Fantasy Fishing: Mix it up with mixed bags

Written by

Coy Greathouse

Just in case you didn’t get your fill on near-constant action and giant smallmouth bass at Lake St. Clair, we’re heading to another venue that is sure not to disappoint. Our next stop, Lake Champlain, is a massive fishery full of healthy grass and even healthier bass. Weather patterns would suggest that the fish will be in full-blown, deep-summer patterns. That means finding shady pockets around docks and water deeper than 15-feet will be where most anglers find the biggest populations of fish.

Last time around in 2021, we saw Bryan Schmitt pull off an impressive win with nearly 80 pounds of bass consisting of both largemouth and smallmouth. Most of the Top 10 found themselves fishing offshore around the grass or fishing boat docks and marinas. You can expect to see similar tactics play out this time around. Drop shots, jigs and other slow-moving baits will be major players, but don’t be surprised if you see a few crankbaits thrown around too.

Let’s get into some Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing picks.

BUCKET A: SCHMITT

If you want a sneaky pick, you could make a case for several anglers, but I would be lying if I said there was anyone else to consider more highly than Bryan Schmitt. The guy just understands grass bass. Take a look at these stats. In five trips to Lake Champlain, including three massive fields with another tour, he has never finished worse than 26th. The other four finishes are 11th, seventh, eighth and, of course, first. I’m shocked he is only 24% owned as I’m writing this. I’m sure that won’t be the case for much longer.

Don’t forget about: Greg Hackney

My mind goes straight to Greg Hackney and his success at lakes like Cayuga Lake, which involved flipping jigs in the holes around hydrilla. He has been quietly rising up the buckets and is the ninth most valuable pick in Fantasy Fishing this season, racking up 1733 points for the players who have picked him. This is an under-valued stat and speaks very highly to his consistency. Also noteworthy, he finished ninth here in 2017. At 3% ownership, he is probably as sneaky as it gets.

BUCKET B: GALLANT

You better not overlook this fella. Cooper Gallant is very quickly becoming a household name in the world of bass fishing. And with the Elites finally making their way up towards his stomping ground, he is going to get more and more comfortable. Last month on Lake St. Clair, I went with the chalk pick and wished I hadn’t. Cooper’s fourth-place finish would have been a welcome addition to my roster. The thing is, he is not just a smallmouth fisherman — he’s a “northern fisherman” and can catch them up there no matter what color they are. He understands what they do this time of year, and that’ll give him a great head start.

Don’t forget about: Seth Feider

Not only does Seth Feider have a killer record here, despite being one of the best smallmouth anglers on the planet, he has said with his own lips that if he had his druthers, he would rather flip up big largemouth than catch smallmouth on a sandy flat in 30-foot of water. In both trips to Lake Champlain as an Elite competitor, he locked up Champion Sunday appearances with fourth- and second-place finishes. In the 2018 Bassmaster Open, among a massive field of nearly 200 pros, he finished 26th. He had a rough Elite event recently on Lake St. Clair, so he will be looking to turn it around this week.

BUCKET C: FELIX

Minnesota angler Austin Felix is another heavy hitter when we head up north. This season has been a roller coaster for him. He has a bunch of finishes in the 20s or better with a couple of bombs in the mix, which is why he finds himself in Bucket C, but his record would suggest that he is likely to continue trending upward. In 2020, he grabbed an 18th and followed it up with a fifth-place finish in 2021. He’s likely going to be looking for that offshore magic, and if he can find something he doesn’t have to share, it could be fire.

Don’t forget about: Cory Johnston

The angler with the highest fanfare in this bucket is Cory Johnston and for good reason. Out of 54 Bassmaster tournaments, he has finished in the top 20 a total of 24 times. That’s stout. On top of that, he rarely stumbles when we get north of Tennessee. Like Felix, he has had a few rough events, but overall he has done very well this year. You can expect to see him continue to climb the rankings, especially as we get closer to the St. Lawrence River where he finished second in the Bassmaster Open just a few weeks ago.

BUCKET D: ITO

Anyone south of the mid-30s in the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings should be feeling some serious pressure. All these guys can catch the fire out of bass, but only a handful outside the top 50 or so have a legitimate shot to make the moves necessary to get back inside the Classic cutline. One angler that will certainly be worth watching is Taku Ito. Since joining the Elite Series in 2020, he has not missed a Classic, and he is currently sitting in 66th place in the AOY standings. If he can add two Top 10 finishes to his third place at Lake St. Clair, he could absolutely see his dreams of winning a Classic continue.

Don’t forget about: Jake Whitaker

With the majority of the field focusing on offshore grass, the dock game should be wide open. In 2020 the big bass of the event, a 6 1/2-pound behemoth, was caught out of a set of marina slips. Flipping a jig and skipping a wacky rig are both squarely in the wheelhouse of Jake Whitaker. He is 69th in AOY points, so he should be swinging for it, looking for a mega bag, and that is certainly possible if you target those giant largemouth.

BUCKET E: FOUTZ

I’ve got to be honest; I nearly missed this pick. Jacob Foutz has had a rough sophomore season. But as I sift back through his tournament results, his finishes on northern fisheries stand out. In fact, on this very lake, he finished 17th in the 2018 Bassmaster Open. He is also coming off a great finish on Lake St. Clair, finishing sixth, and that momentum will serve him well if he can keep it rolling.

Don’t forget about: Caleb Kuphall

If poking holes in hydrilla beds plays at Lake Champlain, look for Caleb Kuphall to be putting in the work to pick them apart. His win and several other top-end finishes have been fishing shallow, scattered vegetation for big largemouth. He doesn’t necessarily have a great record here, but he will have the opportunity to fish his strengths here.