Fantasy Fishing: Quick turnaround is the key

Written by

Pete Robbins

I recognize that the Harris Chain and the St. Johns River are two very different fisheries, but I think these back-to-back tournaments will have one thing in common – extreme variety when it comes to how the top finishers chase the trophy. We could see anglers in backwaters flicking Senkos, others out of shell beds cranking and old-school Carolina Rigging, and still others chasing the shad spawn. There might even be a few sight fish to be had.

The problem is that there might not be enough of any one thing to last four days – and with only two days of practice there will be less time to find backup patterns or places, especially for the anglers who’ve never been there before.

Nevertheless, that hasn’t fazed any of this year’s rookies so far. Still, I’m picking mostly anglers with solid histories out of Palatka. This one will be a true test of my strategy and their resilience.

Here are my picks:

BUCKET A: The AOY Contender

PROVEN HAMMER: He may have slipped in the AOY race with a 62^nd place finish at the Harris Chain, but don’t count Patrick Walters out yet, and the St. Johns is the perfect place for him to get his mojo back. He has four Top 10 finishes in four tries, including a pair of 4^th place efforts. If he can just sneak into the Northern Swing within spitting distance of the title, he’ll make a run at it.

SOLID BACKUP: I’ve learned not to bet against Kyle Patrick, because every time he seems out of his element or suffers through a tough practice, he bounces back with a solid effort, and seems to get better as tournaments go on. Hard to pick a rookie in Bucket A, but if he wins I’ll be kicking myself.

BUCKET B: The Honorary Floridian

PROVEN HAMMER: He may be from Tennessee, but Brandon Lester is ready to be a Florida snowbird. His past five visits to Palatka he’s finished 28^th, 12^th, 35^th, 12^th and 13^th, and he’s coming off another 12^th place finish at the Harris Chain. Fishing here later in the season gives me even more faith that he’ll do well – he’s a scrapper and a strategic competitor.

SOLID BACKUP: Matt Arey has a lot of history on the St. Johns – four straight checks, including a 7^th place finish in 2020 and a 15^th in 2019. He’s knows how to win and won’t be bothered by the comparatively short practice period.

BUCKET C: Pick a Drew

PROVEN HAMMER: I was tempted to take Drew Cook, and I would have if it had been slightly earlier, but I just have a hunch that Drew Benton is going to bounce back and help me after hurting my fantasy efforts at the Harris Chain. Except for a tough tournament in 2022, he’s been solid in Palatka, including a 4^th place finish in 2016.

SOLID BACKUP: Either Drew Cook or John Cox could produce a win here.

BUCKET D: Angler Arbitrage

PROVEN HAMMER: This is the rare time you’re going to find Brandon Palaniuk in Bucket D, so grab him here while you can. He was under the weather at the Harris Chain and bombed, but that rarely if ever happens twice in a row. He’s fished Elite tournaments here since Trey McKinney was in the first grade, and has three straight top twenties.

SOLID BACKUP: Despite being a young gun, Wes Logan has three solid finishes at the St. Johns, and his best Elite efforts have come in early May in Alabama. That should translate to mid-April a bit south.

BUCKET E: Local Knowledge

PROVEN HAMMER: Cliff Prince has had a tough start to the season and there’s no better way to fix that than with home cooking. He hasn’t been flawless here, but in seven Elite events on the St. Johns he’s had three finishes in the Top 10 and two more in the top 20. That’s a solid bet in Bucket E.

SOLID BACKUP: John Crews is another angler we don’t expect to see in Bucket E, but in eight career Elite events on the St. Johns, he’s only missed the money once. Three of those finishes have been in the top five, including a runner-up and a win. This is the rare occasion when this bucket has multiple anglers who’d be solid picks at the top of the chart.