Farlow Opted To Focus On New Areas

By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor

A less than favorable boat number and a mechanical issue that cost him three hours of fishing time did nothing to derail Neil Farlow on what proved to be the only day of competition at the Lake Erie Northern FLW Series last week.

Mining areas he discovered during his practice session and not relying on places he’s had success on in the past, the Ontario resident hauled 24-04 to the scale to seize the lead after day 1. When the final two days of competition were canceled due to wind – west winds don’t bode well for fishermen heading out of Buffalo, N.Y. – Farlow was declared the winner, edging New York angler Ben Wright by one ounce.

“I was hoping for 3 days,” Farlow said. “The fishing was so good that I was ready. It feels awesome to win. I’ve been thinking about (this tournament) since the schedule was released last year, but I didn’t think I’d win it that way.”

Farlow was boat 156 out of 169 last Thursday, meaning he didn’t have a slew of options where to start. The known community areas like Seneca Shoal and Waverly Shoal were pretty well covered up by dozens of boats. Rather than ease his way into a crowded area, Farlow opted to target spots that were holding small groups (three to five) of fish. Ideally, he’d have preferred to save those spots for after he’d caught a limit elsewhere – that’s what he’d planned to do on day 2 when he’d be among the first boats to head out – but left with few other choices, he went to work.

He wound up fishing six spots and caught smallmouth on four of them before having to come in just before 2 p.m. due to a livewell pump failure. He’d been scheduled for a 4:40 check in. While he had the standard Lake Erie smallmouth arsenal tied on and ready, he relied on a nose-hooked Reaction Innovations Flirt fished above a 1/2- or 3/4-oz. cylinder dropshot weight in 25 to 35 feet to accumulate the winning stringer that included a 6-06 kicker, which took big fish honors.

Here’s a recap of what Farlow put into his preparation and brief competition at Lake Erie.

New Material

Farlow has lived near the eastern end of Erie for the past eight years, having relocated from Belleville, Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Ontario. He typically doesn’t focus too much time during the summer at Erie as the tournament season in Ontario gets going in late June and he’s usually competing elsewhere.

This year, however, he tried to get a feel for what the smallmouth around Buffalo were doing. After a warm start to summer, he had to make adjustments.

“It set up similar to August because it’s been so warm and the water temperature got up quick,” he said. “Some of my spots that I usually fish in the summer weren’t ready yet so it was a challenge in practice to eliminate and find stuff other guys didn’t find.”

He invested three-plus days in practice and spent most of the time idling and staring at his sonar screen. Conditions were calm for the most part and that allowed him to expand his search area.

“I tried to find as much new stuff as I could,” he said. “I knew with it being out of Buffalo, the fishing is so good right there that that stuff would be found by everybody. I tried to find anything I possibly could that was different.”

He fished more in Canadian water than he normally and when he went out the day before the tournament began to survey where the majority of boats were, he saw Waverly and Seneca shoals were dotted with competitors, some of whom were already connecting with fish.

“My plan was to try to get in there,” he said.

For this tournament, Farlow had to make sure what he was seeing on his screen were bass so when he’d find a promising waypoint, he sent down a dropshot rig.

“I had to confirm they’re not walleye of sheepshead,” he said. “Sometimes they’re mixed in together, but you want to make sure.”

Knowing the big schools or areas with big concentrations of smallmouth had likely been uncovered, Farlow continued to hunt for other new spots on the fringes.

To cover his bases, he also checked the 5- to 12-foot section of the water column with jerkbaits and spybaits. He caught several fish and would’ve gone to it in the tournament at some point, but didn’t have to.

Spot Hopping

After waiting to blast off Thursday, Farlow pointed his Ranger 522D toward the open water and quickly got to work. His first two keepers were a 3-pounder and a 5-pounder. Then came the turning point.

He was sitting on a spot that revealed three slashes on the sonar. He felt a tug on his dropshot and he set the hook. The fish immediately fired through the surface, but disappeared into the depths.

“It came up right away to the net, then disappeared,” he said. “It was like a five-minute fight. Luckily, I didn’t see how big he was. I knew it was big, but I didn’t know it was a 6.”

It wound up being a 6-06 while his co-angler caught a 5-pounder shortly thereafter.

After moving to another spot, he caught a 4-pounder, then a 3-06 to finish his first limit. Another back toward Buffalo resulted in a 5-pounder off a low spot that helped him cull a 3-pounder. Later, he lost another in the 5-pound range that would’ve padded his total even more.

Most of the spots he targeted were hard bottom, but some featured a gravel/sand mix.

“They were all pretty close to bottom, maybe 1 or 2 feet up,” he said. “It’s tricky because they were with walleye and sheepshead everywhere. You had to make sure there was more than one bass there.”

With his day cut short, he wasn’t sure where his stringer would put him. He figures he was around 21 or 22 pounds in practice, but that 6-pounder would surely help.

“With the weight I had figured I’d be up there, but I had no idea what weights would be,” he said. “There were so many great anglers and they pretty much found everything that I know of. They found some really good spots. There are so many fish and different humps and drop-offs that anything that looks like it should have a fish will have a fish on it. The stuff I caught them on was found in practice even though I’ve lived here for 8 years.”

After taking the day-1 lead – 43 other pros cracked the 20-pound mark – Farlow knew this would not be a runaway for him.

“There was a lot going through my head,” he said. “I was prepared for 3 days, but I didn’t get the text on day 2 saying it was canceled. I drove to the ramp and unhooked the boat and was ready to go. I was happy to hear day 2 was canceled because it was really bad.”

Winning Gear Notes

> Dropshot gear: 6’10” medium-action Quantum Smoke spinning rod, Quantum Smoke size 30 spinning reel, 10-pound Gamma Torque braided line, 6- and 8-pound Gamma Edge fluorocarbon line (leader), #1 Owner dropshot hook, Reaction Innovations Flirt (green-pumpkin), 1/2- and 3/4-oz. unnamed cylinder dropshot weight.

> Farlow trimmed about an inch off the front of the Flirt, making it a 3.75” bait and nose hooked it.

The Bottom Line

> Main factor in his success – “Just fishing my own stuff and not trying to fish where the other boats were. There were 30 to 40 boats on some of those spots.”

> Performance edge – “My Ranger 522D. Ever since I got that, I’ve been more comfortable. It’s safer and I don’t worry about the waves. The Minn Kota Ultrex was a huge help as well.”

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

Final Results

1. Neil Farlow -- St Catherines, Ont. -- 24-4 (5) -- $87,500

2. Ben Wright -- Peru, NY -- 24-3 (5) -- $16,600

3. Charles Sim -- Nepean, Ont. -- 23-3 (5) -- $12,500

4. JT Kenney -- Palm Bay, Fl -- 23-2 (5) -- $10,500

5. J Todd Tucker -- Moultrie, Ga -- 22-15 (5) -- $9,500

6. Austin Felix -- Eden Prairie, Mn -- 22-12 (5) -- $8,250

7. Moo Bae -- West Friendship, Md -- 22-8 (5) -- $7,200

8. Travis Manson -- Conshohocken, Pa -- 22-6 (5) -- $6,200

9. Philip Jarabeck -- Spout Spring, Va -- 22-5 (5) -- $5,200

10. TJ Lacey -- Selwyn, Ont. -- 22-3 (5) -- $4,100

11. Jason Kervin -- Auburn, Me -- 22-3 (5) -- $3,800

12. Bradley Dortch -- Atmore, Al -- 21-14 (5) -- $3,550

13. Ron Nelson -- Berrien Springs, Mi -- 21-10 (5) -- $3,050

14. Mike Kozell -- Lancaster, NY -- 21-7 (5) -- $3,050

15. Matt Becker -- Finleyville, Pa -- 21-6 (5) -- $3,050

16. Carl Jocumsen -- Frisco, Tx -- 21-4 (5) -- $3,050

17. Chad Wentzell -- St Thomas, Ont. -- 21-3 (5) -- $3,050

18. Chris Johnston -- Peterborough, Ont. -- 21-2 (5) -- $3,050

19. Joseph Wood -- Westport, Ma -- 21-2 (5) -- $3,050

20. Derek Yasinski -- Senoia, Ga -- 21-2 (5) -- $3,050

21. Matt Stasiak -- Pittsburgh, Pa -- 21-1 (5) -- $2,760

22. Cory Johnston -- Cavan, Ont. -- 21-0 (5) -- $2,760

23. Derick Olson -- Honey Brook, Pa -- 20-15 (5) -- $2,760

24. Todd Fulk -- Mount Pleasant, NC -- 20-15 (5) -- $2,760

25. Scott Wiley -- Bay Minette, Al -- 20-15 (5) -- $2,760

26. Lee Rogers -- Newton, NJ -- 20-15 (5) -- $2,510

27. Ryan Ingalls -- Fairfax, Va -- 20-14 (5) -- $2,510

28. Chris Obrien -- Rochester, NY -- 20-13 (5) -- $2,510

29. Wayne Nelson -- Caistor Centre, Ont. -- 20-12 (5) -- $2,510

30. Joe Kinchen -- Charlotte, NC -- 20-10 (5) -- $2,510

31. John Hunter -- Shelbyville, Ky -- 20-10 (5) -- $2,020

32. Shane Hatch -- Owlshead, Me -- 20-10 (5) -- $2,020

33. Cal Climpson -- Sharon, Ont. -- 20-9 (5) -- $2,020

34. Chris Flint -- Potsdam, NY -- 20-9 (5) -- $2,020

35. Craig Rexford -- Grand Isle, Vt -- 20-8 (5) -- $2,020

36. Neil Deleeuw -- Fenwick, Ont. -- 20-8 (5) -- $2,020

37. Ronald Martinez Jr. -- Valley View, Oh -- 20-6 (5) -- $2,020

38. Dylan Fulk -- Concord, NC -- 20-5 (5) -- $2,020

39. Dylan Hays -- Sheridan, Ar -- 20-4 (5) -- $2,020

40. Lawrence Mazur -- East Aurora, NY -- 20-4 (5) -- $2,020

41. Scott Cooke -- Marengo, Oh -- 20-4 (5) -- $2,000

42. Dan Martin -- Elmhurst, Il -- 20-2 (5) -- $2,000

43. Matt Greenblatt -- Port St Lucie, Fl -- 20-2 (5) -- $2,000

44. Bill Chapman -- Salt Rock, WV -- 20-0 (5)

45. Michael (Ross) Rhodes -- Paw Paw, Mi -- 19-15 (5)

46. Nickholis Hammond -- West Lafayette, In -- 19-13 (5)

47. Jeff Turner -- Stoney Creek, Ont. -- 19-13 (5)

48. Paul Mazzitelli -- West Wyoming, Pa -- 19-13 (5)

49. AJ Slegona -- Pine Bush, NY -- 19-11 (5)

50. Perry Poirier -- Grimsby, Ont. -- 19-10 (5)

51. Gary Yamamoto -- Palestine, Tx -- 19-8 (5)

52. Darryl Esterly -- Fleetwood, Pa -- 19-7 (5)

53. Cody Pike -- Powhatan, Va -- 19-5 (5)

54. Timothy Laizer -- South Hadley, Ma -- 19-2 (5)

55. Steven Hatala -- Harrison Township, Mi -- 19-1 (5)

56. Franklin Janzen -- Lincoln, Ont. -- 19-0 (5)

57. Dakota Ebare -- Stephenville, Tx -- 18-15 (5)

58. Ernst (Erny) Janzen -- St.Catharines, Ont. -- 18-15 (5)

59. Kurt Mitchell -- Milford, De -- 18-15 (5)

60. Brad Brodnicki -- Amherst, NY -- 18-15 (5)

61. Lancen Halbert -- Simpsonville, SC -- 18-13 (5)

62. Tony Dorman -- Taylor, Pa -- 18-13 (5)

63. Kyle Hoffman -- Harpers Ferry, WV -- 18-13 (5)

64. Tom Belinda -- Holidaysburg, Pa -- 18-11 (5)

65. Kyle Ratliff -- Commerce, Mi -- 18-11 (5)

66. Ed Casey -- Whiteford, Md -- 18-9 (5)

67. Joseph Fonzi -- Gasport, NY -- 18-9 (5)

68. Jim Vitaro -- Wooster, Oh -- 18-8 (5)

69. Casey Smith -- Macedon, NY -- 18-7 (5)

70. Grae Buck -- Harleysville, Pa -- 18-7 (5)

71. Tyler Sheppard -- Charlotte, NC -- 18-7 (5)

72. Mike Blake -- Carrollton, Oh -- 18-5 (5)

73. Bob Izumi -- Milton, Ont. -- 18-4 (5)

74. Keith Poulin -- Lisbon, Me -- 18-3 (5)

75. Denis Kreze -- Fort Erie, Ont. -- 18-3 (5)

76. Kevin Miller -- Bedford, NH -- 18-3 (5)

77. Ronald Young -- Lake Wales, Fl -- 18-2 (5)

78. Wil Dieffenbauch -- Morgantown, WV -- 18-1 (5)

79. Ryan Koehn-Lofts -- Ada, Mi -- 17-14 (5)

80. Wayne Vaughan -- Chester, Va -- 17-14 (5)

81. Justin Hicks -- Roanoke, Va -- 17-12 (5)

82. Mac Passero -- Fort Erie, Ont. -- 17-12 (5)

83. Chris Bielert -- Danbury, Ct -- 17-12 (5)

84. Shaun Brown -- Slippery Rock, Pa -- 17-11 (5)

85. Wes Campbell -- Centerville, Oh -- 17-10 (5)

86. Steve York -- Bronson, Mi -- 17-5 (5)

87. Chad Van Slyke -- Cicero, NY -- 17-5 (5)

88. Troy Garrison -- Topsham, Me -- 17-3 (5)

89. Harry Moore -- Valley, Al -- 17-3 (5)

90. Jason Burger -- Bridgeton, NJ -- 17-2 (5)

91. Joel Richardson -- Kernersville, NC -- 16-15 (5)

92. Jason Lambert -- Michie, Tn -- 16-15 (5)

93. James Loomis Iii -- Parish, NY -- 16-14 (5)

94. Allex Conner -- Waldo, Oh -- 16-14 (5)

95. Tim Dube -- Nashua, NH -- 16-13 (5)

96. Nick Radtke -- Greenwood Lake, NY -- 16-13 (5)

97. Jimmy Mize -- Ben Lomond, Ar -- 16-12 (5)

98. Jim Dillard -- West Monroe, La -- 16-11 (5)

99. Kevin Bishop -- Hilton, NY -- 16-11 (5)

100. Todd Truax -- Canton, Oh -- 16-10 (5)

101. Cory Krawczyk -- Angola, NY -- 16-9 (5)

102. Kirk Mcmullen -- Greensburg, Pa -- 16-7 (5)

103. Heath Toler -- Walnut Cove, NC -- 16-5 (5)

104. Martin Szomolanyi -- Etobicoke, Ont. -- 16-5 (5)

105. Trent Pardue -- Troy, NC -- 16-3 (5)

106. Jimmy Brewer -- Marshall, Tx -- 16-3 (5)

107. Gary Krammes -- Pottsville, Pa -- 16-0 (5)

108. Robert Grabow -- Morgantown, WV -- 15-15 (5)

109. Devon Banks -- West Bloomfield, Mi -- 15-15 (5)

110. Cole Chantler -- Innisfil, Ont. -- 15-15 (5)

111. Danny Jones -- North East, Pa -- 15-8 (5)

112. Destin Demarion -- Grove City, Pa -- 15-8 (5)

113. Jeff Fitts -- Keystone Heights, Fl -- 15-7 (5)

114. Dan Grove, Jr -- Harrisville, Pa -- 15-6 (5)

115. Garry Woodruff -- Candia, NH -- 15-4 (5)

116. Paul Kimball -- Glastonbury, Ct -- 15-3 (5)

117. Randy Kukral -- Chagrin Falls, Oh -- 15-2 (5)

118. Merle Wells Jr -- Hammond, NY -- 15-2 (5)

119. Glynn Goodwin -- Marietta, Oh -- 15-2 (5)

120. Gaspare Costabile -- Niagara Falls, Ont. -- 15-0 (5)

121. Christopher Grenier -- Clarksburg, WV -- 14-12 (5)

122. Bryan Sisk -- Glenelg, Md -- 14-12 (5)

123. Powell Kemp -- Scotland Neck, NC -- 14-10 (5)

124. Gary Greenwood -- Irwin, Pa -- 14-7 (5)

125. Jeff Hippert -- Hamburg, NY -- 14-6 (5)

126. George Saliba -- Lakefield, Ont. -- 14-6 (5)

127. Kirk Sullivan -- Minden, Ont. -- 14-4 (5)

128. Bob Macmillan -- Kingston, Ont. -- 14-3 (5)

129. Bob Morin -- Seymour, Tn -- 13-10 (5)

130. Rick Corn -- Fort Mill, SC -- 13-10 (5)

131. Dan Greenwood -- Hudson, NH -- 13-9 (5)

132. Kraig Kettelkamp -- Clifton Springs, NY -- 13-9 (5)

133. David Stahura -- Lackawanna, NY -- 13-9 (4)

134. Buck Mallory -- Lawton, Mi -- 13-5 (5)

135. Douglas Reed -- Bridgeton, NJ -- 13-1 (5)

136. Todd Walters -- Kernersville, NC -- 12-14 (5)

136. Ashton Laird -- Delevan, NY -- 12-14 (5)

138. Mike Elie -- Portland, Me -- 12-13 (5)

139. Chris Adams -- Shrewsbury, Vt -- 12-5 (5)

140. Michael Stetich -- Ankeny, Ia -- 12-4 (4)

141. Harold Marietta -- Hunker, Pa -- 12-1 (4)

142. Edward Levin -- Westerville, Oh -- 12-0 (5)

143. Joe Ford -- Bowmanville, Ont. -- 12-0 (5)

144. John Trask -- Jay, Me -- 11-14 (5)

145. Matt Belzil -- Port Robinson, Ont. -- 11-8 (4)

146. Dominic Gambardella -- North Haven, Ct -- 11-5 (4)

147. John Hansen -- Street, Md -- 11-1 (5)

148. Daniel Urbino -- Bliss, NY -- 10-14 (4)

149. Douglas Kirkbride -- Beaver Falls, NY -- 10-13 (3)

150. Shawn O'malley -- Fogelsville, Pa -- 10-10 (4)

151. Mike Trombly -- Belleville, Mi -- 10-0 (4)

152. Jonathan Shoemaker -- Elyria, Oh -- 9-14 (3)

153. Christopher Wall -- Fuquay Varina, NC -- 9-2 (4)

154. Terry Baksay -- Easton, Ct -- 9-2 (3)

155. Ken Golub -- Pittsford, NY -- 8-11 (3)

156. David Kranz -- Woodstock, Il -- 8-8 (3)

157. Burley Warf -- Moneta, Va -- 8-0 (3)

158. Joe Trinko -- Southern Pines, NC -- 7-3 (2)

159. Rob Lamoy -- Chazy, NY -- 6-14 (3)

160. Al Gagliarducci -- West Suffield, Ct -- 6-14 (3)

161. Gerald Adrian -- Exton, Pa -- 6-14 (2)

162. Steve Morella -- Whitehall, Pa -- 6-7 (2)

163. Lucas Bogosian -- Harrington Park, NJ -- 5-9 (2)

164. David Barnes Sr -- South China, Me -- 4-14 (3)

165. Carl Boileau -- Stittsville, Ont. -- 3-5 (1)

166. Jeffrey Randall -- Lake Luzerne, NY -- 3-1 (1)

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

James Schulz -- Moundville, Al -- 0-0 (0)

Jeffrey Young -- Londonderry, NH -- 0-0 (0)