One of the more interesting parts of this event that can’t be overstated is what Brock Mosley is doing.
With all the chatter and attention on smallmouth, Lake Ontario and nasty waves, Mosley has stuck with a much calmer and serene approach by chasing largemouth around the St. Lawrence River.
It would be a fitting end to one of the craziest, strangest years in the middle of a COVID pandemic if largemouth were to win this event. It’s sort of strange enough that largemouth have put a guy on the final day.
Mosley’s approach, though, is something every tournament angler should keep in mind. Old school guys used to say no matter where you are you should fish to your strengths. Mosley has done that this week. I heard him on the LIVE show equating a boulder to a stump back home. That kind of attitude is paying big dividends for this young pro. While all the Great Lakes anglers are pulling for the lake, all the good-old-boys who spend their days flipping around stumps have found them someone they can relate to.
The other part of that is, after watching Paul Mueller, Chris Johnston and Clark Wendlandt battle the waves this morning, I think it’s a good bet those guys burned more gas in an hour than Mosley has burned in four days. He’s sticking so close to the takeoff there is shades of similarities to George Cochran’s 1987 Bassmaster Classic win, when he chose to spend more time to fish than to run and won one of the toughest Classics ever.
This one isn’t tough in a catching regard. It is tough getting around, though. And if you are from Mississippi (like Brock) or from the deep South, what he’s doing makes more sense than dragging around a little bitty bait around big water on a little bitty rod.