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Day 2 Mercer Moment from the St. Lawrence Elite
Dave Mercer and James Oversteet are still in shock after the day one weigh in at the St. Lawrence River Elite Series.
Matt Lee Jumps Ahead After First Round At St. Lawrence Bassmaster Elite
| Matt Lee of Guntersville, Ala., takes the lead on the first day of the 2018 Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Black Velvet, bringing 27 pounds, 12 ounces to the scales on Thursday.
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Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.WADDINGTON, N.Y. — Giant limits of smallmouth bass exceeded expectations during Thursday’s opening round of competition as Matt Lee of Guntersville, Ala., weighed a tremendous 27-pound, 12-ounce limit of smallmouth bass to take an early lead at the Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Black Velvet.
Lee’s staggering limit, anchored by a behemoth 6-plus-pound smallmouth, is the heaviest single-day smallmouth limit in Bassmaster Elite Series history.
With so many big smallies coming in, it’s worth mentioning that a four-day total consisting of only smallmouth topping the 100-pound mark has never been caught during an Elite Series event. New records could be set at Waddington this week, as 52 five-bass limits exceeding the 20-pound mark were brought to the scales Thursday.
That’s an unprecedented number — and nothing short of impressive.
A first-place prize of $100,000 will go to the winner after four days of competition — and since Lee has never claimed an Elite Series victory, he is looking to expand his lead during Friday’s second round. He can also earn more valuable points in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race.
This tournament marks the conclusion of the 2018 regular Elite Series season. The Top 50 anglers in the points race will advance to the AOY Championship scheduled for mid-September on Georgia’s Lake Chatuge.
“What an amazing day,” Lee said. “Things literally went perfectly for me today, and that seldom happens in this sport. On every spot I fished today I caught a big one, and plenty of them. It was amazing.”
Lee has the lead by over a pound, and he is confident the bite will stay consistent if the forecasted weather also remains consistent.
“For some reason, I have a better batting average on fisheries that turn into slugfests,” Lee said. “I don’t know why that is, but you won’t hear me complain about it. I can’t say duplicating today’s weight is possible, but from what I saw today, it’s certainly not impossible. I’m excited to get back out there and make it happen.”
Tennessee veteran pro David Walker also enjoyed a fantastic day that produced a five-bass limit that weighed 26-8.
“I really don’t know what to say. I absolutely can’t believe that happened,” Walker said. “That was, without a doubt, the best day of smallmouth fishing I’ve ever had. I’m so happy.”
Just like Lee, Walker’s day went perfectly.
“So many times in this sport, things happen beyond your control that affect the outcome of your time on the water,” he said. “Not today. Every decision I made worked out, and I really hope my luck continues into tomorrow.”
Second-year pro Tyler Carriere of Louisiana will begin Friday’s round in third place after weighing 26 pounds of smallmouth.
“I knew catching a big limit over 20 pounds was possible after my practice,” he said. “But today was certainly beyond my expectations. My bite lasted all day long, and I was able to make a key upgrade in the afternoon to help push my weight up another pound. I’m very happy with the results, and I’m ready for tomorrow.”
Arizona’s Josh Bertrand and Scott Rook of Arkansas tied for fourth place with 25-11.
Brett Hite of Phoenix, Ariz., is leading the Phoenix Boats Big Bass competition, thanks to a 6-12 smallmouth. If the big bass holds through Championship Sunday, Hite will win a $1,500 bonus paycheck.
Competition will resume Friday morning with takeoff beginning at 6:15 a.m. ET at Whittaker Park in Waddington, N.Y., and weigh-in will begin at 3 p.m. at the same location.
2018 Huk Bassmaster Elite At St. Lawrence River Title Sponsor: Huk
2018 Huk Bassmaster Elite At St. Lawrence River Presenting Sponsor: Black Velvet
2018 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2018 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, Abu Garcia, Berkley, Huk, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota
2018 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: T-H Marine, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Carhartt, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats
2018 Bassmaster Elite Series Elite Partner: Black Velvet
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. 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), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For 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, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Series presented by Magellan Outdoors, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
No water shortage for Jordan Lee at St. Lawrence Elite Series
The St. Lawrence River contains more than 700 miles of vitally healthy water for everything from whales to fat smallmouth as it connects the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Ontario.
And back-to-back Bassmaster Classic Champ Jordan Lee is wagering with great certainty the St. Lawrence will produce more than 40 limits of bass weighing over 20 pounds on Day 1 of the Bassmaster Elite Series based in Waddington, NY.
The Carhartt pro also knows it’s cheaper to buy bottled water by the case. Hence the reason he came parading through the morning launch line with enough Poland Spring bottled product to hydrate half a dozen fellow pros.
What he didn’t know is bottled water is actually a relatively new concept.
“Man, I just thought you could buy bottled water forever, you know, like at least back in the 1930s and 40s,” Lee said with comical perplexity.
That’s when fellow Toyota driving Elite Series young gun Jacob Wheeler provided insightful wisdom derived from his penchant for the Andy Griffith television show.
“No, I know bottled water hasn’t been around that long, because Andy Griffith never has bottled water, and I’ve watched a whole bunch of Andy Griffith shows,” said the 27-year-old Wheeler of the famous show filmed in the 1960s with an even earlier nostalgic theme.
Hearing the two millenials derive the history of bottled water was indeed a bit of comical relief to an otherwise stressful competition morning rich with anticipation of fat limits of smallmouth.
Fact is, water was first sold in plastic bottles back in the early 1970s, and became much a part of everyday life in the same era of the 1990s that Jordan Lee and Jacob Wheeler were born.
Talented and comical B.A.S.S. photographer James Overstreet, age 58, overheard the conversation and added the final history lesson on the subject just before Lee and Wheeler launched.
“Man, look, I can remember when people thought it was crazy to pay for water back when it first came out. That was back in the 70s, but let’s be honest, us children of the 70s really don’t remember much about the 70s,” concluded Overstreet.
Iaconelli Previews St. Lawrence Bassmaster Elite Series
Mike Iaconelli cut his early angling teeth on the St. Lawrence River, and more than 20 years later, the smallmouth infested river connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean still holds a special place in his heart.
Comically, “Ike” crawled out from the wheel well of his jacked-up Toyota Tundra to talk about the famed fishery on the New York-Ontario border prior to the start of Bassmaster Elite Series competition.
Q: What are your best early memories of fishing the St. Lawrence River?
Ike: Well, first of all, it wasn’t near as good of a fishery back then as it is now. The gobies have improved the smallmouth population in a huge way. Back in the day, you either stayed in the river and tried to win with largemouth, or you ran to Lake Ontario trying to win with smallmouth. And I did all that running around in an 18-foot boat with a 150 hp engine. But the one thing that’s never changed is the scenery. This place is incredible.
Q: Amid all the great memories, what’s the one thing you love most about this place?
Ike: I love the diversity of the smallmouth fishery here. You can catch smallies on a swimbait in a foot of water, or you can catch them 50-feet deep on a jigging spoon. And I love the fact that this river has current to contend with. The current adds another complexity that we don’t have to deal with very often. Trout anglers would probably do really well here because they’re so good at reading current.
Q: If the drop shot is king here, what lure deserves to be queen?
Ike: I’d say an old skool tube. The tube has caught smallmouth here for 40 years, and it still does.
Q: How many limits over 25-pounds can fans expect to see weighed-in here on Day 1?
Ike: Wow! A 25 pound limit is really, really tough to catch, because you’re talking about a 5-pound per fish average. So I’ll say only one 25-pound limit will be caught on Day 1, but you’ll see lots of 23 and 24-pound limits.
Q: It’s ‘back to school’ time and you’ve got four children you’re super proud of. Give us an update on the kiddos.
Ike: Yea, man, this is the first time ever that all four kids have been in school at the same time. Drew is a sophomore at Johnson & Wales in Miami, Florida. Riley is a freshman at Louisiana State. Vegas started second grade, and Stella started kindergarten.
3 Lures Elite Series Pros Will Use on the St. Lawrence
Tyler Robinson just finished competing at the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series National Championship in sweltering hot Oklahoma, but he was raised on the cool banks of the St. Lawrence River in Waddington, NY, home to this week’s Bassmaster Elite Series event.
While both largemouth and smallmouth will cross the scales in Waddington, it’s the “bronze bombers” that make this fishery so phenomenal, and Robinson says keeping your lure in contact with the bottom is nearly always the dominant pattern.
“We literally fish from 5 to 50 feet deep here for Smallmouth depending on the time of year, but most days it’s about keeping your lure bouncing across the natural boulders, humps, and white sandy patches on the bottom of the river,” explains Robinson, who first fished the St. Lawrence in his Grandpa McCann’s little aluminum boat.
The environmental science and policy major at nearby Clarkson University graciously offers fans a look at three types of lures likely to play a strong role in what promises to be a late summer slugfest near his hometown.
Drop Shot
If there were ever an “official lure” on the St. Lawrence River, it would likely be the drop shot. Pros will choose a wide variety of finesse plastics to decorate the rig of Japanese origin, but Robinson chooses a 3.25” Spirit Shad made locally by Gajo Baits.
“If I had to choose two drop shot weights for the rest of my life, it would be ¼ and ½ ounce,” says Robinson. “Most of the time, because the river has strong current, and we’re fishing fairly deep, the ½ ounce weight is best.”
His two favorite colors of Gajo Spirit Shad are green pumpkin with blue highlight, and watermelon grape.
Tube
Long before the drop shot took over as king of the St. Lawrence smallmouth world, the tube was the lure of choice, and Robinson says it’s still a huge player.
He stuffs a ½ or ¾ ounce lead jig head into the hollow body of the popular 3.5-inch offering, again emphasizing the need to maintain constant contact with the river bottom.
Craw on a pivoting football head
This lure is for sure the new kid on the block that originated largely with Tommy Biffle’s Gene Larew HardHead just a few years ago. Robinson uses a 5/8 ounce hinged football head and decorates it with a crawfish imitator. Interestingly, he ties it to 10-pound test, on a baitcasting reel.
So what pros is the college kid picking to do well?
“If I’m picking a fantasy fishing team, the first guys I’d choose would be Jonathon VanDam, Brandon Palaniuk, Seth Feider and Brock Mosley,” says Robinson, who is actually doing his summer internship at the Moses-Saunders Power Dam that helps supply electric to the region roughly 30 miles downstream from the B.A.S.S. venue.
Robinson says fans can expect to see several limits over 20 pounds, and a couple limits in the 25-pound range. He’s likely accurate. And many of those big limits will be caught on lures similar to the ones he’s showing you here.