Japanese angler Taku Ito become an “overnight sensation” in the course of finishing sixth at the St. Lawrence River last year. Ito had no experience catching smallmouth bass prior to that tournament. Then he went on to record back-to-back 10th place finishes on Lake Champlain and Lake St. Clair. He finished 23rd in the Angler of the Year standings and qualified for the Bassmaster Classic.
The 34-year-old Ito is having another solid year. He was ranked 30th in AOY points after Lake Champlain and has demonstrated his versatility with a 3rd place finish at the Sabine River and a 7th-place finish at Lake Fork.
Ito does love St. Lawrence River smallmouth. He’s caught a 19 1/2-pound limit today, including the 5-pounder pictured here, and has moved up to 4th in the BassTrakk standings after starting the day in 11th place.