Two months have passed since the last day of Elite Series competition at the Pasquotank. Some pros have had their boats in the water nonstop, while others have allowed theirs to gather cobwebs – but no matter which camp they fall into, every remaining Elite knows that Champlain will come down to decisions.
Make a really good one and it may put you in position to win but make one or more wrong choices and it’s thanks for playing, enjoy some lovely parting gifts.
And Champlain is at least on par with any other lake on the schedule when it comes to options: North or south? Close or far? Brown or green or both? They won’t have the scope to help them this time around, which may weigh in favor of largemouths but it’s anyone’s guess whether that’s how it’ll play out. I’m not going to play those reindeer games from afar.
Most, if not all of them have substantial experience up there, too, so there’s not a meaningful home-field advantage. So while everyone has something to prove, something to gain and something to lose at this point in the season, I’m picking anglers who I feel understand the dynamics of making good choices.
Here are my picks.
BUCKET A: THE YOUNGEST OLD MAN ON TOUR
MY PICK: At 32, in a land of teens and twentysomethings, it’s hard to consider Patrick Walters young, but even with seven Classic appearances and three Elite wins under his belt, he’s still in the early stages of his career with lots of big finishes left to go – and this should be one of them. He’s finished 6th, 7th and 7th in the last three Champlain Elites and is a master of making good choices when the right one leads to big opportunities.
SOLID SECOND: It’s hard to bet against Trey McKinney anywhere, anytime, and if he’s going to hold off a hard-charging Johnston for the AOY title, he’d be wise to extend his lead a bit before the tour heads to the St. Lawrence soon thereafter.
BUCKET B: THE STACHE
MY PICK: Lots of people consider Seth Feider a smallmouth guy, but he loves nothing more than flipping grass for green fish. Yes, he can and will do both, but his Minnesota background and tournament pedigree enable him to figure out which gives him the best chance of winning. He has two runner-up Elite finishes on Champlain, plus a 4th. Bet against him at your peril.
SOLID SECOND: Despite being well within the Classic cut, Tyler Williams has had a quiet third season on tour, with his best finish a 10th at the Pasquotank. The jig works everywhere, on both species, so while he may have to choose an area or a target, he’s already locked in his bait.
BUCKET C: THE PAJAMA MODEL
MY PICK: For the same reasons that Feider excels on lakes like Champlain, so too does Austin Felix. He’s outside the Classic cut now, but not by an unreasonable amount, and in four Elite cracks at Champlain he’s had four money finishes, three of them in the top 10 and two in the top 9.
SOLID SECOND: Brandon Palaniuk is just a handful of points outside next year’s Classic, and he’s a smallmouth wizard, with or without FFS. He finished an uncharacteristic 89th the last time the tour visited Champlain, and 56th before that, but he won here in 2020. He’s liable to win again and no one will be surprised.
BUCKET D: THE SALAD SHOOTER
MY PICK: This has not been Bryan Schmitt’s season so far – although a couple of good derbies and he could qualify for next year’s Classic in Greenville. Other than the Potomac or the Upper Chesapeake, there’s probably no place he’d rather start that climb than at Champlain. It hasn’t always been kind to him, but when it has – like in a 2021 Elite victory – it has been very kind. While he’s solid with smallmouths, expect him to look for and likely find a largemouth bite with heavy string.
SOLID SECOND: Kyle Patrick is another pro who’s having an uncharacteristically tough season, and if nothing else a top finish could allow him to take the trophy a relatively short drive home. He’s the only New York pro in the field – and proudly so.
BUCKET E: THE BABY PATTERN
MY PICK: Logan Parks is a recent father, and like any resident of Bucket E, he’s looking for any edge he can get at this point in the season. He earned a check at the 2024 Elite here and despite a brutal start to 2026, he’s earned four consecutive checks, including the last three Elites.
SOLID SECOND: Cooper Gallant’s Knoxville tattoo may have drained some strength out of him. There’s no other possible explanation for his 2026 performance. Maybe two events closer to home will get him back on track.
PICK ‘EM PICKS
• Trey McKinney
• Pat Schlapper
• Cole Sands
• Bryan Schmitt
• Taku Ito
• Chris Johnston
• Seth Feider
FALCON RODS DRAIN THE LAKE CHALLENGE
• Easton Fothergill
• Jeff Gustafson
• Caleb Kuphall
• Russ Lane
• Cody Meyer
• Kyle Norsetter
• Brandon Palaniuk
• Bryant Smith
