Well, it took the entire season to get back to .500, but finally, after a big 6-1 finish at the Pasquotank River, I am now 28-28 on the season in the T-H Marine Bassmaster Pick ‘em Challenge! So now the only question is, can I finish the season above .500, with 2 tournaments left, back in the state that I was born and raised in? I have fished tournaments on both Champlain and the St. Lawrence, but that was a minute ago, so I will not pretend to know the fisheries that well anymore.
But I think I do have a feel for what horses to back, so let’s get it started with Match 1 between the AOY combatants, Trey McKinney and Cory Johnston. For the record, I am not one to handicap McKinney because of the lack of scope this week. However, Cory Johnston’s been fishing this water, including the weedy bays, for a looong time…so I’ll take the vet, Johnston, in this one.
In Match 2, it’s a North/South battle between Wisconsin’s Pat Schlapper and Alabama’s Kyle Welcher. This will be a lot tighter than last fall’s Crimson Tide-Badger football game, but the winner will be the same…Ala…Welcher!
Match 3 pits Joey Cifuentes III and Cole Sands…and though I am not smart enough to get the “Musical Chairs” reference on this one, I can read the AOY standings. Joey is battling to stay on the Elites (Which I really hope he does), while Cole is battling for AOY, if he can just get a little help from the top 2. Sands is having a great season, and he’s the pick here.
In Match 4, we find Brandon Palaniuk, who (Look away, Brandon) is just outside of the Classic cut line, and Bryan Schmitt. Both these guys have notched wins here, and both really need a good result. I like the versatility of Palaniuk on a fishery that will be very diverse. Palaniuk is my pick.
Speaking of diversity, how about Match 5? Smallmouth hammer Taku Ito and shallow water stud John Cox. Cox once said about fishing these waters, “I may have to go deep; like 6 feet or so!” John is going to find his green fish in the grass, while Taku may be looking ahead to “Smallmouth Disneyland” at the St. Lawrence River. Champlain may not be “Smallmouth Disneyland”, but it is, probably, “Smallmouth Six Flags”. Take the Smallmouth guy, Ito.
Match 6 is a certified heavyweight match… 2-time AOY champ Chris Johnston, who got his 2nd Blue Trophy this year, and Jason Christie, who added 2 more to his crowded trophy case this season. In the end, it’s just too difficult to ignore a Johnston on these waters, so I won’t. Johnston is the pick.
And finally, Match 7 pits former Classic champ Easton Fothergill against former AOY and Minnesota state-mate Seth Fieder. We used to think of Fieder as just a smallmouth guy, but now we know better. Who can forget him doing damage back in the day in the marinas of the Inland Sea? These guys are close in the AOY standings as well, so I am going to make a Costanza pick here…probably should go with Easton, so I will take Feider!
Good luck to all…it’s going to be a fascinating final couple of events!
