Every tournament matters, but these next two are the complete determination of my year. I’m sitting right outside the Classic cut, but not much out of it. If I can go up and have two pretty good finishes — top 40s — I’ll make the Classic and that’s obviously what you work for every year.
This has been a very trying and frustrating season. It started out super hot with a Top 10 finish right off the bat at Toledo Bend. I was thinking, “This is going to be the year to look at Angler of the Year,” but it went to trash after that.
I’ve had some of the worst finishes of my career, but to even be where I’m sitting, I’m very thankful, because I could be way lower than what I am. So that’s the upside of what I have going on right now.
A handful of years ago, I might not have had much confidence ending the season up north. I really struggled with these fisheries during my first few years on tour. But this will be my sixth or seventh trip to the northern lakes, so I feel like I understand them much better.
I always said Lake Champlain was one of my favorite places in the country to fish, which can be good or bad. When you like a place a lot, you can get too caught up in history fishing it.
Last year, I did really well at the St. Lawrence River. I really should have finished in the Top 10, but I had some mishaps.
I’m looking forward to getting another shot at this fishery, but what scares me is we’re coming out of Waddington this year. Lake Ontario is where it goes down. The lake is where the big ones live.
That’s a long run, and your fishing time is cut way down. If the wind blows, it’s a really long run, but it’s a risk/reward situation you have to take, especially where I’m at.
I have to catch 20 pounds a day at the St. Lawrence to make the Classic. I feel like the lake is where I have the best chance of doing that, but I have to run approximately 100 miles to get there.
I’ve also done well on Champlain just about every time we’ve fished there. What I like the most is we don’t have to make super big runs. You can run 20 to 30 minutes on Champlain and be in good fishing.
The good thing about both of these last two events is I know exactly what I intend to do. Smallmouth will dominate, so my boat is packed lighter than it’s ever been going up north.
I have some new baits now — Great Lakes Finesse Baits — that have changed my whole outlook on smallmouth fishing. This is going to help me stay focused and stick with my game plan.
I need the stars to align, but I feel good about my chances of securing my Classic spot. Now, I just have to get it done.
