Day 1 of the Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open on the St. Lawrence River delivered the goods, as this phenomenal fishery lived up to expectations with lots of plump smallmouth bass. Notably, anglers on both ends of the boat enjoyed the bounty.
Pro leader Cal Climpson sacked up 27 pounds, 7 ounces, while Cooper Gallant follows closely with 27. Gary Adkins and Kevin Park shared the third-place spot with 25-10, while Bassmaster Elite angler Cory Johnston placed fifth with 25-7. Adam Neu’s 23-15 anchors the Top 10.
Impressive results, no question, but looking at the co-angler division we find the top three turned in three-fish limits that averaged 5-plus pounds.
Leading co-angler Sakae Ushio had 15-13, followed by Timothy Nichols with 15-12 and Zack Eggleston with 15-2.
Fourth-place Matthew McCarthy had 14-12, but his limit included Day 1’s biggest fish — a 6-pound, 12-ounce tank.
It will be interesting to see if anglers in both divisions can maintain the pace. The St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario are full of big fish, so the potential is there.