Fantasy Fishing: Will largemouth play a role?

Written by

Kyle Jessie

Let’s take a quick rewind to 2023 when the Elites last visited Lake Champlain. Prior to the tournament, I (like many others) wanted to believe that the largemouth would play a factor in the event as they always have in the past. However, that ended up not being the case for the majority of anglers. Unusual water levels made the largemouth fishing less than stellar.

I bring this up to suggest that when you think about the Champlain we saw last year, it would seem unlikely that largemouth will be much of a factor this time around. However, if you followed along with the recent Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Lake Champlain presented by Lowrance, you would notice that largemouth played a huge roll in that event.

Here’s what winner of the event, Mark Burgess, had to say about the tournament.

“I’m amazed, really. When I signed up for this tournament, I knew (Garmin) LiveScope would play for smallmouth, and that’s not my deal. I was in my total comfort zone this week. I had a flipping stick almost the whole time with a little bit of ChatterBaiting and square billing. I just made the right decisions each day,” said Mark Burgess.

I realize that a couple weeks can make a big difference in where the bass will be, but the fact that largemouth were a major player in the Nation event is encouraging to say the least.

So, with all that said, I’m going to pick a team full of largemouth specialist, right?

Not quite. While I do believe that largemouth will play a role this time around, I’m not betting against the smallmouth experts in the Elite field.

Let’s get into some picks.

BUCKET A: HUFF

In his third season on the Bassmaster Elite Series, Cody Huff has put together an incredible season that isn’t getting the attention it probably deserves. The Missouri pro has yet to miss a cut, has two Top 10s, and finished third in the Bassmaster Classic. When you factor in the built-up momentum that Huff has and combine that with the fact that he finished third at Champlain a year ago, he feels like a homerun pick – especially at only 6.7% player percentage.

Solid secondary selection: Another angler that is on an absolute roll this season is Jay Przekurat. The Wisconsin angler notched a win at the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at St. Clair just a couple of weeks ago, so you know he’s already primed up to catch big smallmouth in the final two Elites of the season. Additionally, Przekurat finished fifth at Champlain in 2023.

BUCKET B: ITO

In the past I’ve been burned by not having Taku Ito on my Fantasy team in smallmouth events, but I won’t be making that mistake again. Over the past few seasons, Ito has proved to be one of the best smallmouth anglers on tour, and I don’t see that trend halting at Champlain.

Solid secondary selection: If you’re looking for an angler with a lower player percentage but a huge upside potential, consider John Cox in Bucket B. With the potential of largemouth playing a bigger factor, Cox could be a wildcard.

BUCKET C: SCHMITT

Bryan Schmitt has had as much success at Lake Champlain as anyone in the Elite field. When Schmitt won at Champlain in 2021, he was able to mix in both largemouth and smallmouth which could be a winning pattern this time around.

Solid secondary selection: Initially when I picked my Fantasy Fishing team for Champlain, I had Luke Palmer as my pick in Bucket C but ultimately decided to go with Schmitt. Hopefully that decision doesn’t come back to haunt me.

BUCKET D: FEIDER

The only thing that has eluded Seth Feider at Champlain is a win. The Minnesota pro has always felt at home at Lake Champlain, and after a tough event here a year ago, you know that he’s anxious to get another shot. Again, if largemouth play more this year than he will be an angler to keep an eye on.

Solid secondary selection: Rarely, if ever have we seen Jason Christie in Bucket D this late into the season. The Oklahoma pro has consistently had solid finished at Champlain. With two events left in the season, look for Christie to make the most out of them.

BUCKET E: CIFUENTES

It’s no secret that Joey Cifuentes has had a tough year, but over the course of his career he has proved to be a force when fishing for northern smallmouth. The Arkansas pro finished 11th at Champlain a year ago.

Solid secondary selection: Chad Pipkens struggled at Champlain in 2023, but has done very well here over the course of his career.