Pros pick three (plus AOY Champ) at Escanaba

Here are some pro’s that other anglers have their eyes on and some input on the AOY race.

From the sounds around the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament briefing night, catching big fish won’t be a problem…but catching a limit may be. The weather has been a problem as a cold front has surrounded this area over the last week and water temps are in the 50’s, not to mention the wind (and the direction it blows) will be a big factor this week.

So here are some pro’s that other anglers have their eyes on and some input on the AOY race.

Brandon Palaniuk

  • “This is not a typical smallmouth fishery and is definitely what I expected. It’s really hard to pick specific anglers because I could see anyone catching a big bag. It is fishing really wide open.”
  • His thoughts on the AOY race: “It’s Hackney’s to lose and he has put in the time and focus this year to seal the deal.”

Brett Hite

  • “Brandon Palaniuk, Mark Davis and Aaron Martens are all good smallmouth fishermen and when push comes to shove, I think they will rise to the top.”
  • His thoughts on the AOY race: “Hackney has a 15-point lead and I think that is a deficit that will be hard to overcome this week.”

Casey Scanlon

  • Mike McClelland: “I think someone who is good with a jerkbait like Mike McClelland will thrive this week.”
  • Aaron Martens: “When you think smallmouth and drop shotting, you think of Martens.”
  • Greg Hackney: “He has been fishing so well this year and I think he keeps it up.”
  • His thoughts on the AOY race: “I’m not gonna call that one, but I will say that Greg has been hard to beat.”

Davy Hite

  • Aaron Martens: “He is great at catching smallmouth, but it’s fishing weird right now, so anything can happen.”
  • His thoughts on the AOY race: “Hackney has had the good karma all year, but this is Aaron’s territory so it’s a tough choice.”

Alton Jones

  • Ott Defoe: “He figures out a way to grind them out everywhere.”
  • Brandon Palaniuk: “He is a good fisherman on the Great Lakes and fantastic with smallmouth.”
  • Greg Hackney: “His momentum is outstanding this year even at Chickamauga, which wasn’t even for points.”
  • His thoughts on the AOY race: “Hackney. Plain and simple. His momentum is big this year.”

Clifford Pirch

  • Aaron Martens: “I really do think he could do well here and change with the conditions.”
  • “I can’t pin down specific anglers, but the spinnerbait fishermen should do well because it could come down to covering a lot of water.”
  • His thoughts on the AOY race: “I’d say the door is still pretty wide open out here.”

Cliff Crochet

  • Himself: “Don’t be surprised if I come in with 20 pounds or just one good fish. Who knows out here.”
  • Greg Hackney: “Confidence and motivation are big!”
  • Aaron Martens/Morizo Shimizu: “Any deep water finesse fisherman could do well, but these two come to mind.”
  • His thoughts on the AOY race: “Greg Hackney, but 15 points is very doable. His momentum will prevail. I think Todd Faircloth will win an AOY title sometime because he definitely deserves one too.”

Andy Montgomery

  • Aaron Martens: “One of the best drop shot anglers out there!”
  • His thoughts on the AOY race: “I don’t know, it’s so hard to tell. Getting to your fish could be challenging and so that throws a wrench into everything.”