After what feels like a long summer break, the Bassmaster Elite Series is back for its final two events of the season. As has become tradition, the tour heads north to New York for a stop at Lake Champlain followed by the St. Lawrence River. First up is Champlain, and this one has all the ingredients to be a fun tournament to watch. With forward-facing sonar off the table, we’ll see a much different dynamic than in recent years. There will be fewer guys just floating around the Inland Sea targeting suspended smallmouth. I expect the field to be more evenly split between anglers chasing largemouth and those targeting smallmouth, and hopefully that means we’ll see plenty of big buckets getting swung into the boat.
Without the advantage of forward-facing sonar, I also think more anglers will gamble on long runs in search of overlooked water. I’d love to see Ticonderoga come back into play as it has in years past. The other big question is whether competitors can still consistently locate quality smallmouth that are floating or relating to deep boulders using more traditional electronics. Add in the pressure of the Angler of the Year race, and the combination of big water, big decisions, and big risks should make for a thrilling tournament.
Let’s get into some picks!
Bucket A: EBARE
Besides the Pasquotank River event, Dakota Ebare has put together a stellar season. Even though he’s a Texas native, he’s no stranger to northern fisheries. He finished eighth at the 2018 Bassmaster Open on Lake Champlain, and his ability to adapt to changing conditions makes him a dangerous pick. With forward-facing sonar out of the equation, his versatility could be a major advantage. At under a 1% ownership, he’s also a great way to separate yourself from the field in a stacked Bucket A.
Solid secondary pick: Jay Przekurat has quietly put together another solid season, and heading north plays right into his strengths. Whether he focuses on largemouth, smallmouth, or a mix of both, expect him to be in contention.
Bucket B: FEIDER
Seth Feider always seems to shine on Lake Champlain and has come close to winning here more than once. This could finally be his year. Without the field leaning heavily on forward-facing sonar, Feider can lean on his strengths of mixing quality smallmouth with giant largemouth, a combination that has served him well on this fishery.
Solid secondary pick: Easton Fothergill is another angler I could easily see making a deep run. Champlain fishes more like his home waters in Minnesota than just about any stop on the Elite schedule. He’s more than capable of finding big smallmouth with traditional electronics and should be a serious threat.
Bucket C: FELIX
Austin Felix is another Minnesota angler with an impressive track record on Champlain. In four Bassmaster events, he has two Top 10 finishes, and his worst finish is 36th. His best results came before forward-facing sonar became such a dominant factor, which could work in his favor this week. Felix also seems to hit his stride late in the season whenever the tour heads north.
Solid secondary pick: It’s pretty wild seeing Brandon Palaniuk sitting in Bucket C. He’s the 2020 Champlain champion, making him awfully tough to pass up.
Bucket D: WAGNER
Emil Wagner earned his lone Bassmaster victory at last fall’s EQ event on Lake Champlain. While this tournament will fish much differently, he’ll still head into the week with plenty of confidence. Clear water and roaming fish fit his strengths, and I expect him to be right at home.
Solid secondary pick: Bryan Schmitt has always been comfortable on Champlain and has put together several strong finishes here over the years. Last year’s 88th-place Open was an outlier, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him bounce back in a big way.
Bucket E: JAGDFELD
When it comes to smallmouth fishing, Arron Jagdfeld is the real deal. He won the 2025 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship qualifier on Lake Erie and followed that with an eighth-place finish in last fall’s EQ on Champlain. While his Elite rookie season has been a bit up and down, a return to northern waters could be exactly what he needs to finish the year with momentum.
Solid secondary pick: Outside of Jagdfeld, Bucket E feels like a bit of a dart throw. Cooper Gallant is the other name that immediately stands out thanks to his strong smallmouth background.
Falcon Rods Drain the Lake Challenge:
Jay Przekurat
Aaron Jagdfeld
Austin Felix
Seth Feider
Matt Robertson
Jeff Gustafson
Evan Kung
Greg Dipalma
