Scott Dobson of Clarkston, Mich. caught a 21-12 stringer on Saturday to win the 1000 Islands Northern FLW Series with a 3-day total of 68-08. The former FLW Tour pro topped the field by more than 7 pounds and earned $82,669, including a new boat-and-motor package.
“What a week this has been,” he said. “I’ve been so close to winning in the past, and I knew that this tournament was mine to lose today. It was very tough today and my composure was really tested at some points, but it all worked out in the end and I am extremely happy right now.”
Dobson said that the majority of his fish came by rotating through three areas, keying in on spots that he said were, “snot free.”
“If you got any of that slimy grass on your lures, it was over and the fish weren’t going to bite,” he said. “We started to call it ‘snot’ because when that happens your bait is not getting bit. So I keyed in on a couple of isolated areas that were clean and ‘snot’ free.”
It worked for Dobson as he weighed a limit of smallmouth bass each day on a variety of baits, including a Ned rig, which he dubbed “Mr. Flanders”, a dropshot rig, a jerkbait, a spinbait and a tube. He said that he averaged nine to 10 fish each day, but only caught 7 keepers Saturday.
“The dropshot rig caught the most and biggest fish, but the Ned rig and the Duo Realis Spinbait 90 caught some important fish for me today.
“I think the biggest key to my win were my eyes," Dobson continued. “I saw every fish that I caught, and my experience fishing shallow back home on Lake St. Clair taught me that bait presentation is everything. If you cast too close, you’ll spook them. If you cast too far away, they can’t see it. It had to be very precise to get them to bite.”
Here are the final totals for the Top 10:
1. Scott Dobson: 68-08
2. Chris Johnston: 61-04
3. Cal Climpson: 58-08
4. Cory Johnston: 58-06
5. Bob Izumi: 54-11
6. Dennis Carnahan: 53-03
7. Andrew Slegona: 53-03
8. John Vanore: 45-06
9. Joel Richardson: 42-04
10. Neil Farlow: 39-09
