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Jones Clenches Lead In Bassmaster Elite On Lake St. Clair
Alton Jones of Lorena, Texas, takes the lead on the first day of the Plano Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair, bringing 23 pounds, 10 ounces to the scales on Thursday. Photo by Gary Tramontina/Bassmaster
DETROIT — Weather is always a dynamic element in competitive bass fishing, but it is the biggest factor when the tournament is taking place on big lakes.
The Plano Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair is the final event of the regular season, and many anglers are putting it all on the line to garner a berth in the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro next March.
Texas pro Alton Jones took control of the event by bringing in 23 pounds, 10 ounces of smallmouth bass to the scales after the first day Thursday.
“When you’re fishing the Great Lakes, where wind is a dominating weather condition, my goal is to locate the best drift over the best piece of structure,” the 2008 Bassmaster Classic champion explained. “My practice time was spent finding the right drift, but it only produced small fish for me this morning. I knew they had moved, and after I found them again — only a few hundred yards away — it was a pretty consistent bite.”
Jones expects the bass he found to move again by Friday with another likely weather change. He caught about 15 fish throughout the day and expects the numbers to be similar again in the second round.
“My big-fish spot contributed my best fish of the day, and it gave me several opportunities to cull up,” he said. “I found numerous spots that I’ve devoted my attention to, and I really hope they will hold up as the tournament goes on. But, to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure if they will.”
The stories among the anglers owning the other top spots on the leaderboard offered similar reports. Several small spots produced the right fish, but remaining confident that the best areas will continue to produce is the $100,000 question.
“I have a tendency to stress out about how well I manage a bite,” explained James Elam of Tulsa, Okla. “I’d like to think I perform well under this kind of pressure, but I’m going to have to prove that tomorrow.”
Elam had his limit before noon and brought in 23 pounds, 7 ounces to hold down second.
There’s more to his story, however: At the start of the day, he was inside the 50-angler cut to qualify for the upcoming Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship by a single point. Today’s finish bumped him up in the standings, but he’ll have to finish strong to have an opportunity to fish the championship on Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, on Sept. 17-20.
Claiming third is two-time Bassmaster Elite Series champion Brandon Palaniuk. “I’ve been changing my strategy when it comes to the AOY race. I stopped looking at the points; I’ve been fishing to win. I know I fish better with that mentality, so I haven’t looked at the points standings for a couple of months.”
His mental discipline work today as he brought in 23 pounds, 4 ounces of smallies — including the day’s big bass weighing 6-3.
Rounding out the Top 10 were Brandon Lester in fourth place with a fine limit that weighed 21-10. He’s tied for fourth with Casey Scanlon. Micah Frazier is sixth with 20-8, Jonathon VanDam is seventh with 20-6 ounces, Todd Faircloth is eighth with 20-1, J Todd Tucker is ninth with 19-14 and Matt Herren is 10th with 19-5.
Current AOY leader Aaron Martens weighed 18-5, good enough for 24th place.
“I took a risk and traveled to Huron today,” the two-time Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year said. “I’m still not sure if I’ll go back tomorrow or if I’ll play it safe and stay closer to the ramp. I know I can catch a pretty good bag out of St. Clair, but I probably won’t make a decision until tomorrow morning.”
Expect the daily average to stay around 21 to 23 pounds, and as is the case with big, Northern waters, tomorrow is another day and patterns are sure to keep changing.
The Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race continues with Aaron Martens on top with 685 points, Dean Rojas is closing the gap with 622 points, Jacob Powroznik is third with 596 points, Justin Lucas fell from second to fourth with 590 points and Edwin Evers is fifth with 565 points.
The tournament will resume Friday with takeoff out of Lake St. Clair Metropark at 6:20 a.m. The weigh-in will be held at the same location at 3:15 p.m., and the top 50 anglers will advance to Saturday.
2015 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, GoPro, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2015 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: A.R.E. Accessories, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Huk Performance Fishing, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. 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), social media programs and events. For more than 45 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 presented by Allstate, Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
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2015 Plano Bassmaster Elite at Lake St. Clair 8/27-8/30 Lake St. Clair, Detroit MI. Standings Day 1 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 5 23-10 100 |
Minnesota Angler, State Team Leads Northern Divisional
Corey Brant of Minnetonka, Minn., maintains the lead on Day 2 of the the Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Divisional on Lake Vermilion held out of Tower, Minn., after bringing in 17 pounds, 7 ounces for a two-day total weight of 34-5, during Photo Craig Lamb/B.A.S.S.
TOWER, Minn. — The box score summarizes the kind of banner day enjoyed by the anglers at the Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Northern Divisional underway on Lake Vermilion.
Total fish caught: 456
Total weight: 1,045 pounds, 14 ounces
That is a stark contrast to yesterday, when the 96 anglers accounted for 319 bass weighing 677 pounds, 9 ounces. Today’s overall catch included more than double the five-bass limits, with a total of 74 of those weighed.
Only the name on top of the scoreboard remained the same. He is Corey Brant of Minnetonka, Minn. The club member of Twin City Bass caught a limit of smallmouth weighing 17-7 to boost his overall weight to 34-5.
Close behind is Joe Pruss, who caught the heaviest limit of the tournament so far weighing 17-15. The South Dakota angler is less than 2 pounds from Brant in the overall standings.
Gary Adkins of Green Bay, Wis., slipped from second to third place with a total weight of 32-10. Behind him is Ted Heitschmidt of Tomahawk, Wis., with 29-9, and Brad Ballard of Winona, Minn., with 26-15.
“I’m fishing very efficient,” Brant said. “What I’m seeing are a lot of guys fishing the same water, but I’m just fishing it slower.”
The prevailing pattern is targeting largemouth and smallmouth inhabiting the sharply sloping contours of glacial rockpiles ranging in depth from 5 to 20 feet and deeper.
Soft plastic tubes rigged to lightweight leadhead jigs top the list of favored lures. Following in preference are drop shot rigs and crankbaits.
Those are all of Brant’s lure choices, although he is exclusively targeting smallmouth. What matters most is the tempo of lure presentation and a keen focus on subtle changes in the habitat.
“Every rockpile on this lake looks good and there are thousands of them,” he said. “What I’m doing different is keying on a certain pieces of structure.”
He continued, “It’s a very focused pattern and relying on electronics is another key. I think other anglers are fishing faster, even though we are all fishing the same type of areas.”
Like yesterday, Brant said he caught two or three bass at each of his four stops, although he admitted to fishing new areas today after catching a limit. That happened at 10:30 a.m.
“They are all running about the same size, around 3 pounds,” he said. “I just can’t seem to find the 4-pounders that could separate me from everyone else.”
A southerly breeze blew from daybreak through weigh-in time. The more stable weather and steady wind proved advantageous for the overall catch, and especially that of Pruss.
“The wind definitely made it better by breaking up the visibility on the surface,” he said. “It took me all day though, to catch my limit.”
Pruss said he “left fish biting” and those are being caught on tube jigs and crankbaits.
Minnesota is pulling away with the state title in a competition between eight Midwestern states. The team total is 291 pounds, 7 ounces, or 52 pounds ahead of second place. Wisconsin has 239-3 and Illinois is third place with 227-8. Ohio has 212-4 and Michigan is fifth with 193-5. Iowa is seventh with 185-13 and South Dakota eighth with 184-11.
Minnesota’s overall score received a huge boost from its team competing in the Costa Bassmaster High School Northern Divisional. Mason Raveling and Ben Provost weighed 17-8 to also take first place in the high school contest. The anglers are from Prior Lake High School.
The winning state gets a Triton boat, powered by a Yamaha outboard and rigged with accessories. The package is valued at $37,292.
The tournament host is Fortune Bay Casino and Resort. Friday’s takeoff and weigh-in will be held at the resort marina at 6 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.
2015 B.A.S.S. Nation Title Sponsor: Old Milwaukee
2015 B.A.S.S. Nation Premier Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, GoPro, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2015 B.A.S.S. Nation Supporting Sponsors: A.R.E. Accessories, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Huk, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Nationwide, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. 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), social media programs and events. For more than 45 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 presented by Allstate, Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
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Jordan Lee, Forget Sonar, Just Drift Away
Jordan Lee is having a great rookie year, but the young Alabama pro who sits 16th in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points, was quick to admit a feeling of aimlessness in the pre-dawn darkness prior to Day 1 of competition at the Plano Bassmaster Elite on Lake St. Clair. read more…
2016 Classic on the Mind of Cabela’s/GEICO For Your Boat AClassicngler David Walke
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DETROIT (Aug. 26) — With the Bassmaster Elite Series season winding down — the Plano Bassmaster Elite tournament at Lake St. Clair is the penultimate tournament of the year –Cabela’s/GEICO For Your Boat pro angler David Walker is in a good position to snare a spot in the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic.
So while winning at Lake St. Clair would be nice, Walker won’t be making any wild moves to do so knowing he’s 20th in the Toyota Angler of the Year standings. The top 36 anglers fish in the GEICO Bassmaster Classic next season.
“It changes things because I’m in the position of ‘just don’t screw it up,’ ” Walker said. “I’m not making any big gambles, I’m not taking any big chances because I’m in a position to maintain by just not screwing it up. Hopefully, I don’t.”
Walker has performed well in varied conditions in 2015, and he’ll face cooler temperatures on Lake St. Clair. High winds created bigger waves in practice this week, and conditions have been “cloudy, windy, cold,” Walker said.
“The wind is going to be laying down, so I’m curious to see if that helps or hurts,” Walker said. “That’s one of those things where we’ll find out what we do with it when we get out there.”
There have been plenty of fish in the lake, but that’s a good and bad situation, he said. It’s good that there are a lot of bass to be caught, but bad because every angler in the tournament has been catching them.
“Unlike the last event, where just catching them was a chore, this tournament will be about trying to catch the biggest one. That’s going to be the difference-maker.
“I haven’t caught very many big ones this week, but you feel better when you go out there knowing you’re going to get some bites.”
Walker will be the first to launch when the tournament begins Thursday, though that’s not much of an advantage this time.
“I’m boat No. 1 tomorrow,” Walker said. “It’s unusual. It figures, too, because starting location doesn’t seem to really matter.”
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Cabela’s/GEICO For Your Boat Pro Mike McClelland ‘Due’ for Bassmaster Success
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DETROIT (Aug. 26) — Cabela’s/GEICO For Your Boat angler Mike McClelland hasn’t had the kind of success he’s used to during the 2015 Bassmaster Elite Series season, but he hopes for a turnaround at the Plano Bassmaster Elite Series tournament this week at Lake St. Clair.
“I do kinda feel like I’m due,” McClelland said. “It’s been a rough stretch the last five events. It’s been a while since I’ve had a slowdown like this. I’ve been pretty consistent the last few years, and things have been going really well. It’s definitely a humbling sport when you wake up and realize you haven’t been catching them as good as you normally do.
“You have your highs and lows in this sport, just like in any other sport. You’ve just got to keep on digging down and working hard and eventually it will all turn around.”
McClelland, a seven-time winner on the Elite Series tour, sits 74th in the Toyota Angler of the Year standings. The top 36 are locked in the GEICO Bassmaster Classic, though McClelland can still make it into fishing’s top tournament. A victory on Lake St. Clair would be a big step, though finding quality fish has been a problem this week.
“As a whole, the bite’s a lot better than it was two years ago when we were up here,” McClelland said. “But it’s a little difficult for some of us to find quality. I’ve been on a lot of fish this week, but as far as quality bites, I haven’t had them yet.
“I’m hoping as the tournament starts and I start fishing a little more thoroughly through the areas I’ve been catching fish in that some of the bigger ones come along.”
Cooler weather greeted the pro anglers this week, with higher winds creating large waves on Lake St. Clair, but that hasn’t been an issue for McClelland.
“It’s been pleasantly cool,” McClelland said. “The wind’s blown quite hard all week, so that hasn’t been very pleasant when you’re on lakes like this. It tends to make some big ol’ waves out there, but that’s one nice thing about having the equipment we have. With this 21-foot Stratos boat with the 250 motor on it, you can still maneuver and get around that stuff.”
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