The New York BASS Chapter Federation held its 36th annual Susan Johnson season opener on Lake Champlain launching out of Ticonderoga on June 20th. The event drew 228 anglers (114 boaters and 114 non-boaters) all of them eager for their shot at the first place prize money, $2,500 for the boater and $1,500 for the non-boater. This year’s opener was everything the Federation expected and the lake showed exactly why it’s revered as one of the premiere bass fisheries in the North East with the winning weights in each division in excess of 20 pounds. Fish were diagnosed in the post-spawn phase and anglers fished from the shoreline out to the 12 foot zone using frogs, plastics, jigs and crankbaits and here’s how they did it.
Boater Division
David Canestrare of Chittenango NY (Salt City Bassmasters) made his first trip to the NY BASS Chapter Federation’s winner’s circle with a weight of 22.76 lbs. earning the $2,500 prize money. Canestrare reports keeping his Triton boat in real shallow water targeting hard bottom areas with scattered chuck rock and wood to present T-rigged Senkos and drop baits. Canestrare anchored his limit with a solid largemouth of 5.49 lbs. and just missed taking the lunker honors by two tenths of a pound. Canestrare reports using baits by Kietech and Lucky Craft are what give him confidence to do well in tournament fishing. This is his first win, in only his second tournament with the NY BASS Chapter Federation. Watch for this young angler to make his way to the winner’s circle again real soon.
James Schneider of Albany NY earned second place with a weight of 21.72 lbs. Schneider reports fishing scattered grass from 5-10 foot with Lil’ Hustler jigs. When asked about specific locations or areas he fished Schneider became a bit tight lipped, but he did say these areas have produced in the past and that knowledge probably helped him score as well as he did. Schneider recognized Lil’ Hustler jigs and stated his confidence was using that particular jig because once you stick a fish on a Lil’ Hustler it’s coming in the boat.
Third place honors went to Luke Musto of Lake George NY (Adirondack Bassmasters) with a weight of 20.27 lbs. and he anchored that limit with the Bass Pro Shops Lunker winner that weighed 5.68 lbs. Musto reports starting early in the shallows with Zoom Horny Toad and that’s when he caught the lunker winner. Once the sun came out strong he followed the bite to the outside edge of the weed line adjacent to open water where he’d located a hard bottom area with a shell bed and he spent the rest of his tournament day fishing it with a jig and pig.
Rounding out the top five were Jamie Hartman of Poland NY with a weight of 19.65 lbs. and Matt Martin of Chittenango NY (Salt City Bassmasters) with a weight of 17.40 lbs.
Non- Boater Division
Dale Pettenski of Rochester NY (Rochester Bassmasters) made his way to the winner’s circle with a weight of 20.16 lbs. He anchored his limit with a nice 5.04 lb. fish. Pettenski reports fishing shallow rocky areas of 3 foot all day using a Senko rigged with 1/16th ounce weight. Pettenski recognized Outkast Tackle and the letscatchfish website in supporting his tournament efforts.
Second place with a weight of 16.95 lbs. went to Ed Moore of Gouverneur NY (Northern NY Bassmasters II) Moore reports fishing shallow wood all day long with a Jig & pig. To sweeten his day a bit more he also brought in the non-boater Bass Pro Shops Lunker that weighed 5.95 lbs. Moore asked to recognize BASSCAT boats as a great bass boat.
Mike Wall of Syracuse NY took third place with a weight of 16.87 lbs and that also won the over 50 senior pool so he doubled up on his winning’s today. Wall thanked his boater Brian Kelly for putting him on the fish and reports using a Zoom fluke and five inch cut tail worm on a shakey head jig in 5-10 ft of water.
Rounding out the top five were Jack Dolce of Slate Hill NY (Orange County Bassmasters) with a weight of 15.77 lbs. and Ken Higgins of Brant Lake NY with a weight of 14.91 lbs.
The NY BASS Chapter Federation also partnered with the Lake Champlain Research Institute and the Lake Champlain Sea Grant to provide fish for their new bass survey and tagging program.
For additional information contact Tournament Director Jeff Edgarton (315) 662-7925 or [email protected]
Trail Sponsors are North Jersey Marine, Hummingbird, Triton Boats, Berkley, Toyota, Mercury, Minnkota, Motorguide, Keitech, Bass Pro Shops, Adirondack Reel Service, Mad-TY Custom Baits, Rapsody Fishing Rods, BMB Custom Baits, Plano Tackle, Ogdensburg Chamber of Commerce and Ticonderoga Chamber of Commerce, US Reel, Basscat Quest, Triton Alliance, Skeeter Reel Money, Bass Pro Shop Tournament Rewards, and the Professional Anglers Association Payday Program, Team E Outdoors, Susquehanna Fishing Tackle, 1,000 Islands Clayton NY, and TungstenWTS.By: Burnie Haney
