LACROSSE, Wis. — Tournament fishing doesn’t always work out as planned, but for Nick Trim, the unexpected helped propel him to the Day 1 lead in the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at the Mississippi River presented by Lowrance.
Sacking up 24 pounds, 4 ounces, the boater from Galesville, Wis., leads Cade Laufenberg by 2-11.
Following what he described as a really good practice, Trim had identified a primary area in Pool 7. However, he also found promising results on a community hole in Pool 8.
“Being boat 75, I didn’t think there was any way I was getting on that (Pool 8) spot, but I knew what was there, so I had to check,” Trim said. “I got there and nobody was there, so that’s where I caught ’em.”
Trim said he was targeting spawners on a gravel shelf. The fish were in 3 to 6 feet of water, with adjacent depths of 12-14.
After bagging a solid limit, Trim made a 20-mile run and locked into Pool 7 to give his main spot a look. Notably, an operational delay at the lock made him wait about an hour longer than he’d expected, but once he made it through, late morning fireworks happened quickly, with his day-making kicker.
“I was done fishing by noon,” Trim said. “I caught the big fish around 11:30.”
In both pools, Trim targeted his spawners with a “one-two” combo of undisclosed baits.
“I was shaking a bait in their bed,” Trim said. “I couldn’t see them with my eyes, but I was using Garmin LiveScope and Humminbird MEGA 360.”
Technology helped keep him on target, but it also played a key role in measuring each fish’s mood.
“The bite was tougher than I expected today,” he said. “In practice, they were a lot more aggressive. With that big one, I had to throw at her six to seven times before she ate it.
“It was just about being able to get the bait in the bed and trusting my electronics to help me do that. I’ve become very comfortable with this.”
Trim said he’ll stick with the same general technique on Day 2, but he’ll start on his main spot to see if he can replicate his big-fish moment.
“I have a (target weight) in mind, but I’m not going to stop,” he said of his ambitious plan. “I’m going to try to weigh another big bag tomorrow.”
Hailing from Onalaska, Wis., Laufenberg is in second place with 21-9.
Brady Hanna of Silvis, Ill., is in third place with 21-1.
Trim is in the lead for Big Bass honors with his 5-13.
Tanner Morgan of Byron, Ill., leads the nonboater division with 12-10.
Donald Merryfield of Des Moines, Iowa, holds the Big Bass lead among nonboaters with a 5-4.
In the third qualifying event in the new B.A.S.S. Nation format, the Top 20 anglers will qualify for the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance, scheduled for Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in Grove, Okla., Nov. 6-8.
Thursday’s takeoff is scheduled for 5:30 a.m. CT at Copeland Park. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 2 p.m.
Explore La Crosse is hosing this week’s event.
