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Day 2 from the Northern Open with RC Cooper
Home field advantage again played a heavy part in the final results of day 2 at the 2014 Bassmaster Northern Open #3 on Lake St. Clair, as Great Lakes regulars round out the top 5: Joe Balog (MI) leading with 47-10 , Chad Pipkens (MI) in second with 43-14, Chris Johnston (Canada) is third with 43-12, Ben Nielsen (MI) is fourth with 42-13 and Elite Series Pro Fletcher Shryock (OH) is fifth with 41-14.
Hullspeed and Gamma Fishing Lines Pro RC Cooper had a solid day one with 18-11, but his day two plans were invaded by another predator on the Great Lakes system: walleye.
“It was a multi-species day” said Cooper, “a giant school of walleye moved into the area where I had my big fish”. Electing to stay in Lake St. Clair and fish the “giant community hole”, Cooper had found enough spots in practice to feel confident in pulling out another 18+ pound day and hopefully make the final cut.
Schools of walleye, however, are impossible to predict, and once they are there, bass become harder to find. “On one drift, my co-angler and I caught 5 walleye in a row, then a 2 pound smallmouth right in the middle of them. I kept thinking, ‘what are they doing here?’”
Cooper lost 4 fish on the day that would have helped raise his wait total past his 31-12, which left him 3 ounces shy of a check in the final Open of the Northern Series. Cooper believes that one of those fish, a solid 4-pound smallmouth, actually was holding on to his drop shot weight rather than the bait, and when it saw the Cooper’s Hullspeed Phoenix, it just simply dropped the weight. “It happens”, says Cooper, “sometimes for whatever reason, they pick up the weight instead of the bait.”
Hullspeed teammate Chad Pipkens is in a prime position to challenge for the title tomorrow, and Cooper, ever the supportive team player, is pulling for him. “Happy to see Chad doing well, I know he made a long run to Erie, but I have no idea how he’s catching them” Cooper joked. “Man, I wish I did!”
As frustrating as it was to miss a check by 3 ounces and have a completely unforeseen natural event like a walleye migration ruin Cooper’s best spots, the Nashua, NH pro is already looking to next year, and plans to fish the FLW tour as well as select Bassmaster Opens after the schedule is released.
Keep up with RC on his website.
Find out more about Hullspeed here.
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Balog Hangs Onto Northern Open Lead; Pipkens Is Second
Joe Balog of Harrison Township, Mich., maintains the lead on Day 2 of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open #3 presented by Allstate held on Lake St. Clair out of Detroit, Mich. Balog brought 25 pounds, 2 ounces to the scales Friday for a two-day total weight of 47 pounds, 10 ounces. Photo by James Overstreet/Bassmaster
DETROIT — Joe Balog’s hopes of running the table in the Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #3 presented by Allstate could be blowin’ in the wind here on Lake St. Clair Saturday.
Balog slapped an impressive 25 pounds, 2 ounces of smallmouth bass onto the scales Friday, expanding his first-day lead to nearly 4 pounds.
But a forecast calling for a turnaround in the wind — from the southwest to the northwest — gives him pause for concern.
“I’m really fishing something ‘off the wall,’ and I’m concerned what the wind change might do to my fish,” said the Harrison Township, Mich. angler.
Perhaps it should. Fellow Michigan angler Chad Pipkens, anchored in second place with 43 pounds, 10 ounces, expects the wind change to benefit him greatly and give him more time to fish his most productive area.
“I’ve had to leave (my spot) early every day this week because the wind made it difficult to fish,” he said. “If I could get a couple more hours there, I’ve got a shot.”
The field will be cut to the Top 12 on Saturday. Canadian Chris Johnston is third with 43-12, Michigander Ben Nielsen is fourth with 42-13 and Elite Series pro Fletcher Shryock of Ohio is fifth with 41-14. Johnston’s brother, Cory, is sixth with 41-14.
William Langille of Ohio took over the top spot in the co-angler division with an 11-14 sack on Friday for a two-day total of 24-11. He leads Jeff Jenema of Michigan who has 23-7 and Justin Lonchar of Pennsylvania, who sits in third, with 23-6.
Balog said he’s not catching many fish, but the ones he’s getting are good ones.
“I may go an hour or two without a bite, but when I do get one, it’s a 5-pounder,” he noted. “It gets into your head and you wonder, ‘are there just a few there or is it just a matter of me making the right cast?’ I just keep casting and casting through this area, and then suddenly one bites it.”
Pipkens said he has seven places that offer the same type of pattern that he’s been fishing to climb into second, but he’s only been able to fish three of them because of the wind.
“I’m only getting a couple of hours of fishing a day because of where I’m going and what the wind does to my spots,” he explained. “That north wind could make a huge difference.”
The wind could make a difference in more ways than one. If Balog stumbles and Pipken’s wins, Pipkens punches his ticket for the 2015 GEICO Bassmaster Classic. Balog, on the other hand, will not earn a Classic berth if he wins because he has not fished all three of the Northern Opens this season.
Co-angler Jay Ahonen’s first-day lunker of 6-10 maintains the lead for the Carhartt Big Bass of the tournament.
Pro Luke Clausen won the Allstate Good Hands, Great Day Award for advancing the farthest up the pro leader board on Friday. His jump from 85th to 36th won him a $250 bonus. Kenneth Taylor of Michigan won the same co-angler Allstate Award by moving from 120th to 43rd.
The Livingston Lures Leader Award of $250 for finishing as the top pro on Day 2 was given to Balog. The Day 2 leader on the co-angler side, Langille, received a Livingston Lures gift pack worth $250.
The 12 finalists will take off from Metropark in Harrison Township Saturday at 7 a.m. and weigh in at the Bass Pro Shops Shops in Auburn Hills beginning at 4 p.m.
2014 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2014 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Presenting Sponsor: Allstate
2014 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2014 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: Boat U.S., Booyah, Carhartt, Diet Mountain Dew, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Plano, 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, Bassmaster High School Series presented by Carhartt, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by Diet Mountain Dew and GoPro.
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FLW Tour Event Rescheduled for Lake Chicamauga
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March 5-8 Lake Tohopekaliga Kissimmee, Fla. Hosted by the Osceola County Department of Tourism
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March 26-29 Lewis Smith Lake Jasper, Ala. Hosted by the Walker County Chamber of Commerce
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April 23-26 Beaver Lake Rogers, Ark. Hosted by the Rogers Convention & Visitors Bureau
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May 14-17 Lake Eufaula Eufaula, Ala. Hosted by the Eufaula Barbour County Chamber of Commerce
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June 11-14 Lake Chickamauga Dayton, Tenn. Hosted by the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council
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June 25-28 Potomac River La Plata, Md. Hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners
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Aug. 20-23 Lake Ouachita Hot Springs, Ark. Hosted by Visit Hot Springs
“Between the Ears” with a Legend
Does the mental side of bass fishing really matter? Find out what Paul Elias thinks.
Balog Holds Top Spot As Locals Dominate St. Clair Opener
Canadian Chris Johnston is third with 21-12, while Bassmaster Elite Series pros Fletcher Shryock of Ohio and Michigander Chad Pipkens are tied for fifth with 21-6.
In addition to valuable prizes going to the winner of this final leg of the Northern Open is a berth in next February’s Bassmaster Classic to be held on Lake Hartwell of out Greenville, S.C., providing the winner has competed in two previous 2014 Northern Opens.
As always when fishing St. Clair and its adjoining waters, Friday’s weather could have an impact on how well the field does. The potential of thunderstorms and heavy winds loom in the forecast for Friday, which could affect those anglers making the long trek to Lake Erie.
“I made a big run today, and the weather will be a huge factor in what I do tomorrow,” said Balog, who won a Bassmaster Open on Lake Erie in 2006 and was second to Michael Iaconelli on Lake St. Clair last year. “I have other options, but at this point, I’m not sure what I will do.”
Historically, Erie produces the heavier weights in St. Clair events, but storms can not only hamper fishing conditions, but they also cause anglers problems trying to return.
That held true for Derek Remitz, of Grant, Ala., who received a 2-pound penalty for being two minutes late. His hefty sack of 22-1 was diminished to 20-1 and pushed him into 10th place.
“It’s 40 miles from here (Metropark in Harrison Township) to the mouth of Erie,” noted Balog. “If it’s rolling, that makes for a short day, and you have to allow for it.”
Bad weather could bode well for second place Smith who said he stayed in Lake St. Clair to catch his fish.
Smith went to his first spot and caught a small keeper and a 5-9 smallmouth — but the spot went dead.
“I decided to go to a place where I previously had caught only 2 1/2-pounders, and the big ones were there,” said Smith, who grew up on St. Clair.
Several anglers said the fish were moving around and the hot spots they found in practice produced very little.
“Fishing had been pretty good, and the bass were gobbling up perch and crawfish,” Smith explained. “But the weather got hot, and they seemed to have scattered.”
Co-angler Jay Ahonen of Ortonville, Mich. caught the biggest bass of the day, a 6-pound, 10-ounce smallmouth. He caught the fish on a drop shot rig in 18 feet of water while fishing with pro Troy Morrow of Georgia.
Tournament anglers will take off daily from Metropark in Harrison Township at 7 a.m. Friday’s weigh-in will be held at Metropark at 3 p.m., but on Day 3, only the Top 12 finalists will compete, and the weigh-in will be held at Bass Pro Shops in Auburn Hills beginning at 4:15 p.m.
2014 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2014 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Presenting Sponsor: Allstate
2014 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Official Sponsors: Toyota, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2014 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: Boat U.S., Booyah, Carhartt, Diet Mountain Dew, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Plano, 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, Bassmaster High School Series presented by Carhartt, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by Diet Mountain Dew and GoPro.
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