As the 2024 Elite Series season draws to a close, seemingly moments after it started, the top makeup of the top five in the St. Lawrence event screams at me.
You have two Canadians, including the first non-American Angler of the Year, representing the increasingly skilled foreign contingent, along with an Australian in 10th.
Sandwiched in between the Johnstons are two rookies, 19 and 25 years old, world beaters and afraid of nothing.
And right behind that quartet sits a two-time Classic champion, showing just how desperate everyone is to get into this field. He left for assumedly greener pastures, found out they weren’t right for him, and now he’s back, older, wiser, and still kicking bass.
No the names are not the same as they were 10 years ago. This week we learned that several of the sport’s brightest shining lights will not be coming back next year. You don’t replace people like Rick Clunn and Mark Zona, but we can try to reload.
The anglers who didn’t make the cut this week, or who didn’t make the 2025 Classic, have six months to get things back in order, because new hammers are coming – from other countries, from the ranks of youth, and from the otherwise dispossessed, to make the field even tougher. Read the bronze writing on the wall, or get left behind permanently.
With belly pats for all, here’s what I saw, heard and thought as a season that was memorable for a wide range of different reasons drew to a close:
(Best Dr. Evil voice) Two million dollars – With the six figure top prize that Cory (1st, 102-0) won and the AOY award that Chris (4th, 96-2) will receive, both Johnstons passed the million dollar mark in BASS earnings, the two fastest anglers to reach that mark.
International rivalry – We entered this tournament with a three-way tie for smallmouth Century Belts, with the United States, Canada and Japan each holding two. Now the first two countries have three apiece, and Japan is stuck for the time being at two. Cory Johnston becomes the first angler to have more than one, and the Johnston family has three – while no other family in Elite Series history has more than one.
Shrinkage – For the first time this week, we saw tournament leaders catching bare keepers, the type of fish that they hesitate to put in their livewells for fear that they’ll die and prevent subsequent culling. As Jordan Lee (5th, 93-0), who dropped over 27 pounds of smallmouths on the scales yesterday, said “They’re getting smaller on me.” But anglers have to guard against getting complacent and taking light-feeling bass for granted. As Chris Johnston said, “That’s the nice thing about St. Lawrence smallmouths. Until you actually get them in your hand they can surprise you.”
Trending up, trending down – Five members of the top ten had their smallest weights of the week – including champion Cory Johnston, for whom it did not seem to matter. For Robert Gee (2nd, 100-7), on the other hand, it was a painful last stand for the 2024 season. He still weighed 22-5 today, but it was over 3 pounds lighter than his lightest weight over the prior three days. He fell short of his first Elite Series victory by 2-7, after missing the win by 3 ounces last week. He also had a runner-up finish in the prior tournament at Alabama’s Smith Lake.
Sumrall surges – Caleb Sumrall’s weights may have gone down each day this week, but he saved his best for last. He finished out with a 13th place finish at Champlain and a 9th place finish at the St. Lawrence. His prior best finishes were 26th at the St. Johns, 26th at Wheeler and 31st at Toledo Bend. He’s qualified to fish his fourth Classic, his first one since 2022, and his first one in an odd-numbered year. His secret to success this week? “I stopped being scared of that lake.”
Doubling down – Trey McKinney (3rd, 98-9) had 130-15 at Fork and 98-9 this week, just missing a second Century Belt. I’ll need stathead Ronnie Moore to confirm this, but I assume that his single-season two-tournament total of 229-8 is the largest such figure in Elite Series history. [For example, in the year he set the record at Falcon with 132-8, the best catch Paul Elias had in any other tournament was 75-14, for a total of 208-6.] In those two events McKinney had three limits over 33 pounds, another over 30, two over 25, one over 24 and his smallest was 23-10. If he’d somehow had that “small” 23-10 bag all four days this week the Rookie of the Year would have had 94-8, and would only have fallen one spot from 3rd to 4th. If he’d weighed in 30 pounds, his smallest bag at Fork, each day in that tournament, he would have fallen from 1st to 4th.
Shane LeHew (6th, 92-13) – “We turned a really bad year into a good year.” He went through one midseason stretch where in five tournaments he had four finishes between 65th and 67th. He’ll fish his sixth consecutive Bassmaster Classic when he launches next year at Ray Roberts.
Patrick Walters (8th, 89-14) avoiding diaper-changing responsibilities – “I’m going to go back out there for the next three days.”
Patrick Walters again – For an angler who claimed to struggle on smallmouths early in his career, Walters seems to have things figured out. He won at the St. Lawrence last year and made it to championship Sunday this year. He also held on to what was once a pipe dream, but now seems to be an increasingly tenuous smallmouth weight record. “Hopefully they don’t break 105 pounds,” he said from the stage before those ahead of him weighed in. “My record will be safe.” Indeed, he still holds it…for now.
High expectations for Walters – Walters was the preseason AOY pick of many fans and pundits, myself included, and I’m sure he had comparable hopes for himself. In that respect, he may be disappointed, but if four top tens, including a win and a runner-up finish, are considered a down year then you’re in pretty rare company.
Dave Mercer, Diplomat – “Canadians are peaceful people.”
Dave Mercer, Meteorologist “We’re going to make it rain bass, ladies and gentlemen.”
Jordan Lee – “I’ve been snakebit all year when the camera was in the boat.” He caught 20-3 today, his lightest bag by nearly 2 pounds, but maintained his 5th place position from Day Three. It marked a more-than-solid return to the Elite Series with his third Day Four appearance. The only cut to Day Three that he missed all year was at Wheeler in his home state of Alabama, when he finished 92nd. He was also 41st in the following event at Smith Lake. “We ate some humble pie in those two tournaments,” he said. Still, he will be competing at Ray Roberts in March, and has the lone chance there to become the first active angler with more than two Classic victories.
Four twenties – Eight of the top ten weighed in over 20 pounds every day. Three of them – Cory Johnston, Robert Gee and Trey McKinney, had over 22 each day. Cory Johnston’s smallest limit was the 24-11 that he weighed in today. If he’d had that same weight all four days he would have finished 2nd, just 3 ounces ahead of 3rd place angler Trey McKinney.
It’s all ball bearings – There is no good time to have mechanical issues, but today’s problems seemed especially painful for Carl Jocumsen, still fighting to move up and grab a Classic berth. Nevertheless, the two-time Classic qualifier (possibly soon to be three) remained upbeat and constructive. “If I get a wind knot, I’m in a bad mood,” said Mark Zona, amazed at how joyful and resilient the Australian angler continues to be in the face of adversity.
Robert Gee – “I was up against the two greatest smallmouth fishermen in the world.” Despite that realization, he still looked shellshocked after weighing in, the same look I recall in Aaron Martens after his third and fourth Classic runner-up finishes. Gee has a lot of runway ahead of him and the wins will come, as they did eventually for the Johnstons and others who nibbled around the edges of victory for long periods of time before getting over the hump.
Zona yacht rock reference of the day – “Sailing” by Christopher Cross. Smooth seas going forward, my friend – unless a little breeze will fire up the bite.
