Johnston Hit Hard Spots Others Overlooked

By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor

It took Cory Johnston all of 10 minutes to start putting the pieces of the Oneida Lake puzzle together last week. Having never been on the lake in Central New York before, he was expecting to find a typical northern lake scenario with clear water and bass frequently chasing bait.

What he discovered was a lake that’s starting to parallel another of his favorite northern fisheries – Lake Champlain.

“I think with the gobies in (Oneida) now, the fish are starting to change and feed on the bottom more instead of schooling and chasing shad,” he said. “It’s starting to fish similar to Champlain in that way.”

By targeting isolated rock piles mixed in with grass, he was able to locate concentrations of smallmouth. Sometimes, a specific area would produce a limit while others were holding one or two fish. The presence of milfoil around the hard spots seemed to be key to where the bigger fish were hanging out.

Johnston averaged more than 18 pounds over the first 2 days, then caught 14-01 on a windy final day to close out the victory. It was his second FLW Series win in as many years – he also won at the James River in 2015.

“Any one you can win is definitely an accomplishment,” he said. “They don’t come around every day. It’s definitely cool to win a tournament when you’ve never been on the lake before and you’re able to put a pattern together to win.”

Here is how Johnston conquered Oneida.

Practice

Johnston spent a full week at Oneida prior to the tournament and he came in expecting to have to find ways to catch both smallmouth and largemouth.

“I was expecting it to be predominantly smallmouth, but I definitely planned on looking for largemouth because if you can catch largemouth there, I knew they’d be good, but you’re not going to catch a ton of them,” he said.

It didn’t take him long to pick up his first clue for the smallmouth.

“On the first day within the first 10 minutes, I found the pattern right away,” he said. “I focused on isolated rock piles predominantly. It was flat calm and the water was clear and I was able to put the trolling motor on 100 and cover water. I could see the fish, so that’s what I went with.”

Sight-fishing in August?

“We do it at home all the time,” Johnston noted. “Any time you’re on a northern, clear lake, there are always some fish shallow.”

When his brother, Chris, arrived a couple days later, they divided the lake and tried to duplicate the pattern elsewhere. He tried to augment his shallow rock pile plan with deeper options, but nothing compared to what he’d found in 10 feet of water or less.

“Basically, there’s a ton of grass there and the fish were around the bare areas on the bottom where the rock is more dense and weeds were not able to grow,” he said.

Competition

> Day 1: 5, 17-06
> Day 2: 5, 18-13
> Day 3: 5, 14-01
> Total = 15, 50-04

The first two days went as well as Johnston could’ve hoped. The weather was stable and the winds were negligible and that allowed him to pick apart the shallow areas that others were overlooking, he said.

“It worked all over the lake and it was nice because guys weren’t keying on it,” he added. “They’d fish through an area, but weren’t dialed in on the sweet spots where fish were sitting.”

His first fish Thursday was a 3-pounder caught on a topwater popper.

“That got the ball rolling,” he said. “I knew exactly what was happening. The water was clean at that point and it was a matter of time before the sun came up and I could see the fish and start picking them off.”

He caught half of his weigh-in fish during the event on a 3 1/2-inch tube that he’d cast to targeted bare spots. He also mixed in a dropshot and caught a key largemouth on each of the first 2 days with a wacky-rigged 4-inch soft stickbait around docks.

His 17-06 day-1 stringer had him tied for 2nd, one ounce off the leader’s pace. He tacked on 18-13 on day 2 to move into the lead with 36-03. He averaged 10 to 12 bites a day both Thursday and Friday, but backed off some key areas on day 2 once he had a solid limit.

“I fished all the same stuff (on day 2),” he said. “I started on the east end every day and worked my way back. I had about 40 spots I’d hit, but I tried to save as much as I could to prolong it.”

The final day was more of a challenge with the wind coming up. It forced him to target deeper water and places where the wind hadn’t dirtied the water.

“That threw a fork into the game plan,” he said. “I fished more in the moment than what I’d found in practice. I couldn’t see the fish because the water was dirtier. There were three-footers rolling into my areas.”

He relied mainly on dragging tubes Saturday, but also mixed in an umbrella rig that netted him a few 2-pounders. He totaled 14-01, which he didn’t think would be enough to clinch the win. The 14-01 was the best effort on the final day and it resulted in a 4-pound victory.

“I was a little bit surprised (I’d won),” he said. “I didn’t think I’d win after the day I had Saturday. I knew I was on the right fish. I just had to get a little lucky.”

Winning Pattern Notes

> Because of the amount of vegetation surrounding the hard spots he was targeting, Johnston said it was imperative that he land his bait right on the sweet spot to trigger bites.

“You had to land it in the target,” he said. “They were all surrounded by grass and snot on the bottom. The fish were very spooky, but in certain areas it wasn’t as bad because there was so much grass. You could get on top of them more.”

Winning Gear Notes

> Tube gear: 7’5” medium-action G. Loomis E6X spinning rod, Shimano Sustain 2500 FG spinning reel, 8-pound PowerPro braided line, unnamed 8-pound fluorocarbon line (leader), 3/8-oz. homemade tube jig, 3.5” Strike King Coffee Tube (green-pumpkin).

> Topwater gear: 7’ medium-heavy Shimano Crucial crankbait rod, Shimano Metanium casting reel, 20-pound PowerPro braided line, Jackall Binksy (HL Chart Strike Gill).

> When he threw a dropshot, he fished a Jackall Cross Tail Shad.

The Bottom Line

> Main factor in his success – “Definitely the time (I spent) on the water and being able to dial in what was going on and finding something that guys weren’t keying in on.”

> Performance edge – “The header on my Garmin electronics was really key. There are lines set at 50 and 100 feet away from your waypoint and you can tell how far you are from it. That allowed me to make pinpoint casts and I was not wasting time trying to find it.”

Notable

> The Johnston brothers returned home to Ontario in time to compete in a regional tournament at Rice Lake on Sunday. They won with a 21.75-pound stringer and clinched the Team of the Year title in the Bassmania Tournament Trail Eastern Tour while qualifying for the Competitive Sport Fishing League’s Regional Cup in early September.

> Johnston also clinched the AOY title in the Northern Division of the FLW Series and qualified for the FLW Series championship at Table Rock Lake in early November. Here's a look at the Top 10 finishers in points in the Northern Division:

1. Cory Johnston -- Cavan, Ont. -- 736
2. Chris Johnston -- Peterborough, Ont. -- 723
3. Casey Smith -- Macedon, NY -- 717
4. Ron Nelson -- Berrien Springs, Mi -- 708
5. Chris O`Brien -- Rochester, NY -- 700
6. Grae Buck -- Harleysville, Pa -- 698
7. Bill Chapman -- Salt Rock, WV -- 697
8. Jeff Coble -- Manson, NC -- 684
9. Bob Izumi -- Milton, Ont. -- 683
10. John Vanore -- Mullica Hill, NJ -- 673

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

Final Results

1. Cory Johnston -- Cavan, On -- 17-6 (5) -- 18-13 (5) -- 14-1 (5) -- 50-4 (15) -- $77,778

2. Casey Smith -- Macedon, NY -- 16-4 (5) -- 16-5 (5) -- 13-8 (5) -- 46-1 (15) -- $12,724

3. Ian Renfrew -- Phoenix, NY -- 16-3 (5) -- 17-7 (5) -- 11-4 (4) -- 44-14 (14) -- $9,774

4. Chris Johnston -- Peterborough, On -- 15-9 (5) -- 15-14 (5) -- 13-5 (5) -- 44-12 (15) -- $8,145

5. Lawrence Mazur -- East Aurora, NY -- 15-12 (5) -- 17-12 (5) -- 10-11 (4) -- 44-3 (14) -- $7,330

6. Kyle Weisenburger -- Ottawa, Oh -- 17-5 (5) -- 16-6 (5) -- 7-12 (3) -- 41-7 (13) -- $6,516

7. Ed Casey -- Whiteford, Md -- 16-13 (5) -- 13-14 (5) -- 10-10 (3) -- 41-5 (13) -- $5,701

8. Jim Vitaro -- Wooster, Oh -- 14-4 (5) -- 17-1 (5) -- 7-8 (3) -- 38-13 (13) -- $4,887

9. Jason Shipton -- Muncy, Pa -- 17-1 (5) -- 16-2 (5) -- 2-9 (1) -- 35-12 (11) -- $4,288

10. Lucas McDaniel -- Fishers, In -- 15-14 (5) -- 16-7 (5) -- 1-14 (1) -- 34-3 (11) -- $3,258

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

11. Jim Tutt -- Longview, Tx -- 16-15 (5) -- 13-7 (5) -- 30-6 (10) -- $3,054

12. Chris O’Brien -- Rochester, NY -- 14-1 (5) -- 16-2 (5) -- 30-3 (10) -- $2,851

13. Andrew Slegona -- Walker Valley, NY -- 16-5 (5) -- 13-12 (5) -- 30-1 (10) -- $2,443

14. Jason Putman -- Cicero, NY -- 15-13 (5) -- 13-15 (4) -- 29-12 (9) -- $2,443

15. Ron Nelson -- Berrien Springs, Mi -- 16-1 (5) -- 13-5 (5) -- 29-6 (10) -- $2,443

16. Chad Van Slyke -- Cicero, NY -- 13-15 (5) -- 15-4 (5) -- 29-3 (10) -- $2,443

17. Bill Chapman -- Salt Rock, WV -- 13-14 (5) -- 14-11 (5) -- 28-9 (10) -- $2,443

18. Matt Stasiak -- Pittsburgh, Pa -- 14-2 (5) -- 13-9 (5) -- 27-11 (10) -- $2,443

19. Paul Malone -- Pleasant Valley, Ia -- 10-7 (3) -- 16-7 (5) -- 26-14 (8) -- $2,443

20. Grae Buck -- Harleysville, Pa -- 12-13 (4) -- 14-1 (5) -- 26-14 (9) -- $2,443

21. Zachary Cappon -- Williamson, NY -- 17-6 (5) -- 9-7 (4) -- 26-13 (9) -- $2,240

22. Joseph Wood -- Westport, Ma -- 14-4 (5) -- 11-15 (5) -- 26-3 (10) -- $2,240

23. Chris Flint -- Potsdam, NY -- 12-10 (5) -- 13-8 (5) -- 26-2 (10) -- $2,240

24. Matt Martin -- Chittenango, NY -- 16-10 (5) -- 8-4 (3) -- 24-14 (8) -- $2,240

25. Kirk Sullivan -- Minden, On -- 10-12 (5) -- 13-12 (5) -- 24-8 (10) -- $2,240

26. Michael Hall -- Annandale, Va -- 17-7 (5) -- 7-0 (3) -- 24-7 (8) -- $2,036

27. Josh Milligan -- Edenton, NC -- 10-2 (3) -- 14-1 (5) -- 24-3 (8) -- $2,036

28. Robert Grabow -- Morgantown, WV -- 16-13 (5) -- 7-3 (3) -- 24-0 (8) -- $2,036

29. John Hansen -- Street, Md -- 10-11 (4) -- 13-4 (5) -- 23-15 (9) -- $2,036

30. David Ehrentraut -- Locke, NY -- 14-0 (5) -- 9-2 (3) -- 23-2 (8)

31. Brian Dauberman -- Mifflinburg, Pa -- 14-5 (5) -- 8-2 (3) -- 22-7 (8)

32. Jeff Coble -- Manson, NC -- 17-2 (5) -- 4-14 (2) -- 22-0 (7)

33. Michael Mccoy -- Mentor On The Lake, Oh -- 12-10 (5) -- 9-6 (4) -- 22-0 (9)

34. John Vanore -- Mullica Hill, NJ -- 7-2 (3) -- 14-9 (5) -- 21-11 (8)

35. Steven Stinson -- Pickering, On -- 9-5 (5) -- 12-6 (4) -- 21-11 (9)

36. Paul Kimball -- Glastonbury, Ct -- 11-3 (4) -- 10-5 (5) -- 21-8 (9)

37. Dale Prinkey -- Warren, Oh -- 9-14 (4) -- 10-14 (5) -- 20-12 (9)

38. Rob Johnson -- Schuylkill Haven, Pa -- 14-15 (5) -- 4-10 (2) -- 19-9 (7)

39. Ronald Martinez Jr. -- Valley View, Oh -- 16-6 (5) -- 3-2 (1) -- 19-8 (6)

40. Brandon Hawthorne -- Ashford, Ct -- 11-15 (5) -- 7-4 (3) -- 19-3 (8)

41. Garry Woodruff -- Candia, Nh -- 9-6 (4) -- 9-13 (3) -- 19-3 (7)

42. Moo Bae -- West Friendship, Md -- 8-8 (3) -- 10-4 (3) -- 18-12 (6) -- $216

43. Danny Jones -- North East, Pa -- 12-7 (5) -- 6-2 (2) -- 18-9 (7)

44. Jason Lane -- Schenectady, NY -- 12-2 (5) -- 6-4 (3) -- 18-6 (8)

45. James Mignanelli -- Harmony, Pa -- 11-5 (5) -- 6-12 (3) -- 18-1 (8)

46. David Barnes Sr -- China, Me -- 15-1 (5) -- 2-0 (1) -- 17-1 (6)

47. Rick Taylor -- West Olive, Mi -- 11-5 (4) -- 5-11 (2) -- 17-0 (6)

48. Trent Pardue -- Troy, NC -- 12-1 (4) -- 4-13 (2) -- 16-14 (6)

49. Bradley Staley -- Pleasant Garden, NC -- 16-12 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 16-12 (5)

50. Bob Izumi -- Milton, On -- 13-9 (5) -- 3-1 (1) -- 16-10 (6)

51. Noah Raymond -- Lockport, NY -- 7-6 (3) -- 8-11 (3) -- 16-1 (6)

52. Chris Baumgardner -- Gastonia, NC -- 10-14 (4) -- 5-0 (2) -- 15-14 (6)

53. Jeff Hippert -- Hamburg, NY -- 5-5 (2) -- 10-9 (4) -- 15-14 (6)

54. Christopher Grenier -- Clarksburg, WV -- 13-5 (5) -- 2-8 (1) -- 15-13 (6)

55. Jess Caraballo -- Danbury, Ct -- 3-6 (1) -- 12-6 (4) -- 15-12 (5)

56. Michael Ertel -- Manahawkin, NJ -- 3-6 (1) -- 12-3 (5) -- 15-9 (6)

57. Ken Golub -- Pittsford, NY -- 7-7 (3) -- 7-3 (3) -- 14-10 (6)

58. Wil Dieffenbauch -- Morgantown, WV -- 7-14 (3) -- 6-3 (3) -- 14-1 (6)

59. Dan Mittlestat -- Woodhaven, Mi -- 11-8 (4) -- 2-8 (1) -- 14-0 (5)

60. Devon Banks -- Lake Orion, Mi -- 0-0 (0) -- 13-15 (5) -- 13-15 (5)

61. Jared Dial -- Winter Haven, Fl -- 6-15 (2) -- 6-15 (3) -- 13-14 (5)

62. Matt Greenblatt -- Port St Lucie, Fl -- 8-10 (4) -- 5-3 (2) -- 13-13 (6)

63. Tim Reneau -- Del Rio, Tx -- 4-8 (2) -- 9-0 (3) -- 13-8 (5)

64. Ryan Smith -- Galloway, NJ -- 13-6 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 13-6 (5)

65. Jeff Fitts -- Keystone Heights, Fl -- 10-13 (4) -- 2-5 (1) -- 13-2 (5)

66. Johnny Nguyen -- Tucson, Az -- 3-13 (1) -- 8-12 (3) -- 12-9 (4)

67. Duke Nave -- Norristown, Pa -- 5-6 (2) -- 7-3 (2) -- 12-9 (4)

68. Michael Birr -- Franklinton, NC -- 2-14 (1) -- 9-10 (3) -- 12-8 (4)

69. Jamey Caldwell -- Carthage, NC -- 12-3 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 12-3 (5)

70. Zak Fadden -- Plymouth, Mi -- 9-10 (3) -- 2-8 (1) -- 12-2 (4)

71. Chris Novack -- Mansfield, Ct -- 1-15 (1) -- 10-1 (5) -- 12-0 (6)

72. Michael Egan -- Lake Wales, Fl -- 6-0 (2) -- 5-2 (2) -- 11-2 (4)

73. Dennis Carnahan -- Cazenovia, NY -- 3-7 (1) -- 7-5 (3) -- 10-12 (4)

74. Tommy Stalb -- Manheim, Pa -- 10-7 (3) -- 0-0 (0) -- 10-7 (3)

75. Scott Cooke -- Marengo, Oh -- 6-11 (2) -- 3-10 (1) -- 10-5 (3)

76. Kirk McMullen -- Greensburg, Pa -- 10-2 (3) -- 0-0 (0) -- 10-2 (3)

77. Andrew Dauberman -- Mifflinburg, Pa -- 4-9 (2) -- 5-7 (2) -- 10-0 (4)

78. Larry Kempler -- Bluemont, Va -- 2-7 (1) -- 7-8 (3) -- 9-15 (4)

79. Shane Hatch -- Owls Head, Me -- 7-7 (2) -- 2-8 (1) -- 9-15 (3)

80. Tim Wilson -- Gas City, In -- 5-0 (2) -- 4-15 (2) -- 9-15 (4)

81. Richard Dunham -- Freedom, Pa -- 2-14 (1) -- 6-15 (2) -- 9-13 (3)

82. Andrew Buss -- North Liberty, In -- 5-13 (2) -- 2-14 (2) -- 8-11 (4)

83. Nick Radtke -- Greenwood Lake, NY -- 2-14 (1) -- 5-13 (2) -- 8-11 (3)

84. Mark Schlarb -- Atwater, Oh -- 6-10 (2) -- 1-15 (1) -- 8-9 (3)

85. Michael Crocker -- Pasadena, Md -- 0-0 (0) -- 8-5 (3) -- 8-5 (3)

86. Jeff Choi -- Bridport, Vt -- 8-5 (4) -- 0-0 (0) -- 8-5 (4)

87. Burley Warf -- Moneta, Va -- 5-10 (2) -- 2-9 (1) -- 8-3 (3)

88. Daniel Gonsalves -- New Bedford, Ma -- 7-13 (3) -- 0-0 (0) -- 7-13 (3)

88. Kraig Kettelkamp -- Clifton Springs, NY -- 7-13 (3) -- 0-0 (0) -- 7-13 (3)

90. Joel Richardson -- Kernersville, NC -- 7-9 (3) -- 0-0 (0) -- 7-9 (3)

91. Richard Law III -- Bergholz, Oh -- 3-2 (2) -- 4-0 (1) -- 7-2 (3)

92. Omari Navies -- Fort Washington, Md -- 6-3 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 6-3 (2)

93. Troy Garrison -- Topsham, Me -- 0-0 (0) -- 6-2 (2) -- 6-2 (2)

94. Michael Abernathy -- Coventry, Ri -- 3-2 (1) -- 2-10 (1) -- 5-12 (2)

95. Rick Chenoweth -- Fredericksburg, Va -- 4-4 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 4-4 (2)

96. Jeff Lobaugh -- Emory, Tx -- 4-1 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 4-1 (2)

97. James Ciferni -- Hammond, NY -- 3-5 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 3-5 (2)

98. Corey Radomski -- Ocala, Fl -- 0-0 (0) -- 3-2 (1) -- 3-2 (1)

99. Harold Marietta -- Hunker, Pa -- 2-15 (1) -- 0-0 (0) -- 2-15 (1)

100. Michael Maloney -- Painesville, Oh -- 0-0 (0) -- 2-10 (1) -- 2-10 (1)

101. William Payne -- Lackawaxen, Pa -- 0-0 (0) -- 2-9 (1) -- 2-9 (1)

102. Hugh Crumpler Iii -- Palm Bay, Fl -- 2-5 (1) -- 0-0 (0) -- 2-5 (1)

103. Jeffrey Ware -- Warrenton, Va -- 2-0 (1) -- 0-0 (0) -- 2-0 (1)

104. Dale Gorrell -- Hatfield, Pa -- 1-13 (1) -- 0-0 (0) -- 1-13 (1)

105. John Trask -- Jay, Me -- 0-0 (0) -- 1-7 (1) -- 1-7 (1)

John Dial -- Winter Haven, Fl -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0)

Nathan Knapp -- Brooktondale, NY -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0)

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