Brown/Green Slugfest On Tap At St. Lawrence

By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor

The 99 Bassmaster Elite Series anglers would be having a grand time this week if they were on a fun-fishing excursion along the New York/Canada border, as would just about anybody who enjoys casting a lure. The St. Lawrence River is home to millions of bass – with mouths that are both small and large – almost all extremely healthy and willing to bite.

Having to catch them for cash, however, takes a lot of the fun out of the equation. The anglers know they're going to need two bulging sacks in order to leave Waddington, N.Y. with a paycheck, and in all likelihood a per-fish average of close to 4 pounds will be necessary to advance through the weekend.

The bite is definitely on for the penultimate event of the 2013 season, but so is the pressure. In addition to the paycheck thing, Angler of the Year (AOY) points and their accompanying 2014 Bassmaster Classic ramifications down the road are at stake.

The venue is a virtually untapped bass fishery. Several B.A.S.S. events were staged on the river during the 1990s, but those launched far to the east – much closer to giant Lake Ontario. Previously, Waddington's biggest claim to fame from a fishing standpoint was hosting the 2005 World Carp Tournament.

All of St. Lawrence County has rolled out red carpets for the organization this week. Visitors can ride in a helicopter or a horse-drawn carriage, see birds of prey in action, view a military tribute and partake in numerous other activities while waiting for the weigh-ins to begin.

Here's a brief rundown on the fishery:

BassFan Lake Profile

> Lake name: St. Lawrence River
> Type of water: Primary drainage for the Great Lakes Basin
> Surface acres: N/A (competitors will have access to approximately 100 miles of the river, plus Lake Ontario)
> Primary structure/cover: Humps, points, rockpiles, weedbeds, sandbars, reeds, mats
> Primary forage: Gobies dominate, but crayfish and various minnows are also available
> Species: Smallmouths and largemouths
> Length limit: 12 inches
> Reputation: A virtually untapped bass fishery with prolific numbers of both smallmouths and largemouths weighing 3 pounds or more
> Weather: Scattered storms a possibility for the first 2 days, then partly cloudy with mild temperatures and relatively light winds the rest of the way
> Water temp: Mid-70s
> Water visibility/color: Clear
> Water level: Normal
> Fish in: 0 to 35 feet
> Fish phase: Summer
> Primary patterns: Dropshots, tubes, flipping, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jerkbaits, jigs, swimbaits, topwaters, plastics, etc.
> Winning weight: 85 pounds
> Cut weight (Top 12 after 3 days): 56 pounds
> Check weight (Top 50 after 2 days): 31 pounds
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 4 for the St. Lawrence River
> Biggest factors: Weather – it can reposition fish and alter their mood quickly
> Biggest decision: Deep or shallow – either could be the ticket to victory
> Wildcard: Lake Ontario – big fish live there and they're easy to catch, but getting there and back can be precarious due to wind and traffic

100 Pounds? Maybe, but Not Likely

There's been speculation ever since this derby was announced that the winner would crack the century mark for 4-day weight. Bob Izumi, the Canadian tournament and media icon who's fished the river for 30 years (collecting five Ranger boats and a Chevy truck in the process) says that's within the realm of possibility, but probably won't happen.

"I don't think so," he said. "There was a 27-pound weight from that end of the river earlier this year, but realistically, I'd say 80 to 85 pounds will win it. There are so many factors that 25 pounds a day for 4 days just isn't realistic."

One of the biggest factors is there aren't enormous schools of deep smallmouths to be exploited – at least not on the river. There are such collections on Lake Ontario, but the 160-mile round trip (just to the mouth of the river) to fish there is too risky for many to chance. There's always boat traffic to contend with (starting in the area of the Thousand Islands, which is only about halfway there), and the situation worsens exponentially if the wind blows in excess of 10 mph, which it often does.

Most of the field will opt for the safer play of remaining on the river, but some will gamble and head for the lake, where 25 pounds could be amassed within a dozen drops over the side of the boat.

"The lake has been a big topic of discussion, but the tournament can definitely be won on the river," Izumi said. "The fish in the river have gotten bigger in the last few years – they've been gorging on gobies just like the fish in the lake.

"It'd really be a crapshoot to get on the lake for 4 days in a row. It'd involve at least 750 miles of running in a boat, but putting together a big limit in 3 hours of fishing there can be done. I can't wait to see who rolls the dice and goes for it."

Largemouths Could Factor

Most of the field will focus on the system's chunky smallmouths, but the river is also home to a substantial population of largemouths. There are no true giants, but a 15- to 19-pound sack of greenheads can be compiled rather routinely and two of those might get a competitor to Saturday, anyway.

"My bet is that it won't be won with largemouths, but I'd think there might be one guy in the Top 10 who's catching them," Izumi said. "The largemouths on the river aren't fished very much and they're pretty easy to catch. Guys who want to target them will be able to catch them.

"There've been tournaments won with mixed bags, with all smallmouths and with all largemouths in recent years. I've personally caught largemouths that were 6 pounds and change. They're pretty naïve and they don't see a lot of baits."

The more numerous smallmouths, on average, might be even bigger than the largemouths, and for some they'll be easier to locate and catch. There are distinct pods of them in both deep and shallow water, with the former hanging out as far down as 35 feet.

Izumi said the increased size of the smallmouths is a recent phenomenon.

"I've talked to a noted biologist who fishes team tournaments, and he said the smallmouths have gotten 25 percent bigger from 2000 to 2012," he said. "The gobies and the zebra mussels have played a part, but he said the biggest reason is water temperature.

"I think it's global warming – we've had hotter summers recently and a couple of incredibly hot springs. (The biologist) said you wouldn't believe how much difference 1 degree makes in the growth of fish."

Field Notes

Here are practice notes from some of the anglers who'll compete this week.

Josh Bertrand
"I'm actually not catching a lot of fish. I'm getting some quality, but not enough to where I really feel comfortable.

"I'm going to fish for smallmouths for the most part and hopefully I'll have some largemouths for a backup. The lake's still a possibility – I haven't ruled that out yet – but I think the river's a safer bet.

"We've been pretty lucky to have calm weather so far. That scary part is that usually doesn't last for several days in a row around here."

Stephen Browning
"I'm optimistic, but I still don't quite know what to think. I'm not getting as many bites as I thought I'd get, but I've had a few really good bites. It's one of those deals where I'm going to have to go out and swing come tournament time and hope they're the right ones.

"I was thinking I could come up here and get 40 to 50 bites a day, but that's not the case right now. I've been getting 12 to 15. I never set on anything (Tuesday) so I don't know what they were."

"I piddled around with largemouths and set the hook on plenty of them, but I can't catch one over 3 pounds. If I'd gotten one 4-pounder I wouldn't have set again, but that didn't happen. I think the thing for me to do is get a spinning rod in my hand and get after the smallmouths.

"I'm not going to take a chance on making that long run to the lake. The first time I was there, in an Open in '97, I speared a wave and got a boat full of water. That wasn't a lot of fun and I felt like a deep-diving crankbait when I surfaced."

Randy Howell
"This place is loaded with fish and it's a little scary because you know everybody's going to catch them. Everybody's been trying to guess whether it's going to take 18 pounds a day to make the Top 50, or 20 pounds or what. There's been so many fish caught that there's no way of judging and you have to wonder if they're going to keep being caught as easily as they have been.

"I've done real well and I've caught a lot of fish. I would've ended up with five big ones ever day, but numbers-wise, I've caught a lot of 2-pounders and 2 1/2s.

"I fished a little bit for largemouths yesterday, but I never caught one. Every time I've gone for the smallmouths they've been biting good, so I'll keep doing that.

"I'd like to fish down on the lake, but I don't want to have to make that run to get to it. Just running up the river you come across all kinds of boats, yachts, ships and freighters. It seems like a lot of these Canadians are on vacation."

Chad Pipkens
"I had a good day (Monday) and a bad day (Tuesday). It's going to be a slugfest and I've been looking around for some different things and I tried to find some isolated stuff, and that didn't really happen.

"I'm going to fish the river because it can compete with the lake for 4 days at this time of year. If everything's right it takes an hour and 40 minutes just to run to the mouth, and that's when it's dead-calm. If the wind kicks up, it could be more than a 2-hour drive.

"I've fished here in a couple of EverStarts and I've made a Top 10. Every time I've been here the wind's blown during practice and I've been forced to fish the river. It's huge, but you don't need to know the whole river, you just need to know a section of it better than some other people.

"It's going to take a lot of weight to do well. These fish are extremely healthy."

Cliff Pirch
"This is a pretty fun place to fish and people are going to flat-out catch them. You just have to hope you get a few of those key giant bites every day. I won't say it's tricky, but it's one of those things where you don't really know how big the schools are. There might be more singles and little pods of them.

"I haven't made a decision about going to the lake yet. If I can do it in the river, then I'd prefer to do that. There's a lot of factors that could go wrong that would cost you time and trouble.

"I did catch a big largemouth (Tuesday), so I think both species might be in play."

Dean Rojas
"If you were fun-fishing you could just keep hammering them at this place, but since it's a tournament, if you're catching those smaller ones you've got to leave. We've had real nice weather the past few days and a lot of flat-calm water and we've been able to move around quite a bit. They're calling for a little bit heavier winds during the tournament, though, and that could put a real damper on things.

"I've had some really good largemouth bites, so I may just do a mixed bag. It's my first time fishing an event here and I've just tried to put together a gameplan for the whole tournament. I want to have something I can do no matter what happens."

Top 10 to Watch

Based on the above factors and more, here are BassFan's recommendations for the Top 10 to watch in this event.

1. Edwin Evers – The Oklahoman has always fared well at Northern venues and he could just about put a bow on the Angler of the Year (AOY) award if he logs his fourth Top-12 finish of the campaign.

2. Kevin VanDam – His lengthy string of finishes in the teens or lower is going to end at some point, and it's a good bet that it'll happen at one of these two smallmouth-dominated events in his home region over the next 3 weeks. He won two B.A.S.S. events on the St. Lawrence back in the '90s and he still has a shot at the AOY, which will provide additional motivation.

3. Brandon Palaniuk – He lost a probable win and the resulting Classic berth with a culling error at the Mississippi River in late June and he's been raring to get back in action ever since. This event sets up extremely well for the Idaho native.

4. Mike Iaconelli – A season that began with such promise (he was 4th at the Classic) has devolved into a second straight desperate bid just to qualify for the sport's premier event. He's a smallmouth-wrecker, though, and should be at least even-money to gain the dozen or spots that he needs in the points standings over these final two events.

5. Skeet Reese – He's had a marvelous season, but Evers' relentless pursuit of his first AOY has left the Californian a hefty 44 points to make up during the final two derbies. All he can do from this point is hold up his own end of the bargain and hope that Evers provides him some help.

6. Jonathon VanDam – He garnered his 2012 Classic berth with a victory in his home region and now he's back to try again. He could make next year's Classic on points with a couple of solid finishes, but look for him to get into contention for the trophy at least once.

7. Aaron Martens – Throw out an 85th in the opener at the Sabine River and he'd be in the midst of his best season ever. With two runner-ups, an 8th and a 15th in the last four events, he's absolutely sizzling, and he has no qualms with fishing for bronzebacks.

8. Steve Kennedy – He's had a very strong bounce-back season after a disastrous 2012 campaign and could work his way into the post-season with a couple of strong showings. He often shines on fisheries that are unfamiliar to most of the field.

9. Rick Clunn – He likely needs a win to get into the Guntersville Classic, and he did just that on the St. Lawrence 21 years ago. He has a lot of experience catching big renegade smallmouths that stay away from the schools and do their own thing.

10. John Murray – His track record in the North is mixed, but when he's good, he's really good. He's battling to stay inside the Classic cutoff and comes in with some momentum off of strong finishes at the Alabama and Mississippi rivers.

Launch/Weigh-In Info

Anglers will launch at 6:15 a.m. ET each day from Whittaker Park Boat Launch (State Road 37/Pine Street, Waddington, N.Y.). Weigh-ins will get under way at 3:15 p.m. at the same location.

Notable

> Brent Chapman said he's got only one reliable pattern working, but it's producing the kind of weight he thinks he'll need to cash in this week. Aaron Martens caught his biggest smallmouth ever on the first day of practice. To check out their practice recaps, click here to go to BassFan's Pro View Reports.

Weather Forecast

> Thurs., Aug. 8 – A.M. Showers - 80°/62°
- Wind: From the WSW at 9 mph

> Fri., Aug. 9 – Isolated T-Storms - 81°/57°
- Wind: From the SW at 7 mph

> Sat., Aug. 10 – Partly Cloudy - 74°/51°
- Wind: From the W at 10 mph

> Sun., Aug. 11 – Partly Cloudy - 76°/53°
- Wind: From the WSW at 7 mph