Lake Champlain, Known as ‘Bass Factory,’ Site of Bassmaster Elite Series Champion’s Choice presented by Toyota Tundra
What’s at stake: $673,150 in cash to the top 50 Elite pros and valuable points in the race for the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year award.
Telecast: The Champion’s Choice presented by Toyota Tundra will be aired on The Bassmasters at 9 a.m. ET July 21 on ESPN2.
The Pros Said It
“It’s windy and pretty rough out here and I think that will discourage some of the guys who are looking to make the trek south to target largemouth. The fish aren’t biting nearly as well as they did last year, but if you are able to get two good bites a day you should have a shot at it. I found out last year that hitting the banks can lead to some big weights, so I will stick with that Thursday (the first day of competition) and see how things shake out.” – Chris Lane, 31, Winter Haven, Fla., one-time BASS winner and 12th in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings
“I’m having a pretty good practice thus far. One day, I targeted smallmouth and caught 16 to 18 pounds. The next day, I focused on the largemouth bite and caught around 20 pounds. The largemouth are a little more predictable as of now, so I think I will focus on them Thursday.” – Ken Brodeur, 44, Niantic, Conn., one-time BASS winner, 62nd in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings
“I’m definitely going to target the smallmouth bite. They aren’t biting as well as I would like, but if you mix your depths, you have a shot at catching a nice limit. It’s a little strange because the smallmouth aren’t in a typical summer pattern, because the lake temperature isn’t where it’s normally at. But there are ways to get them to bite.” – Frank Scalish, 46, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, one-time BASS winner
The Strategy
Lane: The Floridian will concentrate on shallow water and look to entice two big bites each day. He feels confident that he can catch a good-sized limit and will look to upgrade with the big bites. He says the smallmouth are biting a Gambler giggy snake best in 3 feet of water. The 31-year-old thinks that, through the four days of competition, 72 pounds should be enough to win the event.
Brodeur: While the Connecticut Elite pro has found success with two patterns, he plans to focus on the largemouth bite. He is not worried about the breeze or rough conditions that he will experience during a long run, which is necessary to get to an area where the best largemouth live. He is working a Texas-rigged worm in 10 to 12 feet of water and the key to his success is “to keep things simple.”
Scalish: A northern pro who has won a BASS tournament in New York, Scalish is hoping to repeat some of his earlier BASS success in the area. He is mixing a variety of lures between deep and shallow water and is focusing on quality fish before quantity. He feels that he can be “in the mix” if he gets five bites a day and expects the top 50 to be set at 28 pounds over two days, a mark he feels is within his reach.
Location and Field
Champion’s Choice presented by Toyota Tundra – Bassmaster Elite Series
Lake Champlain
Plattsburgh, N.Y.
July 12-15
Field
108 pros, 108 co-anglers
Cut to top 50 after Day 2
Cut to top 12 pro anglers after Day 3
Launch
Plattsburgh Boat Basin
5 Dock Street
Plattsburgh, N.Y.
5:30 a.m. ET
Weigh-in
Plattsburgh Boat Basin
5 Dock Street
Plattsburgh, N.Y 3 p.m. ET
Background
Previous BASS events
2006 Bassmaster Weekend Series
2006 Bassmaster Northern Tour
2006 Bassmaster Weekend Series
2006 Bassmaster Elite Series
2006 Bassmaster Weekend Series
2005 Bassmaster Northern Open
2005 Bassmaster Weekend Series
1999, Bassmaster Top 100
1997, Bassmaster Top 100
Previous winners on lake
Louis Zahra, 19-1, 2006
Rodney Sorrell, 53-2, 2006
Michael Drew, 18-11, 2006
Denny Brauer, 80-3, 2006
Thomas Lavictoire, 18-12, 2006
Joe Lucarelli, 56-7, 2005
Kenneth Bracy, 21-9, 2005
Michael Iaconelli, 61-3, 1999
Roland Martin, 56-15, 1997
Heaviest winning weight
61-3, Michael Iaconelli, 1999
Lowest winning weight
18-11, Michael Drew, 2006
Weather
Temperature
66 degrees
Lake level
96.12 ft. above mean sea level
Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule
The Western Run
#1 March 8-11 Battle on the Border – Lake Amistad, Del Rio, Texas
#2 March 22-25 Duel in the Delta – California Delta, Stockton, Calif.
#3 March 29 – April 1 Golden State Shootout – Clear Lake, Lakeport, Calif.
The Southern Swing
#4 April 19-22 Pride of Georgia – Clarks Hill Lake, Evans, Ga.
#5 April 26-29 Southern Challenge – Lake Guntersville, Guntersville, Ala.
#6 June 7-10 Blue Ridge Brawl – Smith Mountain Lake, Moneta, Va.
The Turn
#7 June 21-24 Sooner Run – Grand Lake, Grove, Okla.
The Northern Run
#8 July 12-15 Champion’s Choice – Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
#9 July 19-22 Empire Chase – Lake Erie/Niagara River, Buffalo, N.Y.
The Final Charge
#10 Aug. 9-12 Capitol Clash – Potomac River, Charles County, Md.
#11 Sept. 13-16 Sunshine Showdown – Lake Tohopekaliga, Kissimmee, Fla.
Local sponsors: Local sponsors include city of Plattsburgh.
Bassmaster Elite Series sponsors: Sponsors of the Bassmaster Elite Series include Toyota Tundra, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Advance Auto Parts, Lowrance Electronics, MotorGuide, Evan Williams Bourbon, Ramada Worldwide and Costa Del Mar.
For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208 or visit http://www.bassmaster.com. Visit http://www.espnmediazone.com for ESPN’s latest releases, schedules and other news, plus photos, video and audio clips and more.
BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events through the BASS Federation Nation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years.
BASS stages bass fishing tournaments for every skill level and culminates with the Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry’s widest array of services and support to its nearly 530,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.
CURRENT TOYOTA TUNDRA BASSMASTER ANGLER OF THE YEAR STANDINGS
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Place Name St Pts
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1 Kevin VanDam Mich. 1775
2 Skeet Reese Calif. 1713
3 Jared Lintner Calif. 1670
4 Jeff Kriet Okla. 1638
5 Terry Scroggins Fla. 1581
5 Ishama Monroe Calif. 1581
7 Derek Remitz Texas 1527
8 Aaron Martens Ala. 1513
9 Kelly Jordon Texas 1504
10 Casey Ashley S.C. 1447
11 Fred Roumbanis Calif. 1446
12 Chris Lane Fla. 1445
13 Steve Kennedy Ala. 1442
14 Scott Rook Ark. 1430
15 Stephen Browning Ark. 1425
15 Timmy Horton Ala. 1425
17 John Crews Va. 1420
18 Mike McClelland Ark. 1417
19 Michael Iaconelli N.J. 1396
20 Edwin Evers Okla. 1394
21 Peter Thliveros Fla. 1393
22 Mark Tyler Okla. 1382
23 Todd Faircloth Texas 1379
24 John Murray Ariz. 1374
25 Tommy Biffle Okla. 1370
26 Boyd Duckett Ala. 1352
27 Kevin Short Ark. 1351
28 Alton Jones Texas 1345
29 Gary Klein Texas 1340
30 Dean Rojas Texas 1339
31 Morizo Shimizu Calif. 1338
32 Gerald Swindle Ala. 1336
33 Jeff Reynolds Okla. 1335
34 Greg Hackney La. 1325
35 Kevin Wirth Ky. 1319
36 Davy Hite S.C. 1316
37 Mark Menendez Ky. 1309
38 Brent Chapman Kan. 1301
39 Jason Quinn S.C. 1285
39 Bryan Hudgins Fla. 1285
41 Takahiro Omori Texas 1282
42 Randy Howell Ala. 1246
43 Denny Brauer Mo. 1243
44 Pete Ponds Miss. 1242
45 Cliff Pace Miss. 1239
46 Brian Snowden Mo. 1237
47 Mark Tucker Mo. 1229
48 Scott Campbell Mo. 1213
49 Jason Williamson S.C. 1210
50 Russ Lane Ala. 1206
51 Dave Wolak N.C. 1204
52 Shaw Grigsby, Jr Fla. 1203
53 Paul Elias Miss. 1193
54 Matt Reed Texas 1184
55 Ray Sedgwick S.C. 1179
56 Ben Matsubu Texas 1174
57 Marty Robinson S.C. 1173
58 Matthew Sphar N.Y. 1172
59 James Niggemeyer Texas 1171
60 Mike Wurm Ark. 1149
61 Kotaro Kiriyama Ala. 1144
62 Ken Brodeur Conn. 1142
63 Bill Lowen Ohio 1139
64 Lee Bailey Ala. 1134
65 Yusuke Miyazaki Texas 1119
66 Britt Myers S.C. 1117
67 Kenyon Hill Okla. 1105
68 Bernie Schultz Fla. 1097
69 Jimmy Mize Ark. 1088
70 Rick Morris Va. 1077
71 Jeremy Starks W.Va. 1069
72 Ken Cook Okla. 1060
73 Greg Gutierrez Calif. 1052
74 Zell Rowland Texas 1046
75 Jim Murray Ga. 1045
76 Marty Stone N.C. 1038
77 Rick Clunn Mo. 1034
78 James Charlesworth Fla. 1027
79 Kurt Dove Va. 1022
80 James Kennedy La. 1017
81 Grant Goldbeck Md. 1011
82 Kevin Langill N.C. 1010
83 Bradley Hallman Okla. 992
84 Bill Smith Ky. 966
85 Jeff Connella La. 965
86 Jami Fralick S.D. 955
87 Glenn Delong Ohio 954
88 Guy Eaker N.C. 944
89 Preston Clark Fla. 919
90 Charlie Hartley Ohio 904
90 Mark Rogers Fla. 904
92 Paul Hirosky Pa. 902
93 Matt Amedeo Ohio 876
94 Jimmy Mason Ala. 874
95 Darrin Schwenkbeck N.Y. 873
96 Bradley Stringer Texas 871
97 Dave Smith Okla. 845
98 Eric Nethery Ga. 836
99 Doc Merkin Ill. 824
100 Terry Butcher Okla. 817
101 Steve Daniel Fla. 813
102 Keith Phillips Ala. 807
103 Byron Velvick Texas 787
104 Jon Bondy Canada 779
105 Rick Ash Pa. 744
106 Charlie Youngers Fla. 741
107 Frank Scalish Ohio 739
108 Elton Luce Jr Texas 525
