Who’s part of the community?
That’s a question that arises again and again and again at all levels of tournament fishing,
Whether it’s KVD and Ike, Alton Jones and Dean Rojas, or – today – Robert Gee (1st, 78-2) and Chris Johnston (4th, 73-2), it’s an uncomfortable part of the game with no clear answers.
To recap: Gee was camped on a known community hole on the river for the first two days of this week’s tournament while Johnston hadn’t spent substantial time there, catching the bulk of his weight elsewhere. However, it’s a spot Johnston has fished before, and indeed he won an Elite event there in 2020. Today Johnston knew it would’ve been brutal out on Lake Ontario, so he joined the Tennessee rookie there, and things were mostly respectful, but briefly a little chippy. At one point Gee questioned the ethics of the veteran’s decision and Johnston clapped back with his history on the area. After that they cohabited warily but peacefully.
To be clear, there’s no governing rule prohibiting what Johnston did, and both whacked ‘em there today, but I’m sure the fans of the sport, the pundit class and the keyboard warriors have thoughts about this “gray area” topic, and indeed whether it’s a gray area at all. Here are some things to think about as you assess the situation:
- Does it matter that Johnston has won there before?
- Does it matter that Gee was there effectively the entirety of the first two days?
- Does it matter that Johnston is fighting for AOY?
- Does it matter that Johnston’s brother was tied with Gee for the tournament lead (and also that the brothers share tournament winnings)?
- Does it make a difference that the spot is out near the channel and more likely to reload than, for example, a backwater with only resident fish?
- Does the size of the contested spot influence your position? Is 20 yards of juice more protectable than a 50 yard or 20 acre area?
- Does the size of the body of water make a difference? And why do we tend to see many of these battles on the biggest waterways, from Okeechobee to the St. Lawrence?
- After being at least temporarily upset that Johnston was there, was it OK for Gee to invite Trey McKinney (who had been there earlier) to join them?
Somehow, I feel that these questions matter, and yet when it comes to forming opinions few people integrate them into their calculus. There’s a lot of moral relativism and gamesmanship amongst the anglers, too. I’m not opining on either Gee or Johnston here, but historically it has seemed to me that many of the competitors who are most aggrieved when someone comes close to them are the ones who are most likely to push the envelope when the situation is reversed.
Sometimes our tournaments seem like a soap opera, or something out of “Mean Girls,” and it’s easy to allow the drama to drown out how great this sport can be. Make no mistake, however, this week is a true test of anglers’ mettle, strategy and equipment.
Here’s what I saw, heard and thought as we rode the Day Three wave into the season’s end:
29-5 – I hate the term “dirty thirty” but after two straight years with St. Lawrence limits that weighed 29-5 – Bryant Smith (33rd, 62-1) on Day One last year, Chris Johnston on Day Three this year – it’s only a matter of time until we see a thirty-pound bag of smallmouths and a 110 pound, four-day weight.
The ripple effect – Jacob Foutz (35th, 61-13) couldn’t make it to his areas in the lake today and ended up fishing in the river, where he hadn’t spent any practice time. Normally that would seem to be a case of user error, attributable only to bad judgment. In this case, though, it wasn’t quite that clearcut. Because the Champlain tournament was pushed back a day due to a weather postponement, the field only had two days of practice here, which is especially short on such a huge waterway. He had choices to make and he went all-in on the lake. It seemed to work for two days, but bit him in the butt today. He fell from 9th to 35th and ceded the AOY title to Chris Johnston.
Rollin’ on 22s – Four anglers caught 22 pounds or more each of the first three days. They did not include Chris Johnston, who made up for his mere 20-11 yesterday with 29-5 today. Eleven anglers had over 22 pounds on two days without making it into the top 10.
Ups and downs — Jordan Lee (5th, 72-13) was the only angler in the top ten who saw his weights go up each day. Three members of the top ten experienced decreasing weights each day: Patrick Walters (8th, 69-6), Drew Benton (9th, 69-2) and Caleb Sumrall (10th, 68-8).
Tommy Sanders on Rick Clunn’s “Retirement” – “You don’t retire from Mt. Rushmore.”
Chris Johnston – “After the last two days, I’ve got a lot of new gray hairs.”
Risk/Reward – Jordan Lee is finishing his first season back at BASS with a bang. Today the two-time Classic champ caught the biggest smallmouth limit of his life, 27-13, and vaulted from 16th to 5th. He made the decision to head out into the frothy lake, where it was too rough to weigh the fish onsite. He may be sore tomorrow, but it was the right decision for the competitor. “It ignited the big ones,” he said. “One boulder produced three of those giant fish.”
Cody Huff (26th, 63-12) – “I turned the corner to go out there and figured out I was not man enough to make the trip.”
The No-Glory All-Stars – Crazy props to the service crews, as a few wrenches got turned this week, and any marshals and cameramen, but especially those who headed out to the really big water today.
Keith Combs (14th, 66-5) – “I didn’t pick up the fairy wand one time so that’s always a success.”
Rodeo – We’ve had a fair number of former rodeo competitors in Elite Series history, including Brian Clark, Jeff Reynolds, Terry Butcher and Jay Brainerd. Braided line pioneer Randy Dearman also competed in both sports. Watching Cory Johnston (2nd, 77-5) out on the lake bucking the waves, I’m thinking he should’ve foregone his early hockey years to ride bulls. One of the differences between the two sports is that in rodeo you’re trying not to hit the ground too soon, and on a long run to Lake Ontario the secondary goal (after catching a big limit) is just to get back to solid, non-moving ground.
Case in point — “I’m so happy to be on dry land,” said Shane LeHew (6th, 70-15).
Mal de Mer – “It was as big as I’ve ever seen it,” Cory Johnston said of the conditions. Even a big water veteran like Johnston can get sick in monster waves. It’s a horrible feeling, and he kept fishing through a couple of biscuit-tossing sessions. As I’ve gotten into offshore fishing in recent years, my best friend has been the Scopolamine patch. It has gotten me through some horrific conditions with nary a bit of nausea, just a bit of dry mouth. Consult your doctor before using it, but there’s no shame in trying that or an over-the-counter remedy – it’s far better to look a little goofy than to end up chumming or hugging porcelain.
Workers comp — Is Livescope an aggravating factor in seasickness? It forces you to focus on a bobbing target, which may screw up your equilibrium. Cory Johnston suggested that it might have been the reason for his puke-a-thon.
Mercer to the ever-cheerful Tyler Williams (12th, 67-8) – “You’re the Tommy Callahan of bass tournaments.” Notably, Williams did not know who Callahan was. In his defense, “Tommy Boy” came out six years before he was born. Earlier in the year he couldn’t identify Kenny Powers, either, but now he can. Never stop learning.
Cole Sands (20th, 65-6) on the retiring Frank Talley — “Anybody who knows Frank knows that he’s one of the best guys out there.” There’s been a lot of friction between some of the younger pros and the more veteran anglers in recent years, and particularly during this season, but we can’t forget that there still is mentoring and listening going on in some quarters.
Zona understatement – “It does appear that the area reloaded from yesterday.”
Zona Chicagoland baseball reference of the day – Ron Kittle’s Rookie of the Year season which, for the record, was post-Disco Demolition Night and after the team wore shorts on the diamond, but before Ozzie Guillen also won the Rookie of the Year award. Guillen later made it a twofer, adding a Manager of the Year Award, and it was especially sweet since he piloted the team to a World Series Championship.
Sanders piles on the Windy City references – “One thing to know about the Johnstons, this is their Soldier Field.”
The movie version of today – The Perfect Storm
Movie poster tagline – “The sea was angry that day, my friends.”
Movie quote that will live forever – “I don’t think the heavy stuff’s gonna come down for quite a while.
Guest starring — Could Gary Sinise reprise his role as Lieutenant Dan in one of the Johnston Brothers’ jerseys?
Back at you early on Sunday for the last day of the 2024 Elite Series season. Bring your Dramamine, because if the past is prologue then tomorrow should be a roller coaster.
