Dock Talk at St. Lawrence

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It’s the grand finale. The ninth event of the season, the Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River, is the 21st B.A.S.S. pro level tournament on the fishery. Traditionally, the event has played out on a fertile stretch of the river. Things are different this year. All captions: Craig Lamb
It’s the grand finale. The ninth event of the season, the Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River, is the 21st B.A.S.S. pro level tournament on the fishery. Traditionally, the event has played out on a fertile stretch of the river. Things are different this year.

All captions: Craig Lamb

The playing field expands to Lake Ontario, where last year’s event was won by Canadian Chris Johnston. Canadian waters are still off limits, which is a reason why the lake is open to fishing. Could Johnston's brother, Cory, be the next winner here and complete a trifecta of Canadian Elites to win?
The playing field expands to Lake Ontario, where last year’s event was won by Canadian Chris Johnston. Canadian waters are still off limits, which is a reason why the lake is open to fishing. Could Johnston’s brother, Cory, be the next winner here and complete a trifecta of Canadian Elites to win?
How many anglers will make the one-way, 90-mile run? Who will stay in the river? How did practice shake out? Those are answers Andy Crawford and I set to find out at Whitaker Park Boat Ramp in Waddington. Like the saying goes: We report the facts; you decide the truth.
How many anglers will make the one-way, 90-mile run? Who will stay in the river? How did practice shake out? Those are answers Andy Crawford and I set to find out at Whitaker Park Boat Ramp in Waddington. Like the saying goes: We report the facts; you decide the truth.
Tyler Rivet. “It’s tougher than normal for me. It’s been challenging to try and find that bigger bite. There are a lot of 2-pounders out there, but here it takes bass in the 4-pound class to be in contention.”
Tyler Rivet. “It’s tougher than normal for me. It’s been challenging to try and find that bigger bite. There are a lot of 2-pounders out there, but here it takes bass in the 4-pound class to be in contention.”
“I’m shooting for 30th place because that’s where I’ll need to be to make the Classic,” Rivet said. “I’m having to make up for my bad showing last week at Lake Champlain. I need 18, 19 pounds a day.”
“I’m shooting for 30th place because that’s where I’ll need to be to make the Classic,” Rivet said. “I’m having to make up for my bad showing last week at Lake Champlain. I need 18, 19 pounds a day.”
“The bite is random for me; I haven’t found that magic school of smallmouth. I’m just trying to make the Classic at this point.”
“The bite is random for me; I haven’t found that magic school of smallmouth. I’m just trying to make the Classic at this point.”
Skylar Hamilton. “I really like this end of the river (Waddington), because it’s where we have historically fished, until last year, when we moved to Clayton.”
Skylar Hamilton. “I really like this end of the river (Waddington), because it’s where we have historically fished, until last year, when we moved to Clayton.”
“That said, most of my good areas from those past years up here near Waddington are on the Canadian side, which makes it a challenge,” Hamiton said. “I’m struggling having to find water to fish on the American side. My average has been 3 1/2 pounders, but here you need a 4-pound average per day.”
“That said, most of my good areas from those past years up here near Waddington are on the Canadian side, which makes it a challenge,” Hamiton said. “I’m struggling having to find water to fish on the American side. My average has been 3 1/2 pounders, but here you need a 4-pound average per day.”
Cliff Pirch. “There is good fishing up here on the northern end, but with Canada off limits it shrinks the playing field, and the river is narrower, too. It puts more guys in concentrated areas that are almost like community holes elsewhere.”
Cliff Pirch. “There is good fishing up here on the northern end, but with Canada off limits it shrinks the playing field, and the river is narrower, too. It puts more guys in concentrated areas that are almost like community holes elsewhere.”
“There are definitely certain areas that are more ideal for setting up drifts than others,” Pirch said. “On the bright side, there are big smallmouth from end to end. I’ve caught some nice ones.”
“There are definitely certain areas that are more ideal for setting up drifts than others,” Pirch said. “On the bright side, there are big smallmouth from end to end. I’ve caught some nice ones.”
“I didn’t expect it to be great with all the added fishing pressure. Like everyone else, my goal is a limit averaging 4-pounders each day.”
“I didn’t expect it to be great with all the added fishing pressure. Like everyone else, my goal is a limit averaging 4-pounders each day.”
Greg Hackney.
Greg Hackney. “In the past I’ve fished for largemouth here but I haven’t made a single cast for one. It’s been all smallmouth for me. There are smallmouth to be caught from 2- to 40-feet-of-water.”
Which will it be? Lake or river? “I feel like the way the river is fishing, that it will be won in the lake, assuming those guys can get there and back all four days,” Hackney said.
Which will it be? Lake or river? “I feel like the way the river is fishing, that it will be won in the lake, assuming those guys can get there and back all four days,” Hackney said.
“I just chose not to make that 90-mile boat ride just to get there. There will be 20-pound bags come out of the river.”
“I just chose not to make that 90-mile boat ride just to get there. There will be 20-pound bags come out of the river.”
Brock Mosley. “There are a lot of options. The smallmouth are biting better than last year. And the largemouth are biting good for me too (smiles).”
Brock Mosley. “There are a lot of options. The smallmouth are biting better than last year. And the largemouth are biting good for me too (smiles).”
“You can catch smallmouth from 2- to 40-feet-of-water,” Mosley said. “You can catch them how you want. It seems like when we come here in June the weights are lower than July, when they’ve had time to get heavier after postspawn.”
“You can catch smallmouth from 2- to 40-feet-of-water,” Mosley said. “You can catch them how you want. It seems like when we come here in June the weights are lower than July, when they’ve had time to get heavier after postspawn.”
“I’m in a good place either way. It should be a good week.”
“I’m in a good place either way. It should be a good week.”
Cory Johnston. “It’s fishing different from how I’ve ever seen it. There are smallmouth in every stage of the spawning cycle. That has the fish really spread out.”
Cory Johnston. “It’s fishing different from how I’ve ever seen it. There are smallmouth in every stage of the spawning cycle. That has the fish really spread out.”
“You won’t be able to go out on the lake, pull up on a deep hole, and catch 25 pounds and leave,” Johnston said. “That means time management will be crucial. You won’t have a lot of time to run around from one spot to the next before it’s time to come back.”
“You won’t be able to go out on the lake, pull up on a deep hole, and catch 25 pounds and leave,” Johnston said. “That means time management will be crucial. You won’t have a lot of time to run around from one spot to the next before it’s time to come back.”
“There will be places where they group up but not out in those 35-foot-deep holes like we had last year. There will be a mixed bag of things going on. I think it’ll take 22 pounds a day to win.”
“There will be places where they group up but not out in those 35-foot-deep holes like we had last year. There will be a mixed bag of things going on. I think it’ll take 22 pounds a day to win.”
Destin DeMarion. “It’s in the in-between phase, the transitional phase for the smallmouth. That will make it tougher than last week at Lake Champlain.”
Destin DeMarion. “It’s in the in-between phase, the transitional phase for the smallmouth. That will make it tougher than last week at Lake Champlain.”
“There will be less consistency in the daily catches. I found a place in the lake, another in the river, where I can do really well,” said DeMarion.
“There will be less consistency in the daily catches. I found a place in the lake, another in the river, where I can do really well,” said DeMarion.
“It’s going to be a game-time decision about whether to make the 90-mile run, or stay in the river and maximize fishing time.”
“It’s going to be a game-time decision about whether to make the 90-mile run, or stay in the river and maximize fishing time.”
John Crews. “The smallmouth are in a postspawn funk. A few weeks ago, the smallmouth were really spawning heavily.
John Crews. “The smallmouth are in a postspawn funk. A few weeks ago, the smallmouth were really spawning heavily.
“Now I’m not catching as many,” Crews said. “That tells me they could be in the transitional phase when it’s less productive.”
“Now I’m not catching as many,” Crews said. “That tells me they could be in the transitional phase when it’s less productive.”
“There’s not as much movement. They are difficult to pattern, hard to get bit. You have to work for them, more than when we are here in July.”
“There’s not as much movement. They are difficult to pattern, hard to get bit. You have to work for them, more than when we are here in July.”
Mark Menendez. “It’s a much stingier river than I have seen in the past. I have found a most unconventional tactic to get bite here than I would have ever imagined.”
Mark Menendez. “It’s a much stingier river than I have seen in the past. I have found a most unconventional tactic to get bite here than I would have ever imagined.”
“Yesterday I had six quality bites the likes of which could make a guy a player,” Menedez said.
“Yesterday I had six quality bites the likes of which could make a guy a player,” Menedez said.
“I need those size fish to make the Classic. If I can five of those bites, I will have 20 to 22 pounds.”
“I need those size fish to make the Classic. If I can five of those bites, I will have 20 to 22 pounds.”
Kyle Welcher. “The reason why I have two rods is during practice I committed to the way I think the smallmouth are going to be coming, and I applied that to those two baits.”
Kyle Welcher. “The reason why I have two rods is during practice I committed to the way I think the smallmouth are going to be coming, and I applied that to those two baits.”
“I’m doing decent in points for the Classic. I am going to swing hard for where I think the biggest smallmouth will be,” Welcher said.
“I’m doing decent in points for the Classic. I am going to swing hard for where I think the biggest smallmouth will be,” Welcher said.
“That’s fishing out deep. I feel like the fish spawned, are coming back out on that first drop and are ready to eat some gobies.”
“That’s fishing out deep. I feel like the fish spawned, are coming back out on that first drop and are ready to eat some gobies.”