No Shortage Of Options In Reg. Season Finale

By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor

The options at the disposal of the Bassmaster Elite Series field this week are virtually endless.

The circuit is back at the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis., for the third time since 2012 and with Pools 7, 8 and 9 of the “Mighty Miss” in play, each teeming with abundant grass and other cover for largemouth and smallmouth to hide in and around, it should provide an exciting backdrop for the regular-season finale.

The Mississippi is known as a place where an angler can pull virtually any rod out of a storage compartment and catch a load of fish. The trick this week will be finding areas where the grown-ups are hanging out as any specimen in the 3-pound range will be considered stout.

“I don’t care what somebody does, this is one of the few places in the country where I don’t care what you like to do, you can do it and catch a bunch of fish,” said veteran FLW Tour pro and La Crosse native Tom Monsoor.

When the Elite Series visited La Crosse in 2012 and 2013, it was during the late June timeframe. Both times it took weights in the low to mid 60s to take home the win. It’s expected to take roughly the same this time around. As one competitor pointed out, “It’s not like they went and grew to be 8-pounders since the last time we were here.”

The conditions are much different than they were 3 or 4 years ago, though. Steady rains Tuesday night lasted through the day Wednesday, which brought water levels up a few inches. How it impacts clarity and how much additional water flows down from up above La Crosse could force some to alter their plans come Thursday morning.

On a grass fishery, annual changes are expected and the Mississippi is no different. The grass is more prolific now than it was during the Elite Series’ previous visits. Still, current breaks, eddies, islands and sprawling backwaters will be among the favored locales for the 107-man field.

With the Angler of the Year race nearing its conclusion, there are factions of competitors who will have different goals and motivations this week. Those near the top of the standings have to decide how much risk they want to take in an effort to apply pressure to leader Gerald Swindle, who could just about sew up his second career AOY title with another Top-12 finish. Those still inside the Classic cut, but not yet locked in, know there’s still work to be done, but taking risks likely won’t be part of their plans.

And then there’s those hovering around those bottom of the Classic cut and near the Top-50 line who will be scrapping for every ounce as they look to secure berths in next week’s AOY championship.

Before getting into more about the bite, here's the lowdown on the fishery itself.

BassFan Lake Profile

> Lake name: Mississippi River
> Type of water: Floodplain river with numerous locks and dams
> Surface acres: Unavailable (Pools 7, 8 and 9 stretch for approximately 70 miles)
> Primary structure/cover: Deadfall timber, brush, grass, weeds, lily pads, riprap
> Primary forage: Crawfish, shad, bluegill
> Average depth: 5 feet
> Species: Largmouths are predominant, but quite a few smallmouths live here
> Length limit: 14 inches
> Reputation: A good numbers fishery where the larger specimens often gang up in specific places
> Weather: Decent weather Thursday will be followed by thunderstorms Friday before stable conditions return for the weekend
> Water temp: High 60s to mid 70s
> Water visibility/color: A couple feet or more in some places and almost none in others/clear to heavily stained
> Water level: A bit high for this time of year in pools 7 and 8, considerably high downstream in Pool 9
> Fish in: 10 feet or shallower
> Fish phase: Summer
> Primary patterns: Flipping, spinnerbaits, frogs, swimjigs, plastics, shallow crankbaits, topwaters, etc.
> Winning weight: 62 pounds
> Cut weight (Top 12 after 3 days): 40 pounds
> Check weight (Top 50 after 2 days): 24 pounds
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 3.5 for the Mississippi River
> Biggest factors: Water level – rains during practice could have a big impact on the bite in the extreme shallows
> Biggest decision: One or more – some will wrestle with staying in one pool or locking up or down in search of something better
> Wildcard: A 4-pounder – they're less common here than many places the Elites visit, and thus much more valuable

For a up-close look at the stretch of the Mississippi River that’s providing the playing field for this week’s event, check out this contour map, courtesy of Navionics:

Tom’s Take

The way Monsoor sees it, the fishing around his hometown this year is a little different because of how far behind schedule the shad are. Typically, at this time of year the bass are keying on them as they start to get into their fall feeding pattern in preparation for winter.

“The shad bite is totally off,” he said. “Usually they’re schooling on them and it’s just not happening.”

Still, he thinks surface baits should remain productive, especially in and around matted vegetation.

“They’re going to kill ‘em on topwater and kill them on whatever they like,” he added.

Monsoor said that prior to this week’s rain the river was rounding into form and setting up for some dynamic fall fishing. Whatever rain does settle into the system shouldn’t impact the proceedings in a negative way.

“The water’s been coming down hard and if we don’t hammered again, they’ll have good fishing,” he said. “This is a better time to be here because now they’re just eating. They’re not thinking about other stuff – they’re getting ready for winter. This is the prime time. If the shad were big, it would be unreal but it would be easy, too.”

After Tommy Biffle prevailed with mostly smallmouth in 2013, Monsoor thinks it could happen again. Don’t forget Brandon Palaniuk was the runaway leader on smallies after day 2 in 2013 before a culling violation led to his day-2 weight being disqualified. It's worth noting that culling is still not permitted in Minnesota waters on the Mississippi River.

“Someone could win on smallmouth,” Monsoor said. “They might be easier (to catch) because you’ll find schools of them. There will be schools of largemouth, but with the shad issue they won’t be as prevalent. These smallies are on a rampage and I think some big ones will be caught.”

Monsoor doesn’t believe the winner will be able to camp on a spot for 4 straight days and pound away. It’ll require a couple key areas that can be revisited through the event or within in a given day.

“You’re going to have to move around,” he added. “You can get a couple days out of a spot, but then have to move around. If it’s the right spot, there are spots like that, but those are rare.

“With the water moving up and down like it is, things are moving. The fish haven’t had time to settle in on their summer pattern. It still will be good, though. The water is still high, but these fish are used to the ups and downs. A lot will spook off the shoreline and will move to where it’s easier to catch them like on the edges where there’s so much current. They’ll stay on the edges good.”

Pool Play

In 2012, Biffle employed a multi-pool approach at the Mississippi River and it resulted in a dismal 96th-place finish. The following year, he camped in Pool 8 and found the winning fish not too far from La Crosse. Todd Faircloth also caught the winning bags out of the Stoddard area of Pool 8 in 2012. Some predict Pool 7 is home to the bigger fish this year while there are some who say Pool 9 has the juice.

There will be some competitors who opt to run north to Pool 7 or south to Pool 9 or mix and match as Biffle did 4 years ago, but with two wins coming out of Pool 8 it’s safe to assume a good portion of the field will stay put.

“All the pools are really similar,” Monsoor said. “If guys want to get away they can go to 9. It’s a run and there are some great smallmouth down there. I’ve seen schools down there with 100 fish. There are no big towns and it doesn’t get much pressure. It’s a special place, but it’s a long run.”

Major League Fishing staged its 2016 Summit Cup out of La Crosse last September and the same pools that are in play this week were used during that competition. Pool 7 produced a 4-08 and several 3-pounders during the first three elimination rounds, but only three of the 29 anglers had a 2-pound per-fish average. Pool 9 kicked out just three 3-pounders during the sudden-death round while the upper portion of Pool 8 was used for the six-man final round that saw winner Kevin VanDam waylay 40 bass for nearly 75 pounds.

Under the Gun

The points implications of this event are no different than any other tournament this season. The winner still receives 110 points, second 109, third 108 and so on. Being that it’s the final regular-season derby means it’s the last chance for some to fish their way into the AOY championship or better their position to make a run at a Classic berth next week. Bottom line: It’s going to be a stressful event for a good portion of the field.

Significant moves can still be made with a Top-12 or even a Top-20 finish. At the Potomac River, Fred Roumbanis, Andy Montgomery and Jason Williamson all parlayed Top-20s into spots among the Top 45 in points heading to La Crosse. Roumbanis improved 19 spots in the standings while Montgomery and Williamson each shot up 18 places.

The pace to finish in the Top 50 in points this year is ahead of what it was in 2014 and 2015. Currently, 58 points per event (average finish of 53rd) is what’s needed to be in the Top 50 and locked into next week’s AOY shootout. Barring something unforeseen, the AOY points cutoff should be around 522 points. Two years ago, the Top-50 average prior to the AOY event was 57.25 while last year it dipped to 47.5.

Swindle has a 37-point lead over Keith Combs, but Swindle missed the cut at La Crosse on both previous trips while Combs missed one and made one cut. Both are on incredible hot streaks – they have one finish outside the Top 40 this season between them – and the Mississippi is a fishery where both should be able to settle into a productive pattern.

Since B.A.S.S. went to the season-ending AOY championship event with a 50-man field, the angler holding the points lead going into the AOY event has gone on to claim the AOY title – Greg Hackney in 2014 and Aaron Martens, who won in record-setting fashion last year.

Notes from the Field

Following are practice notes from a few of the anglers who'll be competing this week.

Fred Roumbanis
“The fishing here’s a little different than I remember. The water has been fluctuating. It was super-low and now it’s coming up. It’s been inconsistent. It’s made it harder for me to target the right fish. With everything going on and where I’m at in the points, I have to figure out how to catch them. I have several things going on and I just hope to pick the right one to keep me interested and get a couple key bites so I don’t go running around.

“I think the smallmouth will come into play. I know I’ll be targeting more smallmouth than in the past. I’ll probably be 50-50. The smallies are on pretty obvious spots. They’re not very difficult to catch; it’s just difficult to catch quality ones. I have not caught anything over 2 1/2 pounds since I’ve been here, so I feel like I’m due.

"It hasn’t been a great practice for me. I’ve covered one end to the other. I’m just hoping the weights are down. For me to advance, I think I’ll need 12 1/2 pounds per day. I know this place has it. It’s just that I have so much positive history here that it’s hard to not go back to places even during the tournament. I have to be willing to bounce and not force them to bite. When you’re doing the right thing, the fish will let you know.”

Bradley Roy
“As always, grass fisheries change every time we come to them. It’s no different here. There’s so much grass right now. It’s literally everywhere. I had several bites each of the first 2 days and one word that keeps popping up in my head is ‘scattered.’ I don’t have one area where I feel I can lock down and set there.

“I’ve caught a mix of both (species) and my hope is stay in one pool and maximize my fishing time. There are so many fish that live close. It’s hard to go somewhere else unless you can get something good going.

“I’ve caught fish in current and fish not related to current. That’s been the problem – I haven’t narrowed it down as to where I need to be yet. It’s been hard to pinpoint a group of fish because there’s so much grass. It’s late in the year and every bank has grass on it so they’re going to be spread out.

“I’m in a comfortable position (21st in points). I don’t need to catch a lot to make the Classic, so my mindset has been to find a winning group of fish and not just fish for a check. I want to catch enough to shore up the Classic and go to Mille Lacs and fish for money.”

Ish Monroe
“My focus is on not having a bomb. I’m focused on doing the best I can in this tournament and then making the AOY.

“It’s very different from the last two times here. There is a substantial amount of grass and the water’s lower, but it’s coming up. On Monday, I would’ve said it’s worse than before, but Tuesday was about the same. I hate having history on a place that we haven’t been to at the same time of year. I want go back and fish places. Fortunately, a couple places have fish, but it’s not the same as it was.

“The fish are not concentrated. When we were in here in June, they were super-concentrated in those areas. When you’d get one bite, you were probably going to get two or three more in that area. I’m staying in one pool and hunkering down. You have to maximize fishing when you’re there. If you lock too soon or think about running up here or down there and something doesn’t pan out, you could be in trouble. You have to pick a pool and ride it out.

“(With so much gras), I try to fish as much of it as you possibly can. I burned more trolling-motor batteries this week than I ever have. I’m running lithium batteries and I’ve never had it down to one bar – that’s 10 percent left. I did that Monday and Tuesday.”

David Mullins
“This place is absolutely full of fish. It’s just hard to get a good fish for me. I have no problem catching them, but the quality fish are hard to come by. I’d like to see the water a couple feet lower to condense it. There’s just not a lot of good fish in this system. They seem to grow to 2 pounds and then quit growing.

“I’d be tickled with 15 (pounds) a day. It’s a fun place to fish, but the deal is trying to find a good one. You can catch them on anything. A lot of it is just a luck deal. You could be fishing and run into a couple good ones.

“The largemouth are related to the grass, but the key is current no matter if in grass or offshore. Current will be a big player this week. It’s typical river fishing in the summer. I don’t think the water coming up will be too bad, but if it gets muddy we might run into some issues there.

"This one’s going to be a deal of ounces. You have to get fortunate and get a couple good bites. That could be the difference of 20 to 25 spots. You have to put your head down because there’s no sense getting all frustrated about it. I have to do the best I know how to do.”

Randall Tharp
“I’m still in search mode because I’ve never been here. I do have a few things that I feel are pretty good. There are multiple things working here. I think it’s going to be pretty similar to the other times they’ve been here as far as the weights go. There are a lot of 2s and 3s are decent and anything above that is a good one.

“I don’t think they’re scattered all about. I fished a long time without a bite and then when you get a bite, you get several. It’s typical river fishing with a lot of current. I like it. For me, it’s what I grew up fishing. We have a lot of options. I’m pretty sure I’ll be fishing more than one pool.

“That AOY money is substantial and each place is a substantial difference. I’d love to make Gerald have to work for this, but part of me doesn’t want to make a big mistake and lose a bunch of ground. Going to the Classic and Mille Lacs feels great, but at end of the day, 2nd is better than 3rd, 3rd's better than 4th and so on. All that said, I’m thinking about taking a risk this week because I really want to make a 12-cut this week.”

Top 10 To Watch

With the above in mind and more, here, in no particular order, is BassFan's recommendation on the Top 10 to watch at this event:

1. Bobby Lane – Five straight Top-45 finishes has him on the plus side of the Classic cut (22nd in points) now and he’s been solid on river systems throughout his career, including a 7th at La Crosse three years ago.

2. Bill Lowen – The water’s moving up and down and changing colors by the hour. Few are better at adjusting to those conditions than Lowen, who has two Top-50 finishes at La Crosse, including a 7th in ’13.

3. Todd Faircloth – The 2012 winner at La Crosse, Faircloth needs a Top-50 finish to shore up his Classic berth. He’s coming off back-to-back Top-25 results so his confidence is starting to grow, plus he’s always a threat up north.

4. Greg Hackney – He trails Swindle by 70 points in the AOY chase so that ship may have sailed, but that won’t stop Hackney from wanting to finish on a high note. He’s had a mixed bag of finishes – 70th in ’13, 15th in ’12 – at the Mississippi, but it’s a shallow grass venue and that’s his sweet spot.

5. Brandon Palaniuk – Had he not made a regrettable culling error during the 2013 Elite Series here, he may have been a runaway winner. Now, he gets a shot at redemption. Coming off his first missed cut since Winyah Bay, Palaniuk is still in good shape Classic-wise (19th in points).

6. Randy Howell – It’s do-or-die time for the 2014 Classic champion who has Top-12 finishes in his last two visits to La Crosse. After a bomb at the Potomac, he needs a stellar showing this week to get back in the hunt for a Classic berth.

7. Kevin VanDam – His summer surge came to a halt with a 99th at the Potomac, which included a zero, but he’s back on a stretch of water where he won an MLF Cup event last summer by catching 40 fish for nearly 75 pounds on the final day.

8. Aaron Martens – He’s been up north fun fishing for a couple weeks now so he’s got a feel for how things are shaping up. That usually doesn’t bode well for the field. He’s still seeking his first Top-12 finish of the season and odds are it’ll come this week.

9. Tommy Biffle – Still trying to shake the effects of a 107th at the season opener. Biffle won at La Crosse in 2013 targeting smallies around small islands in Pool 8. He needs a good showing this week to stay inside the Top 50 and keep his Classic hopes alive.

10. Justin Lucas – He put in some time on the Mighty Miss earlier this summer and is brimming with confidence following his win at the Potomac, where he said moving water was a key. He’ll find more of the same at La Crosse.

Notable

> Brent Chapman made sure he spent time in each [pp; during practice. He hopes that wasn't a mistake. He's been here plenty of times so there's a comfort level, too. To read more about how his practice went in the latest Pro View Report, click here.

Launch/Weigh-In Info

> Anglers will launch at 6:15 a.m. CT all 4 days from Veterans Freedom Park (Clinton St., La Crosse, Wis.). Weigh-ins all 4 days will get under way at 3:15 p.m. at Veterans Freedom Park (same address).

Weather Forecast

> Thurs., Sept. 8 – Sunny – 81°/61°
- Wind: From the W at 10 to 15 mph

> Fri., Sept. 9 – Thunderstorms – 79°/60°
- Wind: From the SSE at 5 to 10 mph

> Sat., Sept. 10 – Partly Cloudy – 72°/53°
- Wind: From the WNW at 10 to 20 mph

> Sun., Sept. 11 – Sunny – 78°/59°
- Wind: From the S at 10 to 15 mph