PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Prior to Thursday’s 6:15 a.m. takeoff, Lake Champlain looked calm at the Plattsburgh Marina launch site, and various weather apps indicated a south wind blowing at only 4 to 6 miles per hour. In other words, all systems were “go” for Day 1 of the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels.
But Elite Series angler Hank Cherry asked tournament director Trip Weldon to take a boat ride with him, just around the corner, into the main lake. Cherry let Weldon drive the boat.
“I’m staying out on the point, so I knew how bad it was,” Cherry said. “We got out there and Trip stuck the first wave. I got soaking wet. We laughed, and Trip said, ‘I baptized you.’ I appreciate Trip getting in the boat and taking a ride with me. He didn’t have to do that.”
The boat ride was enough to convince Weldon that for safety’s sake no Elite Series angler needed to be out on Lake Champlain today. Not every angler agreed with the decision, but most understood why it was made. The 60-miles-plus ride south to Ticonderoga, the largemouth bass sweet spot on this lake, would have been a nightmare. And moving around on any part of the lake, north or south of Plattsburgh, would have been rough.
“I wasn’t going to Ticonderoga, but safety is always first with me in hunting and fishing,” Cherry said. “These are just fish to me. My wife and kids – my family – is everything to me. I just wanted to be safe.”
“I can see both sides,” said Dave Lefebre. “I’m personally glad the day was canceled because I do want to make the big run, and I don’t think I’d have been able to do it. You’ve got to go at least 22, 23 miles per hour to be able to fish down there for an hour-and-a-half. I’m thinking today you’d only be able to go 15 (miles per hour), 17 max.”
The anglers who wanted to make the long run to Ticonderoga had a back up plan. Lake Champlain’s 125-mile-long waters are positioned almost due north and south. Any wind directly from the south, like today’s, has a long distance to build in strength.
“We all knew this was coming,” Lefebre said. “I sacrificed a day of practice just to find fish around here in case this did happen. And I found some fish. I just wish I had one more day of practice down south because I’ve got only three groups of fish, and I usually like to find at least five.
“The fish I found here, I couldn’t have caught a big bag. But I could have caught 16 pounds and stayed alive. Today 16 pounds would have been strong.”
If you’ve fished this lake before, you know you’ve got to practice with the idea that your best spots might be inaccessible on various days. Mark Daniels Jr. is an Elite Series rookie, but this is his fourth tournament on Lake Champlain.
“If you’ve ever been to this lake before, it’s rare you get two days with no wind,” Daniels said. “And you definitely aren’t going to get three days with no wind. So you’ve got to prepare for that.
“I’ve been caught out here in bad weather. It’s treacherous. I went to Ticonderoga one time and the wind picked up about like it is today. I liked to have drowned on the way back, but we made it. It took me about two or two-and-a-half hours. You can make it back, but, boy, you’re going to pay for it.”
In addition to safety, several anglers noted the fair-play aspect of not going out on a day where an important part of Lake Champlain was essentially off-limits.
“It’s late in the year, there’s a lot on the line, and you’ve got a lot of guys making long runs,” said Bill Lowen. “Plus, you’ve got guys fishing out in the middle of the lake for smallmouth. I’m not one of those guys. I would have benefited from going today – huge.
“But I feel like we should keep this on a level playing field. Everybody should have a legitimate shot to go fishing. Yeah, we could have gone today, but it would have sucked for a lot of guys. It’s about doing what’s right. That’s what they did, and I think that’s good.”
“Anytime there’s safety involved, I’m not going to second-guess the tournament director,” Alton Jones said. “You can’t second-guess or be disappointed because it’s the same for everybody. We’re all sitting on the bank, we’re all still tied, and the tournament starts tomorrow.”