During the Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Black Velvet, Black Velvet Whisky gave free tastes to folks 21 and older. Bassmaster is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year so we asked fans, “What are you celebrating today?”
Photo: Eric Lopez
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Some were avid anglers, others were tournament fans, and more were curious to see what bass fishing was all about.
Photo: James Overstreet
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They came to Waddington, N.Y., for the same reason. To have fun, enjoy the festival atmosphere, and see the pros weigh their catches.
Photo: Gettys Brannon
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Josh Bertrand reeled in the biggest catch of the week. The Arizona pro won the tournament with an astounding weight of 95 pounds, 3 ounces after four days of fishing on the St. Lawrence.
Photo: James Overstreet
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The win came with a $100,000 paycheck and a gifted bottle of Black Velvet Reserve. The sixth year pro picked up his first Elite Series victory and was clearly thrilled to “Bring Home a Trophy.”
Photo: James Overstreet
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Waddington is a charming small town in upstate New York with a population of 972. That number swelled to 36,200 during the festive event, a record crowd for the Bassmaster Elite Series. Watching Bertrand and his peers weigh their catches on bass fishing’s biggest stage was the main attraction.
Photo: Gettys Brannon
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Before bass crossed the scales fans gathered near the stage, and a Bassmaster photographer prepared to live stream the anglers weighing in.
Photo: James Overstreet
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“We come every year to take in the great weather and see our families,” said Beth, a Syracuse University fan from Canton, N.Y. “It’s a great way to celebrate our community, our small town,” added Christie, a native of Waddington.
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“I’m toasting my walleye, which weighed more than his,” said Kat, from Norfolk, N.Y. “It weighed 13 pounds and I caught it while ice fishing last March on the river.” Eric said he’d toast to that, even though his personal best came in at 11 pounds. “It’s mounted on my wall. Now I have to make room for hers, too.”
Photo: James Overstreet
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“I like this event because it brings together our North Country,” said Zoe, another Waddington native. “A lot of people don’t know about us, and it just gets bigger every year. It’s a great reason to celebrate all we have to offer.”
Photo: James Overstreet
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“I live and work in Washington, D.C., and come here every August to see my parents, decompress from the big city,” said Lindsey, a native of Canton, N.Y. “The fresh air, open spaces and the stillness and calm of the countryside are what I like the most.”
Photo: James Overstreet
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Erica, Andy and friends came from nearby Massena, N.Y. “We like the festival atmosphere, right here on the river. There’s nothing like this and we look forward to it every year.”
Photo: James Overstreet
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“I’ve come now for the past four years and look forward to it,” said Joe, of Massena. “We celebrate at this event every year, because we have something special here with the great people, fishing and the river.”
Photo: James Overstreet
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“I’m a part-time bass fishermen compared to those pros,” said Dan, of Lisbon, N.Y. “I come to see what they catch, learn how they do it, because they are very approachable. It’s just a fun time to get out and enjoy the outdoors.”
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“I fish now more than I ever have, those guys have rubbed off on me,” said Pete, from Potsdam. “It’s amazing what they catch from this river, and it seems to just get better and better every time they come.”
Photo: James Overstreet
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“We came to see what this is all about,” said Andrew and Jason of Potsdam. N.Y. “It’s the biggest festival event of the summer around here.”
Photo: James Overstreet
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“There is so much to see and do here,” said Jeff, of De Kalb, N.Y. “It’s my first time to see a weigh-in, added Jim. “I think we’re about to see more than we came for, which is great.”
Photo: James Overstreet
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“I live on the river here in Waddington,” said Joe. “I’m a big fisherman and it’s amazing to see what those guys catch from our river.”
Photo: James Overstreet
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After fans had tasted Black Velvet Whisky they got back to playing a special version of cornhole, or bean bag toss, made just for Bassmaster tournaments. “We come every year and it’s great for showcasing our river, our community and the fishing,” said Jack, also of Waddington. “Why not celebrate it all?”
Photo: James Overstreet
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