Elites' favorite New York waters

If you watched any of the coverage of the recent Busch Beer Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake, one thing would be crystal clear- B.A.S.S. and its Elite Series anglers don’t just like fishing in the state of New York, they love it.

From the Finger Lakes which hosted the recent event on Cayuga, to Oneida in the upper right of this map which held the first Northern Open of the year last week…

…to the St. Lawrence River which was recently announced as a site of a 2017 Elite Series event, and Lake Champlain which is a mainstay on the Northern Opens tournament circuit.

With all of this love in the air, it makes sense to drill down and get some specifics. Here are the favorite fisheries of some of the Elites when they travel to the Empire State.

Josh Bertrand has experienced a lot of success in New York, including two top 12 finishes on the St. Lawrence River, and ending up in the top 50 during both trips to Cayuga in recent years.

Josh says, “St. Lawrence River is the best ever. But the actual Lake Ontario is amazing as well. It feels like you’re on the edge of the earth up there because both the river and the lake are so untouched in places. I like the Finger Lakes, but my third choice would be Oneida. It’s close, though.”

John Crews had his best finish lately in New York just two weeks ago at Cayuga, where he finished 20th. In his previous recent trips he still placed higher than much of the field.

John says his top three are Lake Erie at Buffalo, Lake Champlain and Cayuga Lake. He said 1000 Islands/St. Lawrence River is a very close 4th place on his list.

James Elam has finished in the top 50 at both St. Lawrence River and Cayuga during recent Elite Series stops.

It shouldn’t be any surprise that he likes both of them, as well. His top three are St. Lawrence, Cayuga and Lake Erie.

Randy Howell has a special relationship with one New York lake- in 2012 he finished 2nd in a Northern Open on Oneida Lake. He came back in 2015, and did one better, winning the event.

Oneida is, of course, on the top of his list. Two other New York fisheries he loves are Onondaga and Cayuga.

Kevin VanDam has had a lot of success, well, everywhere. Including a win last month at Cayuga. HIs previous win in New York was at the St. Lawrence in 1999, but during every Elite Series event in between he was always in the money, and often near the top.

Kevin says his favorite, for sure, is the St. Lawrence River. But he couldn’t name just one….

He says as far as inland lakes are concerned, Champlain and Cayuga are at the top, but he really enjoyed his time on all the Finger Lakes including Skaneateles.

Always in the money in the Empire State, Brandon Palaniuk celebrated a big win on the St. Lawrence River in 2013. So you can guess it’s number one on his list.

Also up there for Brandon is the East Basin of Lake Ontario, where he won the tournament in 2013. Next for him are Cayuga and Champlain.

Adrian “Jersey Boy” Avena knows New York waters well. When asked about his favorites, he had a lot to say.

1. Lake Champlain – Very seldom do anglers need to have multiple species of bass to win on a Lake. Over the years it takes a big limit of smallmouth, with a kicker largemouth to put you over the edge. That is why I rate Lake Champlain number one! 2. Lake Erie – With fertile Niagara River dumping into the eastern basin of Lake Erie, smallmouth congregate to the Buffalo, NY area to seek current. With 50 + fish days, and five fish stringers well into the 20s they are some of the strongest brown fish you will ever come across.

3. St. Lawrence – Not only is the Thousand Island area one of the most beautiful places you will see, Lake Ontario has been kicking out stringers of smallmouth that can compete with Florida, and Texas size bass. That’s right, smallmouth bass! Five to six lb brown fish are not uncommon on this body of water, and in most scenarios you have to use light 6 pound fluorocarbon to catch them. Talk about fun.

Elite Series anglers travel all over the country, and generally will find something good to say about everywhere they visit. But it really stands out to us that there’s a nearly mythical devotion to New York’s fisheries. It’s why B.A.S.S. keeps coming back, and Elite anglers can’t get enough. Hopefully this look at their selections will inspire you to find your favorite. Make sure and let us know what you think in the comments below.