Steve Kennedy, who finished third the last time the Elite Series was at Lake Champlain in 2007, has fished several tournaments here. But he didn’t find the largemouth bass at Ticonderoga like he has in the past. After three days of practice this week, Kennedy said he planned to concentrate on smallmouth bass closer to Plattsburgh.
Elite Series rookie Jamie Hartman, who is from Newport, N.Y., has more experience fishing tournaments on Champlain than any other angler in this 109-man field, but not at this time of year. Hartman finished his practice period, “extremely concerned,” adding, “I haven’t found any consistent fish. Nothing grouped up. I’m in panic mode.”
There may be a reason for Lake Champlain “fishing different” than normal.
“It’s been a cool spring and early summer in this part of the country,” said Bernie Pientka, fisheries biologist with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife. “The water north to south is cooler on average for this time of year, and that will impact how anglers approach their patterns. The bass quality won’t suffer very much, but the fish may be spread out and somewhat unpredictable when compared to years past.”
As Elite Series followers have heard over and over through the years, somebody in this field will find them. They always do. It will be interesting to see how and where in what is now a three-day tournament instead of four.