Scouting Report/Watch List
Champlain Bite Strong, But Lake A Little Behind

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Rob Newell Champlain stud Pete Gluzsek had two good, and two average days of practice.

It's wreaked havoc with the suspended-walleye bite in Lake Erie, and by all accounts, it pushed the bass spawn back several weeks. So it's no surprise to find out that Lake Champlain is likewise cooler than normal.

There are some straggler smallmouths and largemouths still on the beds, but they tend to run small (at least according to reports). And overall, the fish haven't set up into a hard summer pattern, so pros fishing this week's Champlain FLW Tour are covering more water than normal.

Before more about the bite and the event, here's some info about the fishery itself.

BassFan Lake Profile

> Lake Name: Champlain
> Type of Water: Natural lake
> Surface Acres (full pool): 278,400 (435 square miles)
> Primary structure/cover: Grass, rocks, flats, drops, docks
> Primary forage: Alewives, rainbow smelt, shiners, perch/bluegill, crayfish
> Average depth: 68 feet (deepest spot is 400 feet)
> Species: Smallmouths and largemouths
> Minimum length: 12" for all species
> Reputation: Good numbers of smallmouths, fewer but often bigger largemouths
> Weather: Sunny to partly cloudy with daytime highs in the 70s
> Water temp: mid-60s
> Water visibility/color: 2-3 feet north and south with stain, more than 10 feet in the clearer middle
> Water level: About normal
> Fish in: 0 to 30 feet or deeper
> Fish phase: Some spawn, mostly post-spawn
> Primary patterns: Dropshotting, jigs, worms, spinnerbaits, cranks for smallmouths, frogs, tubes, jigs and creatures for largemouths, but just about everything's working
> Winning weight: 35 pounds (final 2 days)
> Cut weight (Top 10 after 2 days): 34 pounds
> Check weight: (Top 50 after 2 days): 28 pounds
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 3 for Champlain
> Biggest factors: Variable wind and weather – long runs to Ticonderoga are popular, but risky
> Biggest decision: Which fish to target – smallmouths or largemouths
> Wildcard: Kicker fish, weather

North Vs. South

Champlain almost sets up like last month's Kentucky Lake FLW Tour – perhaps as much as half the field is expected to make a 60- to 70-mile run south to Ticonderoga for grass largemouths. The rest will stay in the deeper north end.

But pros aren't limited to smallmouths in the north end. Several events have been won with largemouths from the very north end in Missisquoi Bay. That's where Denny Brauer won the 2006 Champlain Elite Series. But the water was 3 feet high that year, which helped boost the Missisquoi's potential and most of the Top 10 fished there.

A year later, again at the Elite Series, Ticonderoga ruled when Tim Horton dusted the competition with a hot largemouth spot at the exit of a spawning bay. The rest of the Top 5 fished south that year, and the frog was a huge factor.

Ticonderoga also triumphed at the 2006 Champlain FLW Tour, when Tracy Adams made the big run. Notable at that event, though, was smallmouths accounted for three of the Top 5 finishes.

Expect Ticonderoga to be a major factor again this time around, although reports say the area isn't what it once was, and the fish might finally be reacting to several years of pressure.

And don't forget that a Ticonderoga run is filled with risk. Champlain's often considered a little Great Lake, where wind and waves can quickly turn furious.

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Brett Carlson Sean Hoernke plans to hunt smallmouths in the north end.

The weights at Champlain don't vary all too much, although occasionally someone does load up on largemouths (like Horton, who won with 84 pounds for 4 days).

In general, 16 1/2 pounds a day is strong, and 33 to 34 pounds makes the Top 10. Pros can get there on either brown or green fish – either with a kicker and several quality fish, or just better-than-average fish across a limit.

Who Stands Out?

Obviously, Champlain's a northern lake on a decidedly southern tour, but that doesn't make it any easier to peg favorites.

For example, Florida pro Scott Martin tore up the lake for years, whereas fellow Florida pro Mike Surman has struggled.

Tennessee pro Andy Morgan, who seems to catch fish everywhere he goes, has difficulty with the venue, while Texas pro Clark Wendlandt seems to always perform well here.

There's the list of usual suspects who can be expected to threaten for the cut – names like Luke Clausen, Shinichi Fukae and David Dudley. David Fritts in another who's had his days on Champlain. But northern pros like Jim Moynagh, Pete Gluszek and Terry Baksay demand attention as well.

And don't shy from picking a flipper or frogger, given the importance of Ticonderoga.

Notes Form The Field

Pete Gluszek
"My practice was fair. I had a couple of days where I caught the kind of fish you need to make it happen here. Then I've struggled a little bit. I think we're real close to the spawn and the fish are scattered about, so it's kind of hard to get dialed into a good concentration of fish right now.

"I'm fishing the northern end of the lake and I expect 16 3/4 pounds a day will make the cut."

Sean Hoernke
"My practice was all right. There's a lot of fish down at Ticonderoga, and I think some really good stringers will come out of there. I have a few spots down there, but I'll probably stay up north and try to catch some smallmouths. I'm more focused on making it to Pittsburgh, and I just want to be sure I make it."

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Brett Carlson Smallmouth guru Jim Moynagh's a strong pick, especially since he's excellent with northern largemouths too.

Top 10 To Watch

With the above in mind and more, here's BassFan's picks for those most likely to make the Top 10 cut. In no particular order, they are:

1. Jim Moynagh – A Minnesota smallmouth guru with two 3rd-place finishes here (one in summer, one in fall), who's also adept at finding larger-than-average green fish at these latitudes.

2. Pete Gluszek – A New Jersey pro who always seems to be a factor at Champlain. Past stats include back-to-back Champlain Stren wins and an FLW Series runner-up finish last year.

3. Chris Baumgardner – This Virginia pro has Champlain experience through the Strens and FLW Series as well as the Tour. He made the Tour cut here in 2004 and posted two other Top 40 Tour finishes, plus finished 2nd to Gluszek at a Stren.

4. Dave Lefebre – Initially planned a conservative play to make the Forrest Wood Cup, but now thinks he'll make the run south. This is the Pennsylvania pro's playground, and he's a strong pick to make the cut.

5. Kevin Vida – This Michigan pro finished 2nd here at the 2006 Tour, 14th in 2004 and 12th in 2002. Enough said.

6. David Dudley – A late check-in last month at Kentucky Lake cost him valuable points, and he needs a strong finish to make the Cup. He made the cut here back in 2002, and recorded two other solid Tour finishes – 17th and 25th.

7. Mark Hardin – This Georgia pro fishes Champlain just like he fishes Lanier. He's made one Tour cut here, and just missed another, and seems to be on another good batch of brown fish.

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Gary Mortenson Given his record, Angler of the Year contender Clark Wendlandt seems to have Champlain wired.

9. Clark Wendlandt – Wendlandt's just 3 points behind Angler of the Year leader Brent Ehrler, but don't think for a minute that'll affect his fishing. He's a true pro and his Champlain record's quite strong, with Tour finishes of 28th, 30th and 22nd, plus a 4th here 2 years ago in the Series.

10. Bryan Thrift – Essentially a Champlain newbie, but the lake fishes to his strengths this week with the scattered, shallow fish.

Launch/Weigh-In Info

Anglers take off at 6:30 a.m. all 4 days from Dock Street Landing located at 5 Dock St. in Plattsburgh, N.Y. Thursday and Friday's weigh-ins will also be held at Dock Street Landing beginning at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday's weigh-ins will be held at the Plattsburgh State Field House located at 167 Rugar St., in Plattsburgh beginning at 4 p.m.

Weather Forecast

Here's the weather forecast for the tournament. Note the increasing south winds on day 3.

> Thurs., July 8 - Partly Cloudy - 74°/54°
- Wind: From the E/SE at 4 mph

> Fri., June 9 - Mostly Sunny - 78°/63°
- Wind: From the S/SE at 9 mph

> Sat., July 10 - Scattered T-Storms - 75°/61°
- Wind: From the S at 13 mph

> Sun., July 11 - Partly Cloudy - 70°/55°
- Wind: From the W at 12 mph

Notable

> Jay Yelas plans to stay in the northern end, rather than risk a run south. To read his full practice report, click here to go On Tour With the BassFan Big Sticks.

> BassFan yesterday published interviews with pros about their Champlain strategies. To read that story, click here.