After Slow Day 1, Johnston Clobbered 'Em Shallow

By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor

Cory Johnston put in 10 days of practice in preparation for last spring’s James River Northern Rayovac Series, a tournament that was ultimately postponed until late summer because of high water conditions and one that he wound up not competing in.

It at least gave him a picture of the fishery and some foundational knowledge of what areas might produce upon his return.

He came back last week and after struggling on day 1, he made a change in how he fished on day 2 and it led to a dramatic turnaround that saw him come away with the victory. Johnston put himself in a hole with four fish for 10-09 on the first day, but stormed back by flipping up 18-07 on day 2 to make the Top-10 cut in 6th place.

He caught another 17-14 on the final day to finish with 46-14 and claim his first Rayovac Series win, edging FLW Tour pro Dave Lefebre by 7 ounces.

“It’s probably my biggest win so far,” said Johnston, who’s a couple weeks removed from winning the Sturgeon Bay Open with brother, Chris, who recently finished 13th at the Kentucky Lake BASSFest. “I love winning, obviously, and Chris and I have had a few Top-10s in these tournaments over the last 5 years so it feels like I finally got over that hump. Hopefully, the flood gates open now.”

While he remembers the fish being in their full-on spawning ritual during his visit in 2014, the bass in the Chickahominy River, where he spent all of his practice and tournament time, were all post-spawn.

“The fishing was a lot different then,” he said.

Adjusting to the tides each day was a key element to his success.

“Being from up north [Johnston is from Ontario], we have to be very versatile,” he said. “Whether it’s fishing for deep smallies or shallow largemouth, that versatility really helped.”

Here’s how he did it.

Practice

Johnston put in 6 days of practice prior to last week’s tournament concentrated all of his time in the Chickahominy.

“After the first few days, I knew that’s where I needed to be and dialed it in,” he said. “The first few days were hot and the tides were low. Just before the tournament, we had a ton of rain and a full moon and the water came up.”

He located about a dozens spots or stretches that he had confidence in, but that number ultimately dwindled to three key areas that seemed to harbor bigger fish.

“If I got a bite on those spots, generally it was a big one,” he added.

Because of the lower tides, he stayed on the outside grass lines and got bit on reactions baits.

“The hydrilla is just starting to grow and I would get just enough bites on the edge on reaction bait to look for more,” he said. “If you’re around the right fish and stick it out, they’re going to bite on incoming and outgoing tides. Some times are better than others, but they’ll bite all day for the most part.”

Competition

> Day 1: 4, 10-09
> Day 2: 5, 18-07
> Day 3: 5, 17-14
> Total = 14, 46-14

Johnston had a tough first day as he flipped shallow pads and rotated through most of this spots. He came up with four keepers for about 10 1/2 pounds. He knew change was in order.

“I was disappointed,” he said. “I didn’t put 2 and 2 together and I just stuck to the outside edge. I wasn’t getting the bites I needed.”

He did manage to weigh in a 6-06 brute that fell for a beaver bait rigged under a punch skirt, but he also lost a 5-pounder that would’ve certainly helped his cause.

On day 2, he started on the outside edges again, but when his co-angler made a long cast to an isolated pad bed along shore and lost what appeared to be a 5-pounder, he immediately moved in tighter to the bank and strictly flipped the rest of the event.

“As soon as that happened, it clicked,” he said. “I moved close to the bank and started catching them. I got more bites and better bites.”

He tallied about 15 bites on day 2 and had a 5-pounder and a couple 4s to anchor his 18-pound bag that got him into the Top 10.

“Being around fish was the key and being around the right ones was important,” he said. “It was multiple spots, but I had one stretch that was 200 yards long and it was the key zone for big ones. I’d make a pass through it, then go to other stuff and then come back and catch two or three good ones. The key was there was a hydrilla edge out in front of it. They’d reload in there and come in shallow.”

He was flipping his jig around any pad beds or wood pilings or laydowns he could find.

“High tide was definitely the best just because the fish could get tighter to the bank,” he added. “That put fish in places where guys weren’t fishing because they weren’t fishing that shallow.

“When the tide was coming out, it wasn’t coming out as fast as it should’ve because of the north wind. It didn’t bottom out like it normally would and that worked to my advantage.”

On the final day, he stuck to his three key spots and totaled 10 bites and wound up with nearly 18 pounds, including a 7-pound kicker. He had the majority of his weight before 8 a.m. and a key upgrade on a crankbait later in the day.

“I figured I needed about 20 pounds to have a legitimate shot at winning,” he said. “With the fish I had, I hadn’t even considered it. It was a big surprise.”

He said other guys were on the same sort of pattern, but not many were in shallow like he was.

“(Dave) Lefebre and I were kind of on the same thing,” he said of the runner-up. “He was on the right program.”

Winning Pattern Notes

> Johnston said there were only two or three fish all tournament that bit his jig after it had soaked on the bottom.

“As soon as it hit bottom and I picked it up, there was weight there almost every time,” he said.

Winning Gear Notes

> Flipping gear: 7’1” heavy-action G. Loomis GLX 854 casting rod, Shimano Core 50 Mg casting reel (7.0:1 gear ratio), 65-pound PowerPro braided line, 9/16-oz. Punisher Lures J Jig (black and black/blue), Zoom Big Salty Chunk (black and black blue flake).

> On day 3, he caught a key upgrade with 15 minutes to go on a Jackall Aska square-bill crankbait.

The Bottom Line

> Main factor in his success – “Just finding that one key zone that had big fish in it. For whatever reason, every time I went through it I was catching big ones. There were two areas on the river like that and Dave Lefebre found the other one. I practiced there, too, but didn’t want to go up there and crowd him and he didn’t come down and crowd me.”

> Performance edge – “My Garmin electronics are incredible units and my Power-Poles were key, especially with the tide moving. They kept me from needing to use my trolling and spooking the fish that were in 18 inches of water or less.”

Much of the tackle referenced above is available at the BassFan Store. To browse the selection, click here.

Final Standings

1. Cory Johnston -- Cavan, On -- 10-9 (4) -- 18-7 (5) -- 29-0 (9) -- 17-14 (5) -- 46-14 (14) -- $31,229 + Boat

2. Dave Lefebre -- Erie, Pa -- 12-4 (5) -- 15-10 (5) -- 27-14 (10) -- 18-9 (5) -- 46-7 (15) -- $12,101

3. Kelly Pratt -- Williamsburg, Va -- 16-3 (5) -- 17-1 (5) -- 33-4 (10) -- 12-14 (5) -- 46-2 (15) -- $9,369

4. Ryan Powroznik -- Prince George, Va -- 13-5 (5) -- 17-8 (5) -- 30-13 (10) -- 15-5 (5) -- 46-2 (15) -- $7,807

5. Troy Morrow -- Eastanollee, Ga -- 15-3 (5) -- 15-14 (5) -- 31-1 (10) -- 11-5 (5) -- 42-6 (15) -- $7,027

6. Bryan Elrod -- Mechanicsvlle, Va -- 10-13 (5) -- 18-7 (5) -- 29-4 (10) -- 11-10 (5) -- 40-14 (15) -- $6,444

7. Bo Boltz -- New Kent, Va -- 15-2 (5) -- 14-12 (5) -- 29-14 (10) -- 10-8 (5) -- 40-6 (15) -- $5,465

8. Clay Lewis -- Sandston, Va -- 11-0 (5) -- 15-6 (5) -- 26-6 (10) -- 13-3 (5) -- 39-9 (15) -- $4,684

9. Glenn Browne -- Ocala, Fl -- 13-13 (5) -- 13-15 (5) -- 27-12 (10) -- 11-0 (5) -- 38-12 (15) -- $3,904

10. Jeffrey Ware -- Warrenton, Va -- 15-6 (5) -- 10-8 (5) -- 25-14 (10) -- 7-14 (5) -- 33-12 (15) -- $3,321

The following anglers did not make the cut and did not fish on day 3.

11. Cavin Young -- Prince George, Va -- 10-14 (5) -- 14-5 (5) -- 25-3 (10) -- $2,928

12. Powell Kemp -- Scotland Neck, NC -- 12-7 (5) -- 12-9 (5) -- 25-0 (10) -- $2,733

13. Gerald Spohrer -- Gonzales, La -- 12-15 (5) -- 11-11 (5) -- 24-10 (10) -- $2,342

14. Jeff Hamilton -- Henrico, Va -- 11-6 (5) -- 12-7 (5) -- 23-13 (10) -- $2,342

15. Mike Hicks -- Goochland, Va -- 11-13 (5) -- 11-15 (5) -- 23-12 (10) -- $2,342

16. Richard Owen -- Chester, Va -- 10-15 (5) -- 12-12 (5) -- 23-11 (10) -- $2,342

17. Jeff Hippert -- Hamburg, NY -- 10-4 (5) -- 13-1 (5) -- 23-5 (10) -- $2,342

18. Jim Dillard -- West Monroe, La -- 10-3 (5) -- 13-1 (5) -- 23-4 (10) -- $2,342

19. Wayne Vaughan -- Chester, Va -- 13-9 (5) -- 9-2 (5) -- 22-11 (10) -- $2,342

20. Joe Balog -- Harrison Township, Mi -- 10-2 (5) -- 12-6 (5) -- 22-8 (10) -- $2,342

21. Mike Blake -- Carrollton, Oh -- 9-11 (2) -- 12-11 (5) -- 22-6 (7) -- $2,147

22. Michael Crocker -- Pasadena, Md -- 16-10 (5) -- 5-9 (3) -- 22-3 (8) -- $2,147

23. David Barnes Sr -- China, Me -- 12-12 (5) -- 9-3 (5) -- 21-15 (10) -- $2,147

24. Rob Johnson -- Schuylkill Haven, Pa -- 12-13 (5) -- 8-14 (5) -- 21-11 (10) -- $2,147

25. Mark Heatwole -- Harrisonburg, Va -- 11-11 (5) -- 9-14 (5) -- 21-9 (10) -- $2,147

26. Otis Darnell -- Linden, Va -- 9-12 (5) -- 11-11 (5) -- 21-7 (10) -- $1,952

27. Bill Chapman -- Salt Rock, WV -- 8-2 (5) -- 12-9 (5) -- 20-11 (10)

28. Joseph Wood -- Westport, Ma -- 10-7 (5) -- 10-4 (5) -- 20-11 (10)

29. Tommy Little -- Chester, Va -- 11-5 (5) -- 9-5 (5) -- 20-10 (10)

30. Garrett Paquette -- Canton, Mi -- 10-7 (5) -- 9-15 (5) -- 20-6 (10)

31. Kurt Mitchell -- Milford, De -- 10-14 (5) -- 9-6 (5) -- 20-4 (10)

32. Jared Williams -- Hampton, Va -- 10-2 (5) -- 10-1 (5) -- 20-3 (10)

33. Ryan Smith -- Galloway, NJ -- 8-15 (5) -- 10-15 (5) -- 19-14 (10)

34. Nick Gainey -- Charleston, SC -- 10-3 (5) -- 9-7 (4) -- 19-10 (9)

35. Frank Poirier -- North Prince George, Va -- 9-7 (5) -- 10-0 (5) -- 19-7 (10)

36. Daryl Biron -- South Windsor, Ct -- 8-6 (5) -- 11-0 (5) -- 19-6 (10)

37. Eric Waff -- Chester, Va -- 9-6 (5) -- 9-11 (5) -- 19-1 (10)

38. Chris Dillow -- Waynesboro, Va -- 4-1 (1) -- 14-11 (5) -- 18-12 (6)

39. William Ambler -- Alderson, WV -- 5-8 (4) -- 13-3 (4) -- 18-11 (8)

40. Bradley Staley -- Pleasant Garden, NC -- 8-9 (5) -- 10-0 (5) -- 18-9 (10)

41. Rob Uzzle -- Hampton, Va -- 6-10 (4) -- 11-9 (5) -- 18-3 (9)

42. Larry Kempler -- Bluemont, Va -- 7-13 (5) -- 10-5 (5) -- 18-2 (10)

43. Danny Jones -- North East, Pa -- 9-14 (5) -- 8-1 (4) -- 17-15 (9)

44. Destin Demarion -- Grove City, Pa -- 8-0 (4) -- 9-8 (5) -- 17-8 (9)

45. Burley Langford -- South Chesterfield, Va -- 8-7 (5) -- 9-1 (5) -- 17-8 (10)

46. Jess Caraballo -- Danbury, Ct -- 7-4 (5) -- 10-3 (5) -- 17-7 (10)

47. Jeremy J.P. Prouty -- Jacksonville, Fl -- 10-15 (5) -- 6-5 (5) -- 17-4 (10)

48. Tony Collins -- Dayton, Oh -- 10-8 (5) -- 6-4 (4) -- 16-12 (9)

49. Matt Stasiak -- Pittsburgh, Pa -- 9-14 (5) -- 6-14 (5) -- 16-12 (10)

50. Scott Cooke -- Marengo, Oh -- 7-14 (5) -- 8-13 (5) -- 16-11 (10)

51. David Cioppa -- Hopkinton, Ma -- 9-12 (5) -- 6-7 (4) -- 16-3 (9)

52. Andy Francis -- Abingdon, Va -- 9-8 (5) -- 6-10 (4) -- 16-2 (9)

53. Paul Kimball -- Glastonbury, Ct -- 7-14 (5) -- 8-1 (5) -- 15-15 (10)

54. Dale Gorrell -- Hatfield, Pa -- 4-13 (3) -- 10-13 (5) -- 15-10 (8)

55. Mike Moran -- Ruffs Dale, Pa -- 7-11 (5) -- 7-11 (4) -- 15-6 (9)

56. Burley Warf -- Moneta, Va -- 10-15 (5) -- 4-3 (2) -- 15-2 (7)

57. Chris Blanc -- Cos Cob, Ct -- 8-11 (3) -- 5-15 (4) -- 14-10 (7)

58. William Shipes -- Williston, SC -- 11-10 (5) -- 2-15 (2) -- 14-9 (7)

59. Shaun Brown -- Slippery Rock, Pa -- 6-4 (5) -- 7-10 (5) -- 13-14 (10)

60. Melvin Smitson -- Baltimore, Md -- 5-2 (4) -- 8-8 (5) -- 13-10 (9)

61. Timothy Laizer -- South Hadley, Ma -- 10-1 (3) -- 3-8 (2) -- 13-9 (5)

62. Ronald Martinez Jr. -- Valley View, Oh -- 7-3 (4) -- 6-5 (3) -- 13-8 (7)

63. Michael Elsea -- Mooresville, In -- 5-8 (4) -- 7-15 (5) -- 13-7 (9)

64. Walter (Mike) Snider -- Mt Airy, Md -- 8-13 (5) -- 3-14 (3) -- 12-11 (8)

65. Al Farace -- Hunt Valley, Md -- 12-3 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 12-3 (5)

66. Jon Manners -- Bowmanville, On -- 8-7 (4) -- 3-12 (3) -- 12-3 (7)

67. Ernie Freeman -- Broad Run, Va -- 4-13 (3) -- 7-2 (5) -- 11-15 (8)

68. Ron Cherkas -- Grimes, Ia -- 3-12 (2) -- 7-15 (5) -- 11-11 (7)

69. Chris Novack -- Mansfield Center, Ct -- 2-8 (2) -- 8-5 (5) -- 10-13 (7)

70. Harold Marietta -- Hunker, Pa -- 5-4 (3) -- 4-10 (2) -- 9-14 (5)

71. Jonathan Ceaser -- Glen Allen, Va -- 3-12 (3) -- 5-15 (5) -- 9-11 (8)

72. Gerald Sensabaugh -- Gray, Tn -- 9-8 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 9-8 (5)

73. Ralph Blasey -- Pinckney, Mi -- 7-0 (2) -- 2-4 (1) -- 9-4 (3)

74. Vince Troiano -- Crosswicks, NJ -- 4-1 (2) -- 5-3 (4) -- 9-4 (6)

75. Brian Bersik -- Disputanta, Va -- 8-8 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 8-8 (5)

76. Rick Chenoweth -- Fredericksburg, Va -- 8-3 (3) -- 0-0 (0) -- 8-3 (3)

77. Chris Flint -- Potsdam, NY -- 1-3 (1) -- 7-0 (4) -- 8-3 (5)

78. Paul Mazzitelli -- West Wyoming, Pa -- 5-5 (4) -- 2-14 (2) -- 8-3 (6)

79. Wayne Dorman -- Louisa, Va -- 8-1 (4) -- 0-0 (0) -- 8-1 (4)

80. Walt Bowen -- Walnut Cove, NC -- 4-10 (3) -- 3-6 (3) -- 8-0 (6)

81. Troy Garrison -- Topsham, Me -- 6-12 (4) -- 1-2 (1) -- 7-14 (5)

82. Willy Hicks -- Chester, Va -- 1-10 (3) -- 6-3 (3) -- 7-13 (6)

83. Rick Nitkiewicz -- Pittsburgh, Pa -- 3-6 (3) -- 4-1 (3) -- 7-7 (6)

84. Garry Woodruff -- Candia, Nh -- 2-12 (2) -- 4-7 (1) -- 7-3 (3)

85. Wesley Farmer -- New Kent, Va -- 2-14 (2) -- 4-5 (2) -- 7-3 (4)

86. Tom Belinda -- Holidaysburg, Pa -- 1-6 (1) -- 5-11 (3) -- 7-1 (4)

87. Larry Schroeder -- Clayton, Oh -- 1-4 (1) -- 5-5 (1) -- 6-9 (2)

88. Ed Casey -- Whiteford, Md -- 1-11 (1) -- 4-0 (3) -- 5-11 (4)

89. Steve Brinster -- Vernon, NJ -- 3-11 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 3-11 (2)

90. Mike McDonald -- Randleman, NC -- 3-7 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 3-7 (2)

91. Christopher Grenier -- Clarksburg, WV -- 3-6 (3) -- 0-0 (0) -- 3-6 (3)

92. Jonathan Coholich -- Dunbar, Pa -- 3-2 (1) -- 0-0 (0) -- 3-2 (1)

93. Rodney Michael -- Eagle Springs, NC -- 1-14 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 1-14 (2)

94. Michael Brown -- Etobicoke, On -- 0-0 (0) -- 1-14 (1) -- 1-14 (1)

95. Joseph Bona -- Kersey, Pa -- 1-5 (1) -- 0-0 (0) -- 1-5 (1)

95. Darren Carlson -- Ridgway, Pa -- 1-5 (1) -- 0-0 (0) -- 1-5 (1)

Sean Caswell -- Highland, NY -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0)

Mark Frickman -- Shelbyville, Mi -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0)

Jamey Caldwell -- Carthage, NC -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0)