CLAYTON, N.Y. — Practice days for Bassmaster Elite Series anglers anywhere are about finding clues – hints than can be expanded upon during tournament competition. “Clueless on the St. Lawrence” would sum up the practice story this week as the SiteOne Bassmaster Elite begins today.
“It ain’t the same St. Lawrence,” said Scott Canterbury, who finished third here last year on the way to his Bassmaster Angler of the Year title. “I’ve struggled really, really, really bad. I’m sort of lost.”
With the venue change from Waddington to Clayton this week and Lake Ontario becoming available to the anglers, you might think Brandon Palaniuk would be wearing a big smile in anticipation of repeating his 2013 win here, when he was making the long run from Waddington to Lake Ontario.
“This is probably the least confident I’ve been at this place going into an event,” Palaniuk said. “I’ve found a lot of fish, but I can’t catch ‘em. It’s definitely not the normal St. Lawrence that I’ve seen in the past.”
Palaniuk spent three days of the official practice period in the lake and one in the river. He’s prepared to do both, but he can’t keep his mind off the potential in Lake Ontario.
“The lake is fishing tougher than I’ve ever seen it,” he said. “I think 85 percent of the checks will be cashed in the river, but I think it’s going to be won in the lake. I just know the potential there.”
This marks Chris Zaldain’s sixth Elite Series tournament on the St. Lawrence River. He noted that in the two previous July events here, they’ve been won in shallow water. In the three previous August events, they’ve been won deep.
“It’s different every year anyway,” Zaldain said. “But it’s really different this year. It’s not the same St. Lawrence. It’s not a super freak smallmouth fishery this year. It’s just a smallmouth fishery.”
The definition of a “super freak smallmouth fishery” can be seen in previous Elite Series events here. Last year there were 25 five-bass limits topping 20 pounds on Day 1. In 2018 it was even freakier, with 52 bags topping 20 pounds on Day 1. This year the expectations after practice were for more like 10 bags over 20 today, similar to the 2015 (10 over 20 on Day 1) and 2013 (13 over 20) totals.
“I think the fish are in transition,” Zaldain said. “I caught one in 40 (feet of water), one in four feet and one in one foot. It’s all over the board.”
Canterbury had the same practice experience, saying, “They are super scattered. I’ve caught some in two feet and one or two in close to 50 feet. The bad thing is I can’t figure out whether to fish in two feet or 20 feet or 40 feet.”
As always, someone will figure it out this week. But practice simply didn’t provide many clues.