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FLW Rayovac Preview – Lake Champlain
The second stop on the Northern Division begins next week, as the FLW Rayovac Series visits Lake Champlain in Plattsburg, NY. Originally the final tournament in the Northern Division, Champlain became the “middle child” after extreme weather conditions forced the postponement of the first tournament in the series on the James River in VA. Unlike the James or the Potomac, Lake Champlain is a vastly diverse non-tidal fishery, and anglers will have to make a multitude of decisions in order to be successful next week.
The sixth largest lake in the U.S., Lake Champlain stretches 120 miles north to south with almost 600 miles of shoreline and 435 square miles of surface area. With a maximum depth of 400 feet, Lake Champlain features more than 80 species of warm and cold-water fish including large and smallmouth bass, walleye, lake trout, brown trout, land-locked Atlantic salmon, perch, carp, steelhead and bowfin.
Anglers during the Rayovac Tournament, however, will have to choose between two trophy populations of fish: smallmouth bass in the deeper water or largemouth bass in the shallower bays.
Pepper’s Eyewear Pro Matt Stasiak is no stranger to the FLW Events on Lake Champlain, having finished 99th in 2011, 35th there in 2012, and 33trd in 2013.
Matt, like all anglers will face crucial decisions during the tournament, and he listed five things that all anglers will have to consider daily while performing this week:
Big fish location
“Champlain is very versatile, you can have hundred fish days up here throwing anything under the sun, but it’s trying to figure out where the big ones are and what they want that will win the tournament. Finding the key schools and locating them when they move during the week will be crucial.”
Ticonderoga
“Whether or not to make the run to Ticonderoga – its in the back of every fisherman’s head up here” says Stasiak. “It’s a 60 mile run to Ticonderoga to fish the grass, and some guys wont (decide) to make it, depending on the weather. If you can find a good school in Ticonderoga, it’s really just a matter of making it down there come tournament time. You can have 16-18 pounds in a half an hour.”
Smallmouth
Stasiak learned the hard way just how fickle the smallmouth bite can become in the ever-changing conditions on Lake Champlain in 2011, finishing 99th. “What I’ve learned from the first time I fished Champlain is the smallmouth are inconsistent: you can pull up on a hump and catch 20 pounds one day and come back the next day and they are gone. So if you are going to target the smallmouth, you have to have a lot of spots ”. He turned that knowledge into 35th and 33rd place finishes in the two Rayovacs on Champlain since, but the Stasiak says the smallmouth will still be on his mind. “You can’t rule them out, you have to try. You can win this tournament on smallmouth, if it’s the right time and they are staying put; but three days of smallmouth is VERY tough on this lake.”
Wind and Weather
“Lake Champlain has a ton of current” says Stasiak, “if the wind pushes out of the south against the current, it will make it very rough and will affect the run down to Ticonderoga, as well as scatter smallmouth schools across the lake”.
Equipment
Having sponsors like Pepper’s Eyewear and Gamma Fluorocarbon will have extra value to Stasiak on Champlain, as it is a deep, clear Northern Lake. “Champlain is a super clear lake, you have to have the right eyewear and polarization, as some of these fish may still be on beds in ten feet of water and you will have to be able to see them.”
As far as his line, Stasiak has great confidence in his Gamma fluorocarbon – “You’ll need strength, feel, and the ability to hide your line from the fish. You will also need to be able to feel (your bait on) rocks, gravel grass – and to know if it’s gravel or grass, or if it’s a bite.”
Lake Champlain will be full of unknowns for the Rayovac anglers on July 17th-19th that won’t be solved until the tournament begins. Be sure to watch the weigh-ins on www.flwoutdoors.com. To learn more about Matt Stasiak, follow his season on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Matt-Stasiak/274653562613355) and his website: www.mattstasiak.com.
By Chris Murphy
Cribs: A Day in the Life of Andy Morgan
Livingston Lures’ cameras got a chance to catch up with Andy Morgan at his crib. Check out this video to see how the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) lives and don’t miss the chance to see what’s in his fridge!
MAGDRAFT from Megabass
MAGDRAFT features a soft plastic body equipped with the revolutionary MAG-HOLD SYSTEM. The MAG-HOLD SYSTEM secures the treble hook alongside the belly via an internal magnet, hiding the unnatural profile of the underbelly treble hook from wary predators, and increasing hook-up ratios.
MAGDRAFT also features two side fins designed to prevent unnatural rolling action, and act as miniature weed-guards to protect the treble hook in its magnetized position. This guides the realistic swimming action of MAGDRAFT, and allows for productive retrieves in key grass areas. Furthermore, with a robust wire-through construction firmly joining line eye to hooks, the increased hook-up ratio of MAGDRAFT will also translate into a higher landing percentage.
Product page: http://www.megabass.co.jp/site/mag-draft
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2njD3oxGqT4&feature=youtu.be
FLW Pro Wade Leblanc and Bass Kandi Baits
Bass Kandi Baits is a name that has been whispered about from angler to angler in the Louisiana area for some time. Countless anglers have won tournaments using Bass Kandi Baits down in the bayou state, so it was only a matter of time before the whispers got too loud and the company’s product started catching on everywhere. Ask Bass Kandi/Mercury Marine pro Wade Leblanc who fishes the FLW series, and he’ll let you know why the cat’s out of the bag.
“We have a lot of crawfish down in Louisiana, and I’ve watched them for years. Bass Kandi makes baits that look and act just like a crawfish. That’s why they work.” If you’re like Leblanc, that means you love fishing a jig. If you’re a bass, you love eating crawfish. Since the Bass Kandi line does such a great job emulating a crawfish, it follows naturally that they belong on the back of a jig. This is good news for jig fishermen, and bad news for bass.
You might think the Texas Craw and the T-Craw are better suited as Texas rigged baits, and while you can Texas rig them, you’re probably going to surprise yourself throwing them on the back of a jig. My personal experience is I’ve had my fair share of success putting the Texas Craw on the back of a ½ to ¾ ounce football jig.
My favorite way to use this bait is dragging it through rocky areas. The depth I fish fluctuates depending on the day, but I’ve had success using this lure anywhere from 1 to 20 foot of water. The key for me is to simply drag the bait. I find that the Texas Craw moves a decent amount of water, but has a more neutral action compared to the T-Craw. I feel as if the neutral action better emulates what a crawfish does most of the time: hanging out and crawling along rocky areas.
Whereas, Leblanc puts the T-Craw on the back of a jig in order to create more action. “The T-Craw has a ton of action. You don’t even have to move the bait for it to move water. Even when it sits still, the T-Craw’s flappers are moving water. This is especially important when you’re fishing dirty water.”
Like me, Wade loves dragging a jig and finds the T-craw works perfectly on the back of one. This is why one needs to be open to experimentation, even in their jig fishing. Putting a different trailer on the back of a jig can make all the difference. I’ve had days where the fish wanted a trailer with a ton of action that the T-craw provides. I’ve had other days where I thought the jig bite was dead, only to switch the T-craw trailer to a Texas craw and I start killing them.
Experiment; try different trailers, vary your retrieve, downsize or upsize. These decisions can fill the boat with big fish. Bottom line; don’t be afraid to try a Bass Kandi T-craw or Texas craw on the back of a jig at your next outing. You might find out what Wade and all those other Louisiana guys have been whispering about.
By Blake Russell
Visit www.basskandi.com to view their online store and be sure to go to their Facebook page and “like” it.
Meet the Brains Behind your Biggest Catches
Introducing the next generation C-Monster Control System —swift, silent, secure and smart.
C-Monster 2.0 is the advanced boat control system that puts performance and power in the palm of your hand. It delivers better performance, a new look and is now iOS and Android compatible.
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C-Monster App now for Android and iOS
New controllers with a new look
C-Monster 2.0 puts one monstrous, fully integrated system, into your Power-Pole anchor, controllers and smart phone app. All designed to give you a powerful edge for seamlessly smooth fishing. Stay tuned for the details right from the ICAST floor.