Swindle and the Saint

Ride along with 2004 Bassmaster Angler of the Year, Gerald Swindle, on the final day of practice for the Evan Williams Bourbon Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on the St. Lawrence River in N.Y.

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Ride along with 2004 Bassmaster Angler of the Year, Gerald Swindle, on the final day of practice for the Evan Williams Bourbon Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on the St. Lawrence River in N.Y. The often-hilarious Alabama pro scored a Top 12 here two seasons ago.
Ride along with 2004 Bassmaster Angler of the Year, Gerald Swindle, on the final day of practice for the Evan Williams Bourbon Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on the St. Lawrence River in N.Y. The often-hilarious Alabama pro scored a Top 12 here two seasons ago.
6:18 a.m. – Swindle was at the ramp by 6:18 a.m., talking to fellow pro Scott Rook by cell phone along the drive, and telling Rook, “I caught 7 or 8 randomly yesterday, and I’m smart enough to know that on this river, that’s like catching nothing.” He jams to Riley Green’s “Bury Me in Dixie” as he backs his Tundra down the ramp in order to get his mind right before a long day on the water.
6:18 a.m. – Swindle was at the ramp by 6:18 a.m., talking to fellow pro Scott Rook by cell phone along the drive, and telling Rook, “I caught 7 or 8 randomly yesterday, and I’m smart enough to know that on this river, that’s like catching nothing.” He jams to Riley Green’s “Bury Me in Dixie” as he backs his Tundra down the ramp in order to get his mind right before a long day on the water.
6:45 a.m. – Four Quantum Smoke size 30 spinning reels rest neatly on his front deck to begin the day, all rigged with a drop shot, and Swindle comments, “Take a picture of that, you won’t see many Elite Series tournaments where the deck is dominated by spinning reels.”
6:45 a.m. – Four Quantum Smoke size 30 spinning reels rest neatly on his front deck to begin the day, all rigged with a drop shot, and Swindle comments, “Take a picture of that, you won’t see many Elite Series tournaments where the deck is dominated by spinning reels.”
6:55 a.m. – Swindle takes time to swap transducer connections on the back of his Humminbird Onix10 SI. One transducer is fiberglassed inside the hull; the other is in the boat’s exterior. “I use the one on the exterior when I’m idling over deep water to see every detail, but you can’t use it if you’re running 70 mph, because it doesn’t make enough contact with the water.”
6:55 a.m. – Swindle takes time to swap transducer connections on the back of his Humminbird Onix10 SI. One transducer is fiberglassed inside the hull; the other is in the boat’s exterior. “I use the one on the exterior when I’m idling over deep water to see every detail, but you can’t use it if you’re running 70 mph, because it doesn’t make enough contact with the water.”
7:25 a.m. – As much of the day is spent studying sonar over 20 – 40’ of water, as what is spent fishing. “They call this Thousand Islands, but smallmouth don’t live on all 1,000 islands. They seem to want to be on a bottom with gradual depth changes, and a little vegetation, rather than the really vertical bald rocks you find around most islands.”
7:25 a.m. – As much of the day is spent studying sonar over 20 – 40’ of water, as what is spent fishing. “They call this Thousand Islands, but smallmouth don’t live on all 1,000 islands. They seem to want to be on a bottom with gradual depth changes, and a little vegetation, rather than the really vertical bald rocks you find around most islands.”
9:45 a.m. – Swindle meets up with his Toyota teammate Terry “Big Show” Scroggins. They agree to try a shallow, vegetation-rich, bay. Swindle casts a topwater frog stating, “One thing about northern largemouth is they ain’t afraid to hit a lure, I mean heck, they only see one about four months out of the year around here,” he jokes. However, none of the shallow largemouth are easily fooled, and soon Swindle’s intuition tells him to head back to find deeper smallmouth.
9:45 a.m. – Swindle meets up with his Toyota teammate Terry “Big Show” Scroggins. They agree to try a shallow, vegetation-rich, bay. Swindle casts a topwater frog stating, “One thing about northern largemouth is they ain’t afraid to hit a lure, I mean heck, they only see one about four months out of the year around here,” he jokes. However, none of the shallow largemouth are easily fooled, and soon Swindle’s intuition tells him to head back to find deeper smallmouth.
10:00 a.m. – Swindle stops on a spot with a gradual rise in bottom depth, and catches the first solid keeper of the day in 32’ of water on a Zoom Z Drop using a color called G’s Magic. “Again, man, I think Smallies want to be on gradual depth changes rather than super steep drops, bluffs or islands.”
10:00 a.m. – Swindle stops on a spot with a gradual rise in bottom depth, and catches the first solid keeper of the day in 32’ of water on a Zoom Z Drop using a color called G’s Magic. “Again, man, I think Smallies want to be on gradual depth changes rather than super steep drops, bluffs or islands.”
10:15 a.m. – “You wouldn’t think it’d be so hard to pick the perfect drop shot weight, but man a ½ ounce gets snagged too easy on the bottom, and while the 3/8 snags less, you really gotta work to stay in touch with it, and keep it in the strike zone – but mostly, I’m using a 3/8.”
10:15 a.m. – “You wouldn’t think it’d be so hard to pick the perfect drop shot weight, but man a ½ ounce gets snagged too easy on the bottom, and while the 3/8 snags less, you really gotta work to stay in touch with it, and keep it in the strike zone – but mostly, I’m using a 3/8.”
11:20 a.m. – Swindle sees some of the best sonar images of the day next to the very popular tourist attraction, Boldt Castle. “This place looks just like Guntersville minus the big castle and all the smallmouth,” joked the Warrior, Alabama pro.
11:20 a.m. – Swindle sees some of the best sonar images of the day next to the very popular tourist attraction, Boldt Castle. “This place looks just like Guntersville minus the big castle and all the smallmouth,” joked the Warrior, Alabama pro.
12:20 a.m. – Swindle loves music and cranks up Chris Janson’s “Buy Me a Boat” to keep his spirit high amid a week that’s been fairly tough fishing. “I’ve had 1/10 the bites each day compared to two years ago here,” says Swindle. “I’m guessing a guy will still have to catch an average of 18-pounds a day to make the Top 12 cut, but it’s been way tougher than two years ago.”
12:20 a.m. – Swindle loves music and cranks up Chris Janson’s “Buy Me a Boat” to keep his spirit high amid a week that’s been fairly tough fishing. “I’ve had 1/10 the bites each day compared to two years ago here,” says Swindle. “I’m guessing a guy will still have to catch an average of 18-pounds a day to make the Top 12 cut, but it’s been way tougher than two years ago.”
1:30 a.m. – Swindle casts his drop shot in a 26-foot deep gut located between two points and catches the best bass of the day – a solid 4-pounder.
1:30 a.m. – Swindle casts his drop shot in a 26-foot deep gut located between two points and catches the best bass of the day – a solid 4-pounder.
2:10 a.m. – The day winds down with another keeper as a result of a long and gutsy 49 minute run to an area nearer Waddington. It’s an effort that boldy reflects Swindle’s competitive spirit to always keep working, no matter how tought the bite, time of day, or length of boat ride.
2:10 a.m. – The day winds down with another keeper as a result of a long and gutsy 49 minute run to an area nearer Waddington. It’s an effort that boldy reflects Swindle’s competitive spirit to always keep working, no matter how tought the bite, time of day, or length of boat ride.