Elite

A look at St. Lawrence River

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Captions by
Mike Suchan
It’s all on the line in the final event of the 2023 season, the Minn Kota Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River, where the 102 pros hope to make more history.
The St. Lawrence is part of the 1,900-mile St. Lawrence Seaway that connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. It also serves as part of the international border between the U.S. and Canada. More important for B.A.S.S. is that it’s an incredible smallmouth fishery, ranking first and second the past two years in Bassmaster Magazine’s Best Bass Lakes.
B.A.S.S. first visited the big water in 1977 and is back for its 25th pro tournament this week. It’s a super quick turnaround from Lake Champlain, where a youth movement was led by Kyoya Fujita, the fourth time a rookie has held the big blue trophy this season.
Weather delayed Champlain a day, so practice for St. Lawrence was cut to two days for the entire field. The boundaries, which include Lake Ontario, create a dilemma for many considering travel and fishing is dependent on weather, specifically wind.
Too stiff a wind can make running into Lake Ontario, where the larger smallmouth live, a risky proposition as it hampers fishing and increases travel time. Chris Johnston won an Ontario shootout in 2020, besting the rough waters and the field with 97 pounds, 8 ounces to become the first Canadian Elite winner.
Last year, rookie Jay Przekurat of Wisconsin won with 102-9, and Canadian Cory Johnston also earned a Century Club belt, the first times that mark had been accomplished with smallmouth. There have been 100-pound winners in Elite competition every year since 2019, including a record three venues last year, so the longest streak of consecutive years (2006-2010) could be tied.
Hitting that milestone is a possibility this week, but it’s dependent on weather. While the shortened practice allowed the anglers to scout Ontario, some harsh winds are expected once competition begins.
Like Japanese pro Taku Ito, the 2021 winner on St. Lawrence, this year’s champ will earn $100,000 plus an automatic berth to the 2024 Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic on Oklahoma’s Grand Lake. Also to be decided are tight races for the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year and Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Rookie of the Year. Classic berths and requalifying for the Elite Series will also be determined.
Kyle Welcher leads Brandon Cobb by a scant six points in the AOY race, with several others in range if they both slip. Drew Cook is 30 points back of the lead, Przekurat is 36 back and fifth-place Patrick Walters has a 39-point deficit.
Joey Cifuentes holds a 15-point lead over Kyoya Fujita for the ROY, which includes a stout field that has won half of the eight Elites. Cifuentes, who stands sixth overall in AOY just 42 points from the lead, has two Elite titles this season, and Fujita, coming off a smallmouth victory at Champlain, is eighth overall and 57 points back. An AOY/ROY sweep is mathematically possible yet improbable.
At 42nd, Cody Huff is currently the first man out for a Classic qualification, but he has hopes of continuing a fantastic run. Just two events prior, Huff was 69th in points before climbing 27 spots with a 20th at St. Clair and third at Champlain. Among those needing top finishes at St. Lawrence to get inside the Classic cut are 2021 AOY Seth Feider and 2023 Classic champ Jeff Gustafson, who’s already qualified as defending champ but could double qualify and secure another spot for a fellow Elite. Gussy, who’s 50th in AOY and 97 points shy of the estimated 522 mark to make the championship, needs a Top 10 finish.
Jacob Foutz is among the pros needing to finish inside the top 70 to requalify for the Elites. After finishing 100th at Sabine and falling to 97th in AOY, Foutz also has rallied with smallmouth, posting two Top 10s and giving himself hope as he’s now 72nd in points.
Tournament central is the Antique Boat Museum, 750 Mary St., Clayton, N.Y. Takeoffs are scheduled for 7 a.m. ET with weigh-ins set at 3:10 p.m. ET. Bassmaster LIVE kicks off coverage Thursday and Friday  at 8 a.m. ET on Bassmaster.com, Tubi and the FOX Sports platforms, while FS1 will broadcast live with the tournament leaders Saturday and Sunday.
St. Lawrence events have hosted record crowds, and again fans should flock to the marvelous venue at the museum, where the Expo opens at noon on the weekend with plenty of activities.
Gustafson, among others, expects 100 pounds will be needed to win, but conditions will be the determining factor. “The only thing that could really jeopardize that is if we have really rough weather that prevents us from fishing the way we want to fish,” he said. “As long as we don’t have any monster wind days, I think it’s going to take some weight. It’s pretty exciting going to a smallmouth venue knowing that you’ve got to catch 25 a day to be a player. It’s kinda scary, but it’s also exciting, for sure.”

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