WADDINGTON, N.Y. — It was a case of quality over quantity, but Japanese superstar Taku Ito was just fine with the 5-bass limit of 26 pounds, 2 ounces that leads Day 1 of the Humminbird Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River.
Ito, who won the 2021 St. Lawrence Elite event — also run out of Waddington — and claimed his second blue trophy June 30 at Smith Lake, heads into Day 2 with a 6-ounce margin over rookie Robert Gee.
One of the highlight reel moments from Ito’s first Elite win was his crowd-pleasing tale of finding a brown-fish-laden spot he named “Smallmouth Disneyland.” The Lake Ontario goldmine that yielded a 26-pound Championship Sunday limit held so many fish that Ito claimed he got downright picky about only targeting the bigger fish on his screen.
Flash forward three years and Ito said he saw fewer fish, but the ones he saw were the ones he needed.
“The fish were alone today; I couldn’t find (schools) of bass,” said Ito, who makes his home in Chiba, Japan. “I only caught six or seven bass. It was so hard, but they were big ones.
“I think the 3-pounders and 2-pounders are schooling, but the 5- and 6-pounders are always alone.”
Making the 80-plus-mile run to Lake Ontario, Ito fished in 15 to 35 feet of water and looked for scattered rock bottom throughout a 2-mile area. This habitat, he said, holds lots of crawfish, which he believes attracts the bigger fish.
“I used the trolling motor a lot and went everywhere shallow to deep,” Ito said. “When I’d finally find a fish, it was very simple: Cast, hold, shake, bite; easy.
“My area is not perfect. There are (fresher) areas somewhere, but I like the crawfish-eaters. They are swimming very close to the bottom.”
Anchoring his bag with a 6-pounder, Ito said he made a few casts with a Neko rig but ended up catching the majority of his fish on a drop shot. Using a 1/2-ounce weight, Ito tied his drop shot with an 18-inch leader — a detail he believes made a strategic difference in his presentations.
“With a short leader, casting accuracy is good, but a longer leader makes a softer fall and that’s (more stealthy),” Ito said. “When I cast, the fish find the bait (higher in the water column) and with a soft fall, I’ll get a bite.”
With Day 1 bringing mostly calm conditions and Friday’s forecast showing a similar complexion, Ito’s hoping to stack his numbers ahead of what’s expected to become a rougher weekend.
“For my fish, calm weather is good, because they’re swimming close to the bottom,” Ito said. “But in big waves I can’t see them.
“I have a couple of areas that I didn’t check today, so I will find some spots if (the weekend brings rough weather). I’m in a big area, so I’m always looking around.”
Hailing from Knoxville, Tenn., Gee is in second place with 25-12. Doing most of his work in the lake with a drop shot, Gee ended his day by fishing areas close to takeoff. All of his weight came from Lake Ontario.
“I stayed on one spot (in the lake) all day long, caught what I caught by noon and then ran back and threw a spinnerbait around Waddington,” he said.
Gee said he matched his drop shot baits to the gobies and crawfish he believes the big fish are eating.
Notably, Gee finished second to Ito at Smith Lake. Suffice to say, he’s planning to even the score, but he knows that doing so will require a crafty plan.
“The fish are very, very smart here now,” Gee said. “The first time I came here in 2019 for a college tournament, they would meet your drop shot halfway before it got to the bottom and catch it. Now, they’ve been fished for so much, it’s really tough to get them to bite.”
Kyoya Fujita of Yamanishi, Japan, is in third place with 25-8. Fujita, who won the season opener at Toledo Bend Reservoir, fished the mouth of Lake Ontario and caught his fish on a drop shot.
Speaking through a translator, Ito said he fished clean and did not lose any bass. Fujita also noted that he’s optimistic about his position and his potential.
“I’m only 10 ounces behind the leader, and there is a big chance that I can catch 30 pounds (on Day 2),” he said. “It can happen. I just have to have the big fish bite tomorrow and I’m going to go for it.”
Joey Cifuentes III is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-15.
Ito leads the CrushCity Monster Bag of the Tournament standings.
Jacob Foutz of Charleston, Tenn., leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings with 749 points. Chris Johnston of Otonabee, Canada, is in second with 747, followed by reigning Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors champion Justin Hamner of Northport, Ala., with 746, Cory Johnston of Otonabee, Canada, with 730, and Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., with 724.
McKinney leads the Dakota Lithium Elite Series Rookie of the Year standings with 724 points.
Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET at Whittaker Park. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 3 p.m.
Coverage of the Humminbird Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River will air on FS1 on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET and Sunday on FS2 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Bassmaster LIVE will be streaming on Bassmaster.com all four days.
The St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce is hosting the tournament.
