Carbondale, IL          10  40-02   89
Day 1: 5   19-15     Day 2: 5   20-03
16. JT Thompkins           Myrtle Beach, SC        10  40-01   88
Day 1: 5   18-10     Day 2: 5   21-07
17. Tyler Williams         Belgrade, ME            10  39-14   87
Day 1: 5   19-12     Day 2: 5   20-02
18. Patrick Walters        Eutawville, SC          10  39-13   86
Day 1: 5   21-10     Day 2: 5   18-03
19. Cory Johnston          Otonabee CANADA         10  39-13   85
Day 1: 5   19-12     Day 2: 5   20-01
20. Joey Cifuentes III     Clinton, AR             10  39-09   84
Day 1: 5   20-13     Day 2: 5   18-12
21. Jason Christie         Dry Creek, OK           10  39-06   83
Day 1: 5   19-07     Day 2: 5   19-15
22. Justin Hamner          Northport, AL           10  39-06   82
Day 1: 5   19-11     Day 2: 5   19-11
23. Kyle Patrick           Cooperstown, NY         10  39-03   81   $1,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-11     Day 2: 5   17-08
24. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN        10  39-01   80
Day 1: 5   20-14     Day 2: 5   18-03
25. Drew Cook              Cairo, GA               10  38-15   79
Day 1: 5   19-10     Day 2: 5   19-05
26. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ              10  38-11   78
Day 1: 5   18-09     Day 2: 5   20-02
27. Jay Przekurat          Plover, WI              10  38-08   77
Day 1: 5   20-09     Day 2: 5   17-15
28. Cody Huff              Ava, MO                 10  38-06   76
Day 1: 5   19-15     Day 2: 5   18-07
29. Taku Ito               Dalton GA JAPAN         10  38-05   75
Day 1: 5   19-00     Day 2: 5   19-05
30. Jacob Powroznik        North Prince George, VA 10  38-04   74
Day 1: 5   20-06     Day 2: 5   17-14
31. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL        10  38-03   73
Day 1: 5   18-07     Day 2: 5   19-12
32. Cooper Gallant         Bowmanville Ontario CAN 10  37-14   72
Day 1: 5   19-14     Day 2: 5   18-00
33. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD               10  37-14   71
Day 1: 5   19-11     Day 2: 5   18-03
34. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL            10  37-11   70
Day 1: 5   21-00     Day 2: 5   16-11
35. Ben Milliken           New Caney, TX           10  37-11   69
Day 1: 5   18-05     Day 2: 5   19-06
36. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC             10  37-11   68
Day 1: 5   19-01     Day 2: 5   18-10
37. Logan Parks            Auburn, AL              10  37-09   67
Day 1: 5   19-10     Day 2: 5   17-15
38. Kyoya Fujita           Yamanashi CA JAPAN      10  37-09   66
Day 1: 5   18-00     Day 2: 5   19-09
39. Alex Redwine           Blue Ash, OH            10  37-08   65
Day 1: 5   18-13     Day 2: 5   18-11
40. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA            10  37-07   64     $333.00
Day 1: 5   17-02     Day 2: 5   20-05
41. Bob Downey             Detroit Lakes, MN       10  37-07   63
Day 1: 5   19-13     Day 2: 5   17-10
42. Kyle Norsetter         Cottage Grove, WI       10  37-06   62
Day 1: 5   18-09     Day 2: 5   18-13
43. Jordan Lee             Cullman, AL             10  37-03   61
Day 1: 5   17-12     Day 2: 5   19-07
44. Lee Livesay            Longview, TX            10  37-02   60
Day 1: 5   19-01     Day 2: 5   18-01
45. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC           10  37-02   59
Day 1: 5   18-03     Day 2: 5   18-15
46. John Garrett           Union City, TN          10  37-01   58
Day 1: 5   20-01     Day 2: 5   17-00
47. Cole Sands             Calhoun , TN            10  37-00   57
Day 1: 5   17-14     Day 2: 5   19-02
48. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 10  36-13   56
Day 1: 5   18-12     Day 2: 5   18-01
49. John Cox               Debary, FL              10  36-12   55
Day 1: 5   20-07     Day 2: 5   16-05
50. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY             10  36-10    0
Day 1: 5   18-06     Day 2: 5   18-04
51. David Gaston           Sylacauga, AL           10  36-09   53   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   17-07     Day 2: 5   19-02
52. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN          10  36-09   52   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   18-00     Day 2: 5   18-09
53. Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI               10  36-07   51   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   16-14     Day 2: 5   19-09
54. Jeff Gustafson         Kenora, ON Ontario CANA 10  36-06   50   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   19-13     Day 2: 5   16-09
55. Kyle Welcher           Valley, AL              10  36-05   49   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   18-01     Day 2: 5   18-04
56. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL             10  36-03   48   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   18-01     Day 2: 5   18-02
57. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA            10  36-00   47   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   16-00     Day 2: 5   20-00
58. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN           10  35-14   46   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   18-11     Day 2: 5   17-03
59. Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI           10  35-14   45   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   18-10     Day 2: 5   17-04
60. Wes Logan              Springville, AL         10  35-13   44   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   20-00     Day 2: 5   15-13
61. Justin Atkins          Florence, AL            10  35-12   43   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   16-05     Day 2: 5   19-07
62. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC              10  35-11   42   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   18-01     Day 2: 5   17-10
63. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY             10  35-10   41   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   17-10     Day 2: 5   18-00
64. Jonathan Kelley        Old Forge, PA           10  35-09   40   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   17-05     Day 2: 5   18-04
65. Alex Wetherell         Middletown, CT          10  35-07   39   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   18-15     Day 2: 5   16-08
66. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS        10  35-07   38   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   18-02     Day 2: 5   17-05
67. Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX             10  35-03   37   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   18-09     Day 2: 5   16-10
68. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR              10  35-00   36   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   16-08     Day 2: 5   18-08
69. Timothy Dube           Nashua , NH             10  34-15   35   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   18-05     Day 2: 5   16-10
70. Bryan New              Leesville, SC           10  34-12   34   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   18-00     Day 2: 5   16-12
71. Matty Wong             Honolulu, HI            10  34-10   33   $2,500.00
Day 1: 5   18-07     Day 2: 5   16-03
72. Mike Huff              London, KY              10  34-08   32
Day 1: 5   17-12     Day 2: 5   16-12
73. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL              10  34-06   31
Day 1: 5   15-12     Day 2: 5   18-10
74. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN            10  34-02   30
Day 1: 5   18-08     Day 2: 5   15-10
75. Drew Benton            Panama City, FL         10  34-01   29
Day 1: 5   18-07     Day 2: 5   15-10
76. Brandon Card           Salisbury, NC           10  34-01   28
Day 1: 5   17-15     Day 2: 5   16-02
77. Buddy Gross            Chattanooga, TN         10  34-01   27
Day 1: 5   16-14     Day 2: 5   17-03
78. KJ Queen               Catawba, NC             10  33-13   26
Day 1: 5   16-10     Day 2: 5   17-03
79. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ         10  33-10   25
Day 1: 5   18-13     Day 2: 5   14-13
80. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT           10  33-07   24
Day 1: 5   15-13     Day 2: 5   17-10
81. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK            10  33-05   23
Day 1: 5   18-00     Day 2: 5   15-05
82. Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX              10  33-03   22
Day 1: 5   17-13     Day 2: 5   15-06
83. Scott Martin           Clewiston, FL           10  33-02   21
Day 1: 5   17-12     Day 2: 5   15-06
84. Bryant Smith           Roseville, CA           10  32-14   20
Day 1: 5   17-12     Day 2: 5   15-02
85. Marc Frazier           Newnan, GA              10  32-12   19
Day 1: 5   16-13     Day 2: 5   15-15
86. Jake Whitaker          Hendersonville, NC      10  32-10   18
Day 1: 5   18-05     Day 2: 5   14-05
87. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                 10  32-05   17
Day 1: 5   16-08     Day 2: 5   15-13
88. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA               10  32-02   16
Day 1: 5   15-12     Day 2: 5   16-06
89. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID            10  32-01   15
Day 1: 5   13-01     Day 2: 5   19-00
90. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL           10  31-13   14
Day 1: 5   18-05     Day 2: 5   13-08
91. Kenta Kimura           Osaka OK JAPAN          10  31-12   13
Day 1: 5   17-00     Day 2: 5   14-12
92. Chad Pipkens           Dewitt, MI              10  31-06   12
Day 1: 5   17-08     Day 2: 5   13-14
93. John Soukup            Sapulpa, OK             10  31-03   11
Day 1: 5   14-00     Day 2: 5   17-03
94. Todd Auten             Clover, SC              10  30-05   10
Day 1: 5   15-05     Day 2: 5   15-00
95. Joseph Webster         Hamilton, AL            10  29-11    9
Day 1: 5   15-03     Day 2: 5   14-08
96. Frank Talley           Belton, TX              10  29-04    8
Day 1: 5   18-00     Day 2: 5   11-04
97. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX             10  28-08    7
Day 1: 5   14-04     Day 2: 5   14-04
98. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC           9  27-15    6
Day 1: 5   17-12     Day 2: 4   10-03
99. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX          10  27-15    5
Day 1: 5   17-02     Day 2: 5   10-13
100. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC               10  26-09    4
Day 1: 5   14-15     Day 2: 5   11-10
101. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          8  23-14    3
Day 1: 3   08-00     Day 2: 5   15-14
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Kyle Patrick             Cooperstown, NY     06-02      $1,000.00
2   Greg Hackney             Gonzales, LA        05-07        $333.33
2   Ed Loughran III          Richmond, VA        05-07        $333.33
2   Caleb Sumrall            New Iberia, LA      05-07        $333.33

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1       100       503      1865-09
2       100       504      1789-03
----------------------------------
200      1007      3654-12

by AnglersChannel

Green fish carry Feider to Day 1 lead at Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain

Aug. 8, 2024

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Since he started coming to Lake Champlain as an Elite Series angler, Seth Feider has never caught two 5-pound largemouth in the same day.

That changed on Day 1 of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain as the New Market, Minn., pro landed a 6-pounder and another largemouth over 5 ½ pounds to anchor a 23-pound, 11-ounce limit of green fish that lifted him to the top of the leaderboard on Thursday.

“Those really big 5’s are super rare,” he said. “I’ve never caught two in the same day, but I did today, and they go a long way when everyone is catching 3- and 4-pound fish. I don’t know how the rest of the week will play out, but I had a really fun day.

“There’s no place I’d rather win one than on Champlain.”

On a day where 100 limits of bass were caught, 21 of which were over 20 pounds, Feider holds a 1-pound advantage over second-place Greg DiPalma and a 2-pound advantage over third-place Kyle Patrick.

It is the 2022 Angler of the Year's biggest bag ever at Lake Champlain, adding to an already impressive track record at the famed fishery in eastern New York. He has two second-place finishes in 2017 and 2020 as well as a fourth in 2021. Last year, however, Feider missed the Day-3 cut and finished a disappointing 67th.

“Last year hurt,” he said. “I have a really good track record on this lake. It fishes a lot like home, just with bigger fish. I love fishing here.”

Feider opened the morning targeting the pelagic smallmouth Lake Champlain has become known for in the last several years with his forward-facing sonar. That turned out to be a particularly frustrating venture for the veteran angler.

“They were giving me problems, so I said to hell with them, and I went bass fishing,” Feider said. “I was just sucking at ‘Scoping. I was missing my casts, landing short, not getting bit and I lost one. I had a spot (close by) that is decent for largemouth, so I’ll go catch a few of them and then come back and Scope and it won’t bother me as much when they won’t eat my minnow.”

It was a day-altering decision as Feider landed his first lunker largemouth within his first couple of casts in the area. After landing another 4-pounder, Feider fully committed to the largemouth bite and fished seven or eight different areas, three of which produced his bag. A jig and a Texas rig were his most productive baits, while his biggest bass ate a frog.

Unlike in years past, Feider has found the largemouth are more spread out than they usually are. He got bites around wood, docks, rock and grass throughout the day. Most of the 25 bass Feider landed were between 2 and 3 pounds on Day 1.

“Normally you can go to a bay and camp out. This year, there are some bays I go into to catch one bass I shook off. It’s not an endless supply,” Feider said. “It’s probably because of the high water. When they were grouped up, they were more offshore in the submergent vegetation. The high water has them doing a little bit of everything.”

The Elite pros enjoyed sun and relatively calm conditions for most of Day 1, but change is on the way as the remnants of Hurricane Debby are forecast to move through the area starting on Friday, with stormy conditions continuing through Saturday morning.

That will make life much more difficult on Feider as far as navigating the fishery.

“If it gets windy, it will be really hard for me to catch them. A lot of my stuff is protected but getting from (here to there) will be a problem,” he said.

DiPalma, meanwhile, landed his entire 22-11 limit of smallmouth in the first two hours of the day off two shallow boulders in 12 feet of water. The Millville, N.J., pro believes the crawfish population is high in the area and has seen several smallmouth spit up crawfish as he was fighting them.

He primarily used a drop shot and a jighead minnow to land his limit.

“There are definitely fish in the area. It is a niche little area, and I have it to myself,” DiPalma said. “Tomorrow, the wind is going to change and the next day it is going to change again. These are smallmouth, and they can swim away.”

Once he filled out his limit, DiPalma made a long run south to the Ticonderoga region of Lake Champlain to try and catch a 6-pound largemouth. While he caught plenty of bass, he did not land the giant bass he was looking for.

Patrick landed a 21-11 mixed bag on Day 1 to land in third place. He anchored his bag with a 6-2 largemouth, which was the Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day. The rookie from Cooperstown, N.Y., spent the day targeting smallmouth, landing three on the day.

But as he was moving through a section of grass in 15 to 20 feet of water, he received a surprising largemouth bite that clued him into a different bite.

“I committed to smallmouth, and I was throwing a Berkley Flat Worm and I got a largemouth bite. So, I pulled some rods out of the box and caught that 6-2 and a 4-2,” Patrick said. “It was fortunate that I ran into some largemouth.

“They were congregated in one section. It’s not like you can do that anywhere on the lake. I would have had 18 pounds if I had just smallmouth.”

A jig, a drop shot and a Damiki rig were Patrick’s three best baits on Day 1.

Alabama’s Justin Hamner, winner of 2024 the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors, leads the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 669 points. Tennessee’s Jacob Foutz is second with 654 points, followed by Illinois rookie Trey McKinney in third with 652 points. Missouri’s Cody Huff is fourth with 650 points and Chris Johnston of Canada is fifth with 639.

McKinney also leads the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Bassmaster Rookie of the Year standings with 652 points, followed by Tennessee’s John Garrett in second with 638 points and Alabama’s Wesley Gore in third with 628.

The full field will launch from the Plattsburgh City Dock beginning at 7 a.m. ET Friday and return for weigh-in at 3 p.m. The field will be cut to the Top 50 anglers after the Day 2 weigh-in before the Top 10 anglers take center stage on Championship Sunday.

Coverage of the Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain will air on FS1 on Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bassmaster LIVE will be streaming on Bassmaster.com each day.

The Adirondack Coast and City of Plattsburgh are hosting the tournament.

2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2024 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew's, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC

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 500,000-member 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 Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, 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, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series scored by TourneyX, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors.

-30-

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

Media Contact: Chad Gay, Communications Manager, 205-313-0945, cgay@bassmaster.com

2024 Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain 8/8-8/11
Lake Champlain, Plattsburg  NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1

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

1.  Seth Feider            New Market, MN           5  23-11  103
Day 1: 5   23-11
2.  Gregory DiPalma        Millville, NJ            5  22-11  102
Day 1: 5   22-11
3.  Kyle Patrick           Cooperstown, NY          5  21-11  101   $1,000.00
Day 1: 5   21-11
4.  Patrick Walters        Eutawville, SC           5  21-10  100
Day 1: 5   21-10
5.  Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         5  21-08   99
Day 1: 5   21-08
6.  Jacob Foutz            Charleston, TN           5  21-04   98
Day 1: 5   21-04
7.  Robert Gee             Knoxville, TN            5  21-01   97
Day 1: 5   21-01
7.  Wesley Gore            Clanton, AL              5  21-01   97
Day 1: 5   21-01
7.  Chris Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX           5  21-01   97
Day 1: 5   21-01
10. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL             5  21-00   94
Day 1: 5   21-00
11. Will Davis Jr          Sylacauga, AL            5  20-15   93
Day 1: 5   20-15
12. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN         5  20-14   92
Day 1: 5   20-14
13. Joey Cifuentes III     Clinton, AR              5  20-13   91
Day 1: 5   20-13
13. Matt Robertson         Kuttawa, KY              5  20-13   91
Day 1: 5   20-13
15. Jay Przekurat          Plover, WI               5  20-09   89
Day 1: 5   20-09
16. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                 5  20-08   88
Day 1: 5   20-08
17. John Cox               Debary, FL               5  20-07   87
Day 1: 5   20-07
18. Jacob Powroznik        North Prince George, VA  5  20-06   86
Day 1: 5   20-06
19. John Garrett           Union City, TN           5  20-01   85
Day 1: 5   20-01
19. Logan Latuso           Gonzales, LA             5  20-01   85
Day 1: 5   20-01
21. Chris Johnston         Otonabee Ontario CANADA  5  20-00   83
Day 1: 5   20-00
21. Wes Logan              Springville, AL          5  20-00   83
Day 1: 5   20-00
23. Cody Huff              Ava, MO                  5  19-15   81
Day 1: 5   19-15
23. Trey McKinney          Carbondale, IL           5  19-15   81
Day 1: 5   19-15
25. Cooper Gallant         Bowmanville Ontario CAN  5  19-14   79
Day 1: 5   19-14
26. Bob Downey             Detroit Lakes, MN        5  19-13   78
Day 1: 5   19-13
26. Jeff Gustafson         Kenora, ON Ontario CANA  5  19-13   78
Day 1: 5   19-13
28. Cory Johnston          Otonabee CANADA          5  19-12   76
Day 1: 5   19-12
28. Tyler Williams         Belgrade, ME             5  19-12   76
Day 1: 5   19-12
30. Justin Hamner          Northport, AL            5  19-11   74
Day 1: 5   19-11
30. Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD                5  19-11   74
Day 1: 5   19-11
32. Drew Cook              Cairo, GA                5  19-10   72
Day 1: 5   19-10
32. Logan Parks            Auburn, AL               5  19-10   72
Day 1: 5   19-10
34. Jason Christie         Dry Creek, OK            5  19-07   70
Day 1: 5   19-07
34. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA           5  19-07   70
Day 1: 5   19-07
36. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC              5  19-01   68
Day 1: 5   19-01
36. Lee Livesay            Longview, TX             5  19-01   68
Day 1: 5   19-01
38. Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA             5  19-01    0
Day 1: 5   19-01
39. Taku Ito               Dalton GA JAPAN          5  19-00   65
Day 1: 5   19-00
40. Alex Wetherell         Middletown, CT           5  18-15   64
Day 1: 5   18-15
41. Michael Iaconelli      Pitts Grove, NJ          5  18-13   63
Day 1: 5   18-13
41. Alex Redwine           Blue Ash, OH             5  18-13   63
Day 1: 5   18-13
43. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TN AUSTRALIA  5  18-12   61
Day 1: 5   18-12
44. David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN            5  18-11   60
Day 1: 5   18-11
45. Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI            5  18-10   59
Day 1: 5   18-10
45. JT Thompkins           Myrtle Beach, SC         5  18-10   59
Day 1: 5   18-10
47. Kyle Norsetter         Cottage Grove, WI        5  18-09   57
Day 1: 5   18-09
47. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ               5  18-09   57
Day 1: 5   18-09
49. Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX              5  18-09   55
Day 1: 5   18-09
50. Hunter Shryock         Ooltewah, TN             5  18-08   54
Day 1: 5   18-08
51. Drew Benton            Panama City, FL          5  18-07   53
Day 1: 5   18-07
51. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL         5  18-07   53
Day 1: 5   18-07
51. Matty Wong             Honolulu, HI             5  18-07   53
Day 1: 5   18-07
54. Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY              5  18-06    0
Day 1: 5   18-06
55. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL            5  18-05   49
Day 1: 5   18-05
55. Timothy Dube           Nashua , NH              5  18-05   49
Day 1: 5   18-05
55. Ben Milliken           New Caney, TX            5  18-05   49
Day 1: 5   18-05
55. Jake Whitaker          Hendersonville, NC       5  18-05   49
Day 1: 5   18-05
59. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC            5  18-03   45
Day 1: 5   18-03
60. Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS         5  18-02   44
Day 1: 5   18-02
61. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC               5  18-01   43
Day 1: 5   18-01
61. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              5  18-01   43
Day 1: 5   18-01
61. Kyle Welcher           Valley, AL               5  18-01   43
Day 1: 5   18-01
64. Kyoya Fujita           Yamanashi CA JAPAN       5  18-00   40
Day 1: 5   18-00
64. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN           5  18-00   40
Day 1: 5   18-00
64. Bryan New              Leesville, SC            5  18-00   40
Day 1: 5   18-00
64. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK             5  18-00   40
Day 1: 5   18-00
64. Frank Talley           Belton, TX               5  18-00   40
Day 1: 5   18-00
69. Brandon Card           Salisbury, NC            5  17-15   35
Day 1: 5   17-15
70. Cole Sands             Calhoun , TN             5  17-14   34
Day 1: 5   17-14
71. Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX               5  17-13   33
Day 1: 5   17-13
72. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC           5  17-12   32
Day 1: 5   17-12
72. Mike Huff              London, KY               5  17-12   32
Day 1: 5   17-12
72. Jordan Lee             Cullman, AL              5  17-12   32
Day 1: 5   17-12
72. Scott Martin           Clewiston, FL            5  17-12   32
Day 1: 5   17-12
72. Bryant Smith           Roseville, CA            5  17-12   32
Day 1: 5   17-12
77. Mark Menendez          Paducah, KY              5  17-10   27
Day 1: 5   17-10
78. Chad Pipkens           Dewitt, MI               5  17-08   26
Day 1: 5   17-08
79. David Gaston           Sylacauga, AL            5  17-07   25
Day 1: 5   17-07
80. Jonathan Kelley        Old Forge, PA            5  17-05   24
Day 1: 5   17-05
81. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX           5  17-02   23
Day 1: 5   17-02
81. Greg Hackney           Gonzales, LA             5  17-02   23
Day 1: 5   17-02
83. Kenta Kimura           Osaka OK JAPAN           5  17-00   21
Day 1: 5   17-00
84. Buddy Gross            Chattanooga, TN          5  16-14   20
Day 1: 5   16-14
84. Pat Schlapper          Eleva, WI                5  16-14   20
Day 1: 5   16-14
86. Marc Frazier           Newnan, GA               5  16-13   18
Day 1: 5   16-13
87. KJ Queen               Catawba, NC              5  16-10   17
Day 1: 5   16-10
88. Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR               5  16-08   16
Day 1: 5   16-08
88. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  5  16-08   16
Day 1: 5   16-08
90. Justin Atkins          Florence, AL             5  16-05   14
Day 1: 5   16-05
91. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA             5  16-00   13
Day 1: 5   16-00
92. Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            5  15-13   12
Day 1: 5   15-13
93. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA                5  15-12   11
Day 1: 5   15-12
93. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               5  15-12   11
Day 1: 5   15-12
95. Todd Auten             Clover, SC               5  15-05    9
Day 1: 5   15-05
96. Joseph Webster         Hamilton, AL             5  15-03    8
Day 1: 5   15-03
97. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC                5  14-15    7
Day 1: 5   14-15
98. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX              5  14-04    6
Day 1: 5   14-04
99. John Soukup            Sapulpa, OK              5  14-00    5
Day 1: 5   14-00
100. Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID             5  13-01    4
Day 1: 5   13-01
101. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          3  08-00    3
Day 1: 3   08-00

by AnglersChannel