Despite the wealth of limits toted across the scales on the first day of the 2010 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Opens, big bites were hard to come by. To Elite Series pros who have not already done so, the Northern Opens represent another avenue to qualify for the 2011 Bassmaster Classic. The competition is as stiff as ever with 23 Elite anglers gunning for one of the two Classic spots available to Northern Opens anglers.
With Wednesday night ushering in torrential rains and winds, Lake Champlain was thoroughly churned up and presented a whole different set of circumstances than the practice period. Still, 172 anglers were able to land a five-fish limit of bass and two anglers broke the 20 pound mark.
Travis Manson of Green Bay, Wis., managed 21 pounds, 5 ounces, Thursday despite losing power midday.
“It got kind of rough there for a bit because I lost my batteries, and we had to be towed for a while,” he said. “However, I think what I had will hold out for Friday.”
‘What he had was’ was top secret and Manson was reticent to reveal any details. Manson’s lead is scant though as Elite pro Ish Monroe of Hughson, Calif., was hot on Manson’s heels with 20-1. Monroe worked a Snag Proof Ish’s Phat Frog to entice largemouth from under the vegetation that is abundant in certain areas.
“There were not a lot of anglers fishing where I was at,” Monroe said, hopeful to retain his solitude for Day 2. “I figured something out that I think will pay off.”
In third place was Mike Haggerty of Hendersonville, Tenn., with 19-11. This is Haggerty’s first time seeing Lake Champlain. He relied on “textbook” techniques for catching smallmouth. Behind him was Elite Series pro Marty Robinson of Lyman, S.C., who is also fishing for a Classic berth. He had 19-7. Tied with Robinson was Brian Gates of Rutland, Vt.
Elite pros Matt Greenblatt and Dave Wolak were sixth and seventh, respectively.
With a full field of 200 anglers, pros are fishing for a top prize of more than $51,000. Co-anglers are vying for a Triton/Mercury rig valued at $44,000. Leading the charge was Johnny Claeys of Warwick, N.Y. Claeys managed to bring in a three-fish limit that weighed 12-11. In second was Brent Heyn of South Hero, Vt., with 11-12. In third was Justin Moore of Portage, Mich., with 11-9.
Fans are invited to catch the Lake Champlain action by attending the morning takeoffs and afternoon weigh-ins, all open to the public and free of charge. Boats will launch at 5:30 a.m. ET at Wilcox Dock on Cumberland Avenue in Plattsburgh. The weigh-ins will begin each day – Thursday, Friday and Saturday – at 2 p.m. ET at the Plattsburgh Boat Basin, Dock Street Landing in Plattsburgh.
The Champlain event host organizations are the city of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau.
After the stop in Plattsburgh, the Northern trail will hit the Detroit River, Aug. 19-21, out of Detroit, Mich., then move on to Chesapeake Bay out of Cecil County, Md., for the Sept. 16-18 season finale.
The Northern circuit is one of three Bassmaster Open divisions, each with three events. The 2010 Southern Open has completed two events this season and will wrap up Oct. 7-9 on Lake Seminole out of Bainbridge, Ga. The Central Open, also with two down, will conclude its season Oct. 21-23 on Lake Texoma out of Denison, Texas.
Bassmaster Open Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
Bassmaster Open Official Sponsors: Toyota Trucks, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Skeeter Boats and Yamaha
Bassmaster Supporting Sponsors: Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats and Triton Boats
About BASS
For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and its expansive tournament structure while championing efforts to connect directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.
As the flagship offering of ESPN Outdoors, the Bassmaster brand and its considerable multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer; comprehensive Web properties, and ESPN2 television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.
BASS oversees the prestigious Bassmaster Tournament Trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, BASS Federation Nation and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
BASS offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.By: BASS Communications / BASS
