CLAYTON, N.Y. — After sacking up 27 pounds, 1 ounce during Thursday’s opening round, Connecticut pro Paul Mueller added 25-1 Friday and maintained the lead in the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River with a two-day total of 52-2.

Committing his day to the massive waters of Lake Ontario, Mueller started on rock transitions in about 40 feet, but he seemed to struggle in the early going.

“Some of the places I had, they really suspended and those fish got tougher to catch,” Mueller said. “I realized I had to get away from that and once I found fish on the bottom, those fish were easier to catch.

“The fact that the shallower fish didn’t suspend is kind of intriguing, but I also think the deeper fish were feeding on something else other than gobies.”

Mueller got things moving in the right direction around 11:30 a.m. when he boated a 4 1/2-pounder, the first of four big fish he’d catch in about an hour. Moving into shallower areas and fishing rock structure in 20 to 26 feet proved to be the key decision.

He caught all of his fish on a drop shot with a Berkley MaxScent Flat Worm in the natural shad and goby colors. Noting that his fish seemed much spookier in the day’s clear, calm conditions, Mueller said he had to transition from vertical drops to a cast-and-drag presentation.

“The fish definitely got a little more finicky, and they definitely got a little more boat shy,” Mueller said. “I think boat shadow, livewell noise and the pinging transducer all contributed to that. The big thing for me today was keeping away from the fish.

“I lost a big fish today because he didn’t eat the bait that well. I marked him under the boat and dropped down to him. If I stayed off of them, they were a lot easier to catch.”

Chris Johnston of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, is in second place with 51-12. After starting his morning in the St. Lawrence River, Johnston plucked three of his better fish off the rocky point he fished Thursday. When that bite slowed, he again moved to the small rockpiles and breaks in Lake Ontario. Drop shotting produced his bites in both scenarios.

Johnston’s day-maker came during a late-morning move. En route to his next spot, he made a quick detour to a rockpile in 6 feet of water. He was looking for a big fish he’d spotted in practice and caught the 6-5 giant on his third cast with a 1/8-ounce black hair jig.

“The rockpile is 300 yards long, so I can’t throw the drop shot because it’s too slow,” Johnston said. “I can cover water faster with the hair jig, that’s the main thing. They’ll eat that drop shot if I put it in front of them, but I can cover more water with the hair jig.”

Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, is in third place with 47-13. Returning to the same general area in Lake Ontario, Wendlandt started strong with a couple of good fish early but faced a midmorning dry spell before making an adjustment that allowed him to fill out a solid limit.

“I actually went to some new areas that I didn’t fish the first day and caught some there,” Wendlandt said. “I just kind of winged it because I had trouble with my trolling motor and I was struggling earlier. I was trying to fish some ways that were a little easier.”

Mueller is still in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with the mammoth 7-13 smallmouth he caught Thursday. The fish is believed to be the biggest smallmouth ever caught in Elite Series competition.

The tournament will resume Saturday with the Top 40 remaining anglers taking off at 6:45 a.m. ET from the Clayton Antique Boat Museum. The weigh-in will be back at the museum at 3 p.m., with only the Top 10 anglers advancing to Championship Sunday with a chance to win the $100,000 first-place prize.

Live coverage of the event will be available starting at 8 a.m. on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com with simulcasts on ESPN2 and ESPN3. Check local listings for ESPN2 times.

The tournament is being hosted by Jefferson County in cooperation with the Village of Clayton and the 1000 Islands Clayton Chamber of Commerce.

2020 SiteOne Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River 7/23-7/26
St. Lawrence River, Clayton NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$

1. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 52-02 100 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-01 Day 2: 5 25-01
2. Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CA 10 51-12 99 $1,000.00
Day 1: 5 27-00 Day 2: 5 24-12
3. Clark Wendlandt Leander, TX 10 47-13 98
Day 1: 5 26-03 Day 2: 5 21-10
4. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 10 47-07 97
Day 1: 5 23-06 Day 2: 5 24-01
5. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 44-02 96
Day 1: 5 24-12 Day 2: 5 19-06
6. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 10 43-15 95
Day 1: 5 24-02 Day 2: 5 19-13
7. Taku Ito Chiba JAPAN 10 43-08 94
Day 1: 5 20-08 Day 2: 5 23-00
8. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 10 42-09 93
Day 1: 5 22-12 Day 2: 5 19-13
9. Mike Huff Corbin, KY 10 41-00 92
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 19-08
10. Greg DiPalma Millville, NJ 10 40-07 91
Day 1: 5 20-00 Day 2: 5 20-07
11. Hunter Shryock Newcomerstown, OH 10 39-14 90
Day 1: 5 21-08 Day 2: 5 18-06
12. Jeff Gustafson Keewatin Ontario CANADA 10 39-08 89
Day 1: 5 16-06 Day 2: 5 23-02
13. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 10 39-07 88
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 21-15
14. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 10 39-06 87
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 20-02
15. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 39-01 86
Day 1: 5 21-03 Day 2: 5 17-14
16. Chad Pipkens Dewitt, MI 10 38-15 85
Day 1: 5 17-08 Day 2: 5 21-07
17. Brad Whatley Bivins, TX 10 38-14 84
Day 1: 5 19-06 Day 2: 5 19-08
18. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 38-10 83
Day 1: 5 20-02 Day 2: 5 18-08
19. Cory Johnston Cavan CANADA 10 38-10 82
Day 1: 5 19-07 Day 2: 5 19-03
20. Chris Zaldain Fort Worth, TX 10 38-08 81
Day 1: 5 17-10 Day 2: 5 20-14
21. Seth Feider New Market, MN 10 38-08 80
Day 1: 5 19-05 Day 2: 5 19-03
22. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 10 37-13 79
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 21-01
23. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 10 36-09 78
Day 1: 5 18-06 Day 2: 5 18-03
24. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 10 36-08 77
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 17-13
25. Garrett Paquette Canton, MI 10 36-05 76
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 18-05
26. Ed Loughran III Richmond, VA 10 36-02 75
Day 1: 5 18-04 Day 2: 5 17-14
27. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TN AUSTRALIA 10 35-11 74
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 21-14
28. Drew Benton Blakely, GA 10 35-09 73
Day 1: 5 15-14 Day 2: 5 19-11
29. Bob Downey Hudson, WI 10 35-04 72
Day 1: 5 17-05 Day 2: 5 17-15
30. Caleb Kuphall Mukwonago, WI 10 34-07 71
Day 1: 5 18-10 Day 2: 5 15-13
31. Austin Felix Eden Prairie, MN 10 34-02 70
Day 1: 5 20-05 Day 2: 5 13-13
32. Frank Talley Temple, TX 10 34-00 69
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 19-14
33. Skylar Hamilton Dandridge, TN 10 33-15 68
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 19-10
34. Buddy Gross Chickamauga, GA 10 33-13 67
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 14-01
35. Randy Sullivan Breckenridge, TX 10 33-11 66
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 14-14
36. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 33-11 65
Day 1: 5 15-02 Day 2: 5 18-09
37. Jamie Hartman Newport, NY 10 33-08 64
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 17-08
38. Brandon Card Salisbury, NC 10 33-06 63
Day 1: 5 18-07 Day 2: 5 14-15
39. Ray Hanselman Jr Del Rio, TX 10 33-01 62
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 18-12
40. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 10 33-00 61
Day 1: 5 19-04 Day 2: 5 13-12
41. Stetson Blaylock Benton, AR 10 32-15 60 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 5 14-07
42. Matt Arey Shelby, NC 10 32-09 59 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 12-08
43. Scott Canterbury Odenville, AL 10 32-06 58 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-06 Day 2: 5 20-00
44. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 31-15 57 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-01 Day 2: 5 12-14
45. Hank Cherry Jr Lincolnton, NC 10 31-14 56 $7,500.00
Day 1: 5 19-00 Day 2: 5 12-14
46. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 31-09 55 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-08 Day 2: 5 15-01
47. Patrick Walters Summerville, SC 10 31-03 54 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 16-14
48. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 31-01 53 $5,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-02 Day 2: 5 14-15
49. John Cox Debary, FL 10 31-00 52 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-05 Day 2: 5 12-11
50. Koby Kreiger Alva, FL 10 30-15 51 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-03 Day 2: 5 17-12
51. Jake Whitaker Fairview, NC 10 30-13 50 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-14 Day 2: 5 17-15
52. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 9 30-11 49 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-08 Day 2: 4 12-03
53. Destin DeMarion Grove City, PA 10 30-08 48 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-00 Day 2: 5 12-08
54. Luke Palmer Coalgate, OK 10 30-08 47 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-14 Day 2: 5 15-10
55. Chris Groh Spring Grove, IL 10 30-07 46 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 18-07
56. Wes Logan Springville, AL 10 30-01 45 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-05 Day 2: 5 14-12
57. Tyler Carriere Youngsville, LA 10 29-09 44 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 14-13
58. Jay Yelas Lincoln City, OR 10 29-07 43 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 17-04
59. Rob Digh Denver, NC 10 29-04 42 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 14-13
60. Kyle Welcher Opelika, AL 10 28-07 41 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-00 Day 2: 5 16-07
61. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 9 28-04 40 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-00 Day 2: 4 07-04
62. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 28-00 39 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 15-01
63. Jesse Tacoronte Kissimmee, FL 10 27-12 38 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-01 Day 2: 5 16-11
64. Todd Auten Lake Wylie, SC 10 27-08 37 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 13-14
65. Kyle Monti Okeechobee, FL 10 27-03 36 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-10 Day 2: 5 12-09
66. Bryan Schmitt Deale, MD 10 27-00 35 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-00 Day 2: 5 10-00
67. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 10 26-15 34 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-06 Day 2: 5 13-09
68. Derek Hudnall Denham Springs, LA 7 26-13 33 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 21-04 Day 2: 2 05-09
69. Robbie Latuso Gonzales, LA 10 26-13 32 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-00 Day 2: 5 10-13
70. David Fritts Lexington, NC 10 26-12 31 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-01 Day 2: 5 14-11
71. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 10 26-05 30 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 16-12 Day 2: 5 09-09
72. Randy Pierson Oakdale, CA 10 26-05 29 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 12-07 Day 2: 5 13-14
73. Lee Livesay Longview, TX 9 26-02 28 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-11 Day 2: 4 08-07
74. Drew Cook Midway, FL 10 25-13 27 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 11-10
75. Harvey Horne Bella Vista, AR 10 25-07 26 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-09 Day 2: 5 10-14
76. Shane LeHew Catawba, NC 10 25-00 25 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 11-10 Day 2: 5 13-06
77. Quentin Cappo Prairieville, LA 10 24-08 24 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-00 Day 2: 5 11-08
78. Cody Hollen Beaverton, OR 8 23-10 23 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 09-05 Day 2: 5 14-05
79. Tyler Rivet Raceland, LA 9 23-07 22 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-10 Day 2: 4 07-13
80. Bill Weidler Helena, AL 8 22-06 21 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 3 08-02
81. Brandon Cobb Greenwood, SC 10 22-06 20 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 09-04 Day 2: 5 13-02
82. Dale Hightower Mannford, OK 7 22-01 19 $2,500.00
Day 1: 3 07-08 Day 2: 4 14-09
83. Rick Morris Lake Gaston, VA 9 21-12 18 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 4 08-08
84. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 7 21-05 17 $2,500.00
Day 1: 2 05-01 Day 2: 5 16-04
85. Gary Clouse Winchester, TN 8 19-07 16 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 3 05-15
86. Caleb Sumrall New Iberia, LA 9 18-01 15 $2,500.00
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 4 00-00
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1 Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 07-13 $1,000.00
2 Chris Johnston Peterborough Ontario CANADA06-05 $1,000.00