By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor
Wayne Vaughan is used to hanging around guys who have a knack for winning high-stakes bass tournaments. Among his pals are Bass Pro Tour competitor Jacob Powroznik, a fellow Virginian and former Elite Series champion; JT Kenney, a former FLW Tour winner who’s now an analyst for the Bass Pro Tour’s live webcasts; and Bryan Thrift, a two-time FLW Tour Angler of the Year who captured the $300,000 FLW Cup last month.
In fact, Vaughan and Kenney flew to Arkansas during the Cup to support Thrift and celebrate with him afterward.
Now, Vaughan has a big win of his own to brag about to the fellas. That it came on a revered smallmouth fishery like the St. Lawrence River made it all the more special, not to mention he topped a 128-boat field that happened to include Powroznik, Kenney and Thrift.
Vaughan grew up fishing for largemouth in ponds and small lakes around Virginia as a kid. When he got introduced to smallmouth a few years ago, he couldn’t get enough. He’d previously competed in tournaments in New York, but the focal point of those stops (eastern Lake Erie out of Buffalo and the Thousand Islands area near Cape Vincent) was the big water of the Great Lakes. He hadn’t spent much time in the St. Lawrence, which has risen to national prominence as a powerhouse smallmouth fishery in recent years.
With the finale of the FLW Series’ Northern Division slated to launch out of Massena, Vaughan saw little value in making lengthy runs to Lake Ontario. There were too many variables that could work against him. Instead, he found productive stretches in the river and rode them to his first FLW victory. He prevailed with a three-day total of 63-05, which included a 20-11 haul on the final day.
“I don’t have much of a desire in life to catch largemouth anymore,” Vaughan joked Sunday while reflecting on the win. “This is my (biggest) win ever. I don’t do this for a living. I do it the way I love it. I enjoy traveling some to fish these things, but that’s the extent of it. We’re competitive people and any time you fish anything, you want to win.
“I started smallmouth fishing about five years ago and as much as it would mean to win at home, it would mean that much more to win up there.”
Here’s a rundown of how Vaughan landed his first big tournament victory.
Practice
Vaughan said he visited the St. Lawrence this spring and caught fish sight-fishing. There were fish up shallow last week as well, but he didn’t see it as a viable option for the tournament. In fact, he figured he’d be running to the lake before he arrived in Massena for the start of what turned out to be a week-long practice session.
“I was hell-bent on going to the lake, but not knowing (the river) that well and where to run, I decided to stay in the river around Chippewa Bay and Clayton and figure out as much as I could,” he said.
He mentioned the temptation of chasing the shallow fish, but their skittish nature all but ruled that out as a viable strategy for the tournament.
“I knew there were deeper fish and I focused on that instead of fooling with those shallow fish,” he said.
He said even when the wind picked up, which allowed him to throw reaction baits, the shallow bite remained inconsistent.
His practice wasn’t all that impressive until the two days before competition began, he said. Even his pro pals were struggling.
“They were catching fish, but it’s not like it was easy,” Vaughan said. “The fishing was just a little off. The fish were at different depths and a little bit of everywhere.”
On Tuesday, he caught a 5-pounder and a 6-pounder, both out of deep water (45-plus feet). The following day, things got better
“I’m not sure why, maybe because it was cloudier, but they wanted to bite,” he said. “I got in some areas where I knew I was going to spend some time and got some bites. That told me this is where it’s at and to stick with it. One thing that happened, though, was I knew I wasn’t going to catch a pile of them off of one spot. That just wasn’t going to happen because there were too many fish in too many different segments of the fall.”
Competition
> Day 1: 5, 19-00
> Day 2: 5, 23-10
> Day 3: 5, 20-11
> Total = 15, 63-05
Once the tournament began, Vaughan said the fishing began to mimic his practice as he targeted deeper stretches where current helped position the smallmouth. Most of the fish he caught were in 35 to 55 feet.
“For me to catch them in 55 feet, that was stretching it a bit,” he said.
On day 1, he made the best of what he had to work with. The current wasn’t to his liking in a few places, but he also didn’t have to contend with other competitors fishing the same areas.
“I didn’t know it was going to be like that,” he said. “I just got fortunate, but I knew those fish were fresh.”
He settled on a dropshot rigged above a 1/2-ounce weight as his go-to presentation. A tube triggered a few bites, but he favored the vertical nature of the dropshot, which worked in concert with his Humminbird 360 Imaging unit.
His 19-00 stringer on Thursday was a good start (tied for 22nd), but he lost a couple fish that would’ve put him over 20 pounds.
The current was more conducive to how he wanted to fish on Friday and the weights went up as a result. Vaughan’s 23-10 was one of five 23-pound stringers on day 2 and it catapulted him into 2nd place behind Pennsylvania angler Jonathan Kelly.
“The drifts were better and the water had good pace to it,” he said. “I could see the seams better and they just bit.”
The highlight was a 6-05 kicker – the biggest smallmouth he’s weighed in during a tournament. He caught more fish overall and had what he eventually weighed in by 12:30, allowing him to let what he deemed his big-fish spots rest.
On Saturday, the current was more of a struggle to harness and he sensed the fish in the areas he’d been fishing were starting to get wise.
“I could tell right away when I went to the first area, where I’d caught some four-pounders, I caught some small ones,” he said. “They were growing wise to my game. I tried to throw different stuff but that didn’t do much. I even drifted without my sonar on.”
He had his limit by 8:30, but it was small and he knew he had to generate bigger bites to stay in contention. Soon after, he connected with a 4-pounder. He then made a move to an area he worked on day 1, but again the current wasn’t set up correctly.
A move to his big-fish area followed, but after a couple empty drifts, he opted to move out toward the shipping channel. Water conditions were better than anywhere he’d been and he promptly caught a small keeper in 50 to 55 feet. He engaged the Spot Lock feature on his trolling motor and made another pitch in the vicinity of a large arch that appeared on his sonar.
He connected with a 5-pounder that gave him a lift. He caught a couple more upgrades before moving back to his big-fish zone where he closed out the day with another 4-pounder.
“I didn’t think I’d won because I thought I needed one more 4,” he said.
Winning Pattern Notes
> Vaughan revealed that in some areas, it seemed as though the bass were related more to rock and in areas where current was more intense, they’d be located on veins along the bottom.
"One thing I noticed about the big ones was they were so tight to the cover," he said. "I'd look at their belly and there'd be almost a red round circle from them laying so tight to the cover."
Winning Gear Notes
> Dropshot gear: 7’ medium-action Shimano Conquest spinning rod, Shimano Stradic Cl4+ 2500 spinning reel, 10-pound Seaguar Smackdown braided line (hi-vis green), 6-pound Sunline Super FC Sniper fluorocarbon line (leader), 1/0 Roboworm Rebarb hook, Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm (goby), 5” Z-Man Scented Jerk Shadz (redbone and smelt), 3/8- and 1/2-oz. Reins Tungsten dropshot weight.
Notable
> Vaughan wound up third in the Northern Division points race, earning a berth in the FLW Series Championship later this fall at Lake Cumberland. He also earned an invitation to the 2020 FLW Tour, which he's likely to decline due to his work commitment.
Much of the tackle referenced above is available at the BassFan Store. To browse the selection, click here.
Final Results
1. Wayne Vaughan -- Chester, Va -- 19-0 (5) -- 23-10 (5) -- 42-10 (10) -- 20-11 (5) -- 63-5 (15) -- 63-5 (15) -- $83,340
2. Scott Dobson -- Clarkston, Mi -- 19-0 (5) -- 23-6 (5) -- 42-6 (10) -- 19-6 (5) -- 61-12 (15) -- 61-12 (15) -- $14,199
3. AJ Slegona -- Pine Bush, NY -- 21-2 (5) -- 19-8 (5) -- 40-10 (10) -- 18-13 (5) -- 59-7 (15) -- 59-7 (15) -- $11,115
4. Casey Smith -- Macedon, NY -- 21-15 (5) -- 19-14 (5) -- 41-13 (10) -- 16-15 (5) -- 58-12 (15) -- 58-12 (15) -- $9,096
5. Jason Burger -- Bridgeton, NJ -- 21-4 (5) -- 20-0 (5) -- 41-4 (10) -- 13-6 (4) -- 54-10 (14) -- 54-10 (14) -- $8,186
6. Neil Deleeuw -- Fenwick, On -- 20-9 (5) -- 19-10 (5) -- 40-3 (10) -- 14-1 (5) -- 54-4 (15) -- 54-4 (15) -- $7,277
7. Ken Golub -- Pittsford, NY -- 22-8 (5) -- 19-13 (5) -- 42-5 (10) -- 11-12 (4) -- 54-1 (14) -- 54-1 (14) -- $7,967
8. Brian Hughes -- Barrie, On -- 22-4 (5) -- 18-11 (5) -- 40-15 (10) -- 12-9 (5) -- 53-8 (15) -- 53-8 (15) -- $5,458
9. Jonathan Kelley -- Old Forge, Pa -- 19-1 (5) -- 23-15 (5) -- 43-0 (10) -- 7-4 (5) -- 50-4 (15) -- 50-4 (15) -- $5,548
10. Bryan Thrift -- Shelby, NC -- 17-13 (5) -- 22-13 (5) -- 40-10 (10) -- 9-6 (5) -- 50-0 (15) -- 50-0 (15) -- $3,638
The following anglers missed the cut and did not compete on day 3.
11. Brad Elwood -- Clear Spring, Md -- 15-10 (5) -- 23-14 (5) -- 39-8 (10) -- $3,411
12. Adrian Avena -- Vineland, NJ -- 21-11 (5) -- 17-8 (4) -- 39-3 (9) -- $3,184
13. Ron Nelson -- Berrien Springs, Mi -- 21-9 (5) -- 17-8 (5) -- 39-1 (10) -- $2,729
14. Dakota Ebare -- Denham Springs, La -- 23-6 (5) -- 15-5 (5) -- 38-11 (10) -- $2,729
15. Darryl Esterly -- Fleetwood, Pa -- 19-7 (5) -- 17-14 (5) -- 37-5 (10) -- $2,729
16. Erik Luzak -- Fenelon Falls, On -- 20-8 (5) -- 16-12 (5) -- 37-4 (10) -- $2,729
17. Cooper Gallant -- Bowmanville, On -- 20-6 (5) -- 16-14 (5) -- 37-4 (10) -- $2,729
18. Jt Kenney -- Palm Bay, Fl -- 21-12 (5) -- 15-5 (5) -- 37-1 (10) -- $2,729
19. John Roth -- Lawrenceburg, In -- 21-4 (5) -- 15-7 (5) -- 36-11 (10) -- $2,729
20. Andrew Heivly -- Malvern, Pa -- 18-0 (5) -- 18-11 (5) -- 36-11 (10) -- $2,729
21. Kyle Hall -- Rio Vista, Tx -- 17-1 (5) -- 18-11 (5) -- 35-12 (10) -- $2,501
22. Jeff Turner -- Stoney Creek, On -- 17-15 (5) -- 17-10 (5) -- 35-9 (10) -- $2,501
23. Rick Chenoweth -- Fredericksburg, Va -- 15-4 (5) -- 20-0 (5) -- 35-4 (10) -- $2,501
24. Travis Manson -- Conshohocken, Pa -- 16-13 (5) -- 18-6 (5) -- 35-3 (10) -- $2,501
25. Robert Behrle -- Hoover, Al -- 22-9 (5) -- 12-9 (5) -- 35-2 (10) -- $2,501
26. Ashton Laird -- Delevan, NY -- 21-3 (5) -- 13-8 (5) -- 34-11 (10) -- $2,274
27. Jonathan Robla -- Norwood, NY -- 15-12 (5) -- 18-15 (5) -- 34-11 (10) -- $2,274
28. Lee Rogers -- Newton, NJ -- 17-10 (5) -- 16-13 (5) -- 34-7 (10) -- $2,274
29. Jason Kervin -- Raymond, Me -- 17-12 (5) -- 16-7 (5) -- 34-3 (10) -- $2,274
30. Shane Hatch -- Owlshead, Me -- 23-7 (5) -- 10-10 (3) -- 34-1 (8) -- $2,274
31. Chris Bielert -- Danbury, Ct -- 15-1 (5) -- 18-12 (5) -- 33-13 (10) -- $1,819
32. David Perdue -- Wirtz, Va -- 20-0 (5) -- 13-3 (5) -- 33-3 (10) -- $1,819
33. Frank Poirier -- North Prince George, Va -- 14-0 (5) -- 18-12 (5) -- 32-12 (10) -- $1,819
34. Troy Morrow -- Eastanollee, Ga -- 13-7 (5) -- 19-1 (5) -- 32-8 (10) -- $1,819
35. Matt Becker -- Finleyville, Pa -- 13-8 (5) -- 19-0 (5) -- 32-8 (10)
36. Cal Climpson -- Cavan, On -- 16-13 (5) -- 15-10 (5) -- 32-7 (10)
37. Tom Hardy -- Midland, On -- 16-1 (5) -- 16-5 (5) -- 32-6 (10)
38. Chris Flint -- Arab, Al -- 18-14 (5) -- 13-3 (5) -- 32-1 (10)
39. Charlie Hartley -- Grove City, Oh -- 17-0 (5) -- 15-1 (5) -- 32-1 (10)
40. Dan Greenwood -- Hudson, Nh -- 13-15 (5) -- 18-1 (5) -- 32-0 (10)
41. Justin Atkins -- Florence, Al -- 18-1 (5) -- 13-15 (5) -- 32-0 (10)
42. Douglas Reed -- Bridgeton, NJ -- 16-1 (5) -- 15-8 (5) -- 31-9 (10)
43. Joseph Thompson -- Coatesville, Pa -- 14-2 (5) -- 17-0 (5) -- 31-2 (10)
44. Tim Dube -- Nashua, Nh -- 11-14 (5) -- 19-1 (5) -- 30-15 (10)
45. Brad Paradis -- Ogdensburg, NY -- 15-9 (5) -- 15-5 (5) -- 30-14 (10)
46. Paul Spaulding -- North Bangor, NY -- 16-11 (5) -- 13-14 (5) -- 30-9 (10)
47. Drew Tiano -- Hudson, NY -- 15-4 (5) -- 15-1 (5) -- 30-5 (10)
48. Justin Mounce -- Springdale, Ar -- 14-0 (5) -- 16-0 (5) -- 30-0 (10)
49. Christiana Bradley -- Goldvein, Va -- 19-8 (5) -- 10-7 (5) -- 29-15 (10)
50. Jared Mataczynski -- Wausau, Wi -- 10-8 (5) -- 19-4 (5) -- 29-12 (10)
51. Jeff Coble -- Manson, NC -- 16-2 (5) -- 13-6 (5) -- 29-8 (10)
52. Donald Tripoli -- Webster, NY -- 12-9 (5) -- 16-14 (5) -- 29-7 (10)
53. Curtis Richardson -- Belleville, On -- 12-14 (4) -- 16-9 (5) -- 29-7 (9)
54. Scott Wiley -- Bay Minette, Al -- 18-4 (5) -- 10-15 (5) -- 29-3 (10)
55. Justin Hicks -- Roanoke, Va -- 16-4 (5) -- 12-14 (5) -- 29-2 (10)
56. Dylan Hays -- El Dorado, Ar -- 14-11 (5) -- 14-5 (5) -- 29-0 (10)
57. Gary Krammes -- Pottsville, Pa -- 11-0 (5) -- 17-6 (5) -- 28-6 (10)
58. William Dennison Iii -- Willoughby Hills, Oh -- 21-6 (5) -- 6-12 (2) -- 28-2 (7)
59. Douglas Kirkbride -- Beaver Falls, NY -- 16-6 (5) -- 11-12 (5) -- 28-2 (10)
60. Kevin Martin -- Crown City, Oh -- 16-14 (5) -- 11-2 (5) -- 28-0 (10)
61. Matt Greenblatt -- Port St Lucie, Fl -- 13-5 (5) -- 14-11 (5) -- 28-0 (10)
62. Harold Marietta -- Hunker, Pa -- 6-3 (3) -- 21-10 (5) -- 27-13 (8)
63. Bob Macmillan -- Kingston, On -- 16-7 (5) -- 11-6 (5) -- 27-13 (10)
64. Garrett Enders -- Mifflinburg, Pa -- 10-7 (4) -- 17-5 (5) -- 27-12 (9)
65. Troy Garrison -- Topsham, Me -- 17-14 (5) -- 9-10 (5) -- 27-8 (10)
66. Matthew Kiefer -- Fort Wayne, In -- 16-14 (5) -- 10-7 (5) -- 27-5 (10)
67. Robert Grabow -- Morgantown, WV -- 13-5 (5) -- 13-14 (5) -- 27-3 (10)
68. Cody Hahner -- Wausau, Wi -- 15-13 (5) -- 11-5 (5) -- 27-2 (10)
69. Kirk Sullivan -- Minden, On -- 13-6 (4) -- 13-9 (5) -- 26-15 (9)
70. Ronald Martinez Jr. -- Valley View, Oh -- 15-10 (5) -- 11-4 (5) -- 26-14 (10)
71. Brian Tyler -- Johnsonville, SC -- 10-1 (5) -- 16-9 (5) -- 26-10 (10)
72. Kyle Hoffman -- Harpers Ferry, WV -- 11-1 (5) -- 15-9 (5) -- 26-10 (10)
73. Brian Dauberman -- Mifflinburg, Pa -- 11-14 (5) -- 14-7 (5) -- 26-5 (10)
74. Joe Labarbera -- Montrose, Pa -- 11-12 (3) -- 14-5 (5) -- 26-1 (8) -- $256
75. Steven Hatala -- Harrison Township, Mi -- 9-10 (3) -- 16-5 (5) -- 25-15 (8)
76. Ed Casey -- Whiteford, Md -- 12-14 (5) -- 12-10 (5) -- 25-8 (10)
77. Zak Fadden -- Plymouth, Mi -- 13-4 (5) -- 11-4 (5) -- 24-8 (10)
78. James Schulz -- Moundville, Al -- 15-12 (5) -- 8-10 (3) -- 24-6 (8)
79. Troy Roder -- Brookeland, Tx -- 9-8 (5) -- 14-11 (5) -- 24-3 (10)
80. Garry Woodruff -- Candia, Nh -- 12-2 (5) -- 11-6 (5) -- 23-8 (10)
81. Cole Harris -- Essex Junction, Vt -- 9-13 (5) -- 13-8 (5) -- 23-5 (10)
82. Takeru Okumura -- Columbia, SC -- 12-15 (5) -- 10-6 (5) -- 23-5 (10)
83. Daniel Urbino -- Bliss, NY -- 15-3 (5) -- 7-3 (4) -- 22-6 (9)
84. Scott Cooke -- Marengo, Oh -- 9-13 (5) -- 12-8 (5) -- 22-5 (10)
85. Joseph Wood -- Westport, Ma -- 7-13 (5) -- 14-5 (5) -- 22-2 (10)
86. Jimmy Kennedy -- Plainfield, Vt -- 14-15 (5) -- 6-15 (2) -- 21-14 (7)
87. Tim Wilson -- Gas City, In -- 12-15 (5) -- 8-12 (5) -- 21-11 (10)
88. Jim Vitaro -- Wooster, Oh -- 12-11 (5) -- 8-5 (2) -- 21-0 (7)
89. Christopher Grenier -- Clarksburg, WV -- 12-7 (5) -- 8-9 (5) -- 21-0 (10)
90. Tim Grinder -- Akron, Oh -- 9-7 (5) -- 11-5 (5) -- 20-12 (10)
91. Troy Baxter -- Canton, NY -- 10-13 (5) -- 9-14 (3) -- 20-11 (8)
92. Brandon Johnson -- Mount Sterling, Ky -- 4-0 (2) -- 16-10 (5) -- 20-10 (7)
93. Timmy Thompkins -- Myrtle Beach, SC -- 11-5 (5) -- 9-1 (3) -- 20-6 (8)
94. Wes Campbell -- Centerville, Oh -- 11-4 (5) -- 9-2 (5) -- 20-6 (10)
95. J (Jay) Madden -- Merrimack, Nh -- 9-13 (5) -- 10-5 (5) -- 20-2 (10)
96. Jade Keeton -- Florence, Al -- 10-6 (5) -- 9-1 (5) -- 19-7 (10)
97. Joe Lineberry -- Lakefield, On -- 9-1 (5) -- 10-6 (5) -- 19-7 (10)
98. Cliff Blackford -- Addison, Mi -- 7-0 (4) -- 12-2 (4) -- 19-2 (8)
99. John Hauserman -- Towson, Md -- 2-0 (1) -- 17-1 (5) -- 19-1 (6)
100. Brandon Stanley -- Johnson City, Tn -- 6-0 (2) -- 12-15 (5) -- 18-15 (7)
101. Carl Boileau -- Stittsville, On -- 7-10 (2) -- 11-5 (5) -- 18-15 (7)
102. Bret Loomis -- Groveland, NY -- 7-12 (4) -- 10-11 (5) -- 18-7 (9)
103. Heath Toler -- Walnut Cove, NC -- 6-5 (4) -- 11-12 (5) -- 18-1 (9)
104. Glenn Babineau -- Mechanicville, NY -- 4-8 (3) -- 12-15 (4) -- 17-7 (7)
105. John Dial -- Winter Haven, Fl -- 7-13 (5) -- 9-5 (5) -- 17-2 (10)
106. Michael Hall -- Annandale, Va -- 3-3 (2) -- 12-12 (5) -- 15-15 (7)
107. Shawn O'malley -- Fogelsville, Pa -- 8-12 (5) -- 7-3 (5) -- 15-15 (10)
108. David Kranz -- Woodstock, Il -- 5-7 (4) -- 10-5 (5) -- 15-12 (9)
109. Kurt Mitchell -- Milford, De -- 14-15 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 14-15 (5)
110. Nick Gainey -- Charleston, SC -- 6-1 (3) -- 8-11 (3) -- 14-12 (6)
111. Mark Peiser -- Pittsboro, In -- 9-15 (5) -- 4-9 (3) -- 14-8 (8)
112. Robert Clyse -- Ironton, Oh -- 11-14 (5) -- 2-6 (1) -- 14-4 (6)
113. Bryan Sisk -- Glenelg, Md -- 8-14 (5) -- 5-3 (2) -- 14-1 (7)
114. Wil Dieffenbauch -- Morgantown, WV -- 3-1 (1) -- 10-14 (5) -- 13-15 (6)
115. Ryan Davidson -- Branchland, WV -- 3-2 (2) -- 9-15 (5) -- 13-1 (7)
116. Paul Kimball -- Glastonbury, Ct -- 7-1 (5) -- 5-11 (3) -- 12-12 (8)
117. Charlie Evans -- Berea, Ky -- 12-8 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 12-8 (5)
118. Craig Rexford -- Grand Isle, Vt -- 12-8 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 12-8 (5)
119. Jacob Powroznik -- Port Haywood, Va -- 12-4 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 12-4 (5)
120. Lucas Bogosian -- Harrington Park, NJ -- 2-5 (2) -- 9-1 (2) -- 11-6 (4)
121. Nick Radtke -- Greenwood Lake, NY -- 4-4 (2) -- 5-12 (2) -- 10-0 (4)
122. Phil Scott -- Silver Spring, Md -- 9-13 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 9-13 (5)
123. Curt McGuire -- Buchanan, Tn -- 7-14 (3) -- 0-0 (0) -- 7-14 (3)
124. Burley Warf -- Moneta, Va -- 0-0 (0) -- 6-11 (5) -- 6-11 (5)
125. Frankie Appaluccio -- Franklin, NJ -- 3-6 (2) -- 2-10 (2) -- 6-0 (4)
126. Jeffrey Randall -- Lake Luzerne, NY -- 0-0 (0) -- 5-14 (4) -- 5-14 (4)
127. Jeffrey Young -- Londonderry, Nh -- 2-12 (1) -- 3-0 (1) -- 5-12 (2)
Lee Black -- Danville, Al -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0)
