Bassmaster Eastern Open 2018 Tournament Guide

BASSMASTER EASTERN OPEN

TOURNAMENT GUIDE 2018 PLATTSBURGH, NY

AUGUST 2-4, 2018 | Lake Champlain INSIDE: Full tournament info with complete three-day schedule

The history of B.A.S.S. as it turns 50 years old this year

A product of the

What to expect in this year’s tournament by angler Sam George

More information on the next generation: Adirondack Anglers

PRESS-REPUBLICAN • Wednesday, August 1, 2018

2 W��������, A����� 1, 2018 • BASSMASTER EASTERN OPEN

EASTERN OPEN #3

CONTENTS Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Eastern Open No. 3 at Lake Champlain Tournament Information ...............................3 Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau welcome ......................... 4 Multifaceted fishery set for open on Champlain.............5 B.A.S.S. Through the Years ........................................... 6

AUGUST 2-4, 2018 a product of the

PRESS-REPUBLICAN Teah Dowling Special Publications Coordinator Alyssa Senecal Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau contact JamieDay Matthews B.A.S.S. Communications Coordinator Tim Lyman Contributing Writer Dan Ladd Contributing Writer Ed Noonan Contributing Writer Questions? Comments? email tdowling@pressrepublican.com or call 518-565-4183

Portrait of a Bassmaster ............................................... 7 Adirondack Anglers: gaining friends, new interest.........8

SPONSORS

This year’s Bassmaster Eastern Open participants.........9 Meet & Greet with Bassmaster John Hunter................10

PRESS-REPUBLICAN

Content Notice Unless otherwise stated, all content in this publication, was obtained through Bassmaster, with permission to reproduce.

Bassmaster on the web: www.bassmaster.com

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BASSMASTER EASTERN OPEN • W��������, A����� 1, 2018 3

Tournament Registration: August 1, 2018 1 to 4 p.m.

Briefing to follow at 5 p.m.

Crete Civic Center, 2 Beach Road, Plattsburgh, NY 12901 *All anglers MUST register in person with B.A.S.S. staff onsite. This will be the only registration period. See Rule No. 4. You will be fined for being late.

Information New York License: www.dec.ny.gov/permits/6101.html Vermont License: www.vtfwdsales.com/online/index.php

Catch Limit: Pro — 5 fish Co-Angler — 3 fish - 12"

Practice Days: July 30, July 31 & August 1 *During official practice, competitors may ONLY fish with other competitors per Rule 3ii.

Tournament Timeline: Thursday, August 2: Official opening of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Eastern Open. Individual angler checkin times will be announced at the tournament briefing.

Friday, August 3: Tournament fishing schedule will be posted at weigh-in Thursday. Top 12 pros and top 10 co-anglers fishing on Saturday will be announced.

Saturday, August 4: Final awards presentation will be held at the weigh in site.

Take Off: Daily at 6 a.m.

Plattsburgh City Marina, 2 Dock Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901 *Contestants will go out in flights. Flights and check-in times will be staggered to give each contestant equal fishing time.

Tournament Waters: Tournament Waters will be Lake Champlain and all rivers, creeks and canals connected to Lake Champlain. Only water open to ALL public fishing will be considered tournament waters. Any waters closed to public fishing will be closed to this tournament's contestants. NO LOCKING. Quebec waters off-limits to fishing.

Weigh-In: Daily at 2 p.m.

Plattsburgh City Marina, 2 Dock Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901

Fishing License: New York or Vermont Licence is required. Portions of main body of water licenses are reciprocal. Other areas require license associated with that state.

Host: City of Plattsburgh 41 City Hall Place, Plattsburgh, NY 12901 Phone: 518-572-8809 Fax: 518-563-3645 www.cityofplattsburgh.com Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau 7061 State Route 9, Plattsburgh, NY 12901 518-324-7709 www.goadirondack.com Housing Headquarters: Hampton Inn 586 State Route 3, Plattsburgh, NY 12901 518-324-1100 Additional Housing Info: North Country Chamber of Commerce 518-563-1000 www.goadirondack.com/bass More Information: www.bassmaster.com/bass-pro-shops-bassmaster-opens

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WELCOME ANGLERS! Hello visiting anglers!

The Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau created the Welcome Angler Sponsorship years ago as a way for local businesses to help welcome you to the Adirondack Coast during the summer long fishing tournament season on Lake Champlain.

Here’s all the businesses excited to see you all this year: America’s Best Value Inn, Applebee’s Grill & Bar, Best Western Plus, Butcher Block, Buffalo Wild Wings, Champlain Centre, Days Inn, Elfs Farm Winery & Cider House, Ground Round, Hannaford, Jackson and Callie, La Quinta Inns & Suites, Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel, Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham, Plattsburgh RV Park, Twin Ells Campsite and Uno Pizzeria & Grill.

During registration, you’ll find a goodie from each of them in your swag bags, including meal coupons and deals for when you book a room next year.

If you plan on doing a lot of traveling, make sure you look out for a long waving two-tone blue flag that says “Welcome Anglers.”

We hope you enjoy your stay and visit the Adirondack Coast again soon!

Pictured right: The swag bag handed out to all anglers on registration day by the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau.

Inside are deals from businesses participating in this year’s Welcome Angler Sponsorship, as well as booklets showing all the Adirondack region has to offer. For more information on what to do and where to go during your stay, visit www.goadirondack.com.

BASSMASTER EASTERN OPEN • W��������, A����� 1, 2018 5

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PLATTSBURGH, NY — The Bassmaster Opens circuit will make its northernmost trip of the season with next week’s Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Eastern Open No. 3 at Lake Champlain.

The tournament is scheduled for Aug. 2-4, with daily takeoffs at 6 a.m. ET from Plattsburgh City Marina and weigh-ins back at the marina each day at 2 p.m. A full field of 200 boats will compete the first two days, with only the Top 12 pro and co-anglers advancing to Saturday’s final round.

Sam George, an Alabama angler with a history on Champlain, said he wouldn’t be surprised if that Top 12 is made up of anglers from 12 different states.

“This is literally my favorite place in the world,” George said. “You see more people from around the country do well here because it has a little bit of everything. It has grass, rock, offshore fishing, shallow fishing, boat docks.

“Whatever you like to do, you can find it here.”

George’s personal experience at Champlain exemplifies the diversity of the fishery. He finished fourth in a Northern Open on the lake in 2014 and 11th when the circuit returned to Champlain in 2016. He used vastly different tactics each time.

“When we were here in 2014, that was an offshore deal with typical hot summertime fishing,” George said. “Then when we were here in 2016, they were kind of transitioning into that fall period. I was catching smallmouth in 2 feet of water on a ChatterBait. That’s two Top 12s doing two totally different things — so you just never know here.”

One thing that creates so many opportunities on the lake is the presence of both largemouth and smallmouth bass.

Miles Burghoff is an Opens competitor and a guide on Tennessee’s Lake Chickamauga, who goes by the nickname “Sonar” — partly because his father, Gary Burghoff, portrayed the popular character “Radar” on the landmark television series “M.A.S.H.” He thinks anglers taking part in the event will have to be prepared to fish for both species.

“This is my second trip to Champlain and though the fishing is phenomenal across the board, the lake is absolutely massive and it presents some tough decisions, including whether to target smallmouth or largemouth or both,” Burghoff said. “Being mostly a largemouth guy, and seeing that it’s August, I’m inclined to focus on shallow vegetation. But I think to win, you’ll need a strong smallmouth game plan as well.

“I plan on eliminating as much water the first couple days of practice as possible, so I can start narrowing my focus for the event.”

George said he thinks it will take 17-plus pounds a day to make the final Top 12, and he expects 57 pounds — an average of 19 pounds per day — to win. Those who finish highest, he said, will be the anglers who find bass of both species that are just a few ounces bigger.

“There are a lot of 3 1/2-pound fish in the lake — both largemouth and smallmouth,” George said. “The guy who separates himself from the pack will be the one who finds fish in the 3 3/4-pound range. It’ll be that close — and one giant fish could be the difference in the tournament.”

B.A.S.S. has visited Lake Champlain 11 times. The event will be hosted by the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau and the City of Plattsburgh.

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6 W��������, A����� 1, 2018 • BASSMASTER EASTERN OPEN Ray Scott at Oneida Lake in 2008.

B.A.S.S.

Through the Years Gary Klein on the Three Rivers in Pittsburgh at the 2005 Bassmaster Classic.

Dennie Brauer winning the Champions Choice tournament on Lake Champlain in 2006. /Photos provided by Dan Ladd.

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BY DAN LADD

n 1967, a highly successful insurance salesman from Alabama, who really enjoyed bass fishing, held an invitational bass tournament on Beaver Lake in Arkansas.

The $100 entry fee was previously unheard of, but Ray Scott, who was the brainchild, believed it would attract the best-of-the-best, and he tirelessly worked the phones to recruit reputable anglers to compete in his tournament, which would have lucrative cash prizes.

One hundred and six anglers from over a dozen states answered the call, and although he lost $600 on the event,

which attracted numerous spectators, Ray Scott knew he was onto something.

He immediately organized two more tournaments and began working toward an idea he had that would bring bass anglers together regularly from all over the country and, eventually, the world.

Scott had the idea to start what eventually became the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), which was launched in 1968.

His concept was a fishing organization that would be centered not only around tournament fishing, but would Continued on page 11

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Portrait of a

BASSMASTER F

or years now, bass tournaments have been a way of life in our southern states.

Those “Good Ole Boys” have been chasing old “Mr. Bucketmouth” all over those lakes and rivers without the slightest whisper of public ridicule or scorn.

However, when “cast for cash” fever finally crossed the Mason-Dixon Line, the animosity of what might be call “unknowledgables” has spread a very inaccurate picture of what is known as the modern bassmaster.

We will begin at where it all usually starts — the bass club.

Most bass clubs today are nationally chartered with the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), whose rules and regulations each club abides by.

Members of these clubs not only participate in bass weekend fishing tournaments, but help with community services like walking the shores of nearby bodies of water and picking up carelessly thrown litter and garbage.

They also work with young anglers, as well.

For example, the Capital District Bassmaster, of which I’ve been a member since 1968, developed a youth chapter open to kids between 5 to 15 years old.

It had monthly meetings on safe boating and abiding the national regulations when on water and during a tournament, including how all competitors had to WEAR a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket or vest whenever the boat is under powered by a gas engine.

And this included zipped up.

BY ED NOONAN

(Next time you are on the water, see how many boaters are NOT wearing zipped-up life jackets.)

One time, I, alone, took 15 youngsters from a community service center and taught them how to fish in six weeks and the concept of “catch and release.”

The difference with any bass tournament associated with the B.A.S.S., FFL and others sanctioned by these national associations is catch and release — this is perhaps the greatest contribution of the bassmasters towards conserving the resource.

Quite often those who are not familiar with the bassmasters and their tournaments believe that tournaments are hurting the bass population.

That’s not the case.

All true bassmasters when competing are required to have a live well in their boats. These aerated livewell systems are capable of maintaining at least 10 legal-sized bass and cost at least $500 — quite an expensive aquarium.

As for the statistics of survival of fish taken during bassmaster tournaments vary, but most are 90 percent.

I hope that when you read this you have gotten a better idea of what we (bassmasters) really are and that I have convinced you that we are bass anglers who are dedicated to it and its preservation for years to come.

If I convinced you and would like to join a club, go to nybassfed.com.

Once you get started, I think you are going to enjoy the camaraderie and the friendly competition of being a bassmaster.

Bassmaster Magazine ranks Lake Champlain No. 5 in Northeast again for best bass fishing

BY B.A.S.S. COMMUNICATIONS

I

n case you didn’t know, this lake has its own version of the Loch Ness Monster. The beast is named Champ, and scads of tourists boat around this 490-square-mile body of water hoping for a glimpse of it.

Although the smallmouth don’t grow quite as big as Champ is purported to be, the fish are certainly easier to find and catch. As a matter of fact, the smallies here are so abundant anglers often have 50-fish days. Tube jigs, drop shots and crankbaits are the go-to lures. Target offshore structure for easy bites. The smallmouth fishing is so good on this lake that many fishermen forget about the lakes burgeoning largemouth population. The green fish can be caught in the shallows with relative ease using plastics, spinnerbaits and topwaters. And when you hook one, you might think you have a monster on the end of your line.

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8 W��������, A����� 1, 2018 • BASSMASTER EASTERN OPEN

Adirondack Anglers: L

ocal teenagers have formed a group that allows them to share a mutual passion for what they love: fishing.

Evan Howe, Alec Morrison and Perry Marvin created the Adirondack Anglers in 2015 after an unsuccessful attempt to start a club at Peru Junior-Senior High School.

“We started to fish together, and we’ve learned from each other,” said Howe, who added that his love for the sport has only grown since the club’s inception. “I didn’t really know a lot before.”

EARLY INTEREST The goal of Adirondack Anglers is simple: to fish and share that interest with others.

The club already has 14 young anglers, most of whom started fishing early on in childhood.

Howe, now 15, was just 5 or 6 when he first tossed a line in the water with his dad.

Fourteen-year-old Nick Recore also learned at a young age, coached by his father and uncle.

Sam Demeter, 13, learned how to fish from her stepfather on his bass boat six years ago; She’s the only girl in Adirondack Anglers.

“They took me in really easily as a friend, and ever since then, it’s been good,” she said.

Morrison didn’t take up the sport until he was 10 or 11, out of a kayak in Lake Champlain and smaller Adirondack lakes.

The young angler, who’s currently studying mechanical engineering at Clinton Community College, expressed how much has changed since the club formed three years ago.

“Originally, we were just looking to start a high-school fishing team at Peru,” he said, remarking on how involvement in angling can open doors later on.“There’s a lot of things that can be in store for them.”

gaining friends and reeling in new interest

BY TIM LYMAN

STILL FISHING Because the club is targeted toward school-age adolescents, members who graduate tend to hand off administrative functions to the younger members and start fishing competitively in adult divisions or college tournaments.

Morrison went on to finish third in the co-angler division in the recent Costa FLW series tournament in Plattsburgh.

He’s also participating in this year’s Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Eastern Open No. 3 at Lake Champlain Aug. 2, 3 and 4.

Marvin is fishing with his college team at Virginia Tech.

Howe said his love for angling, like those who came before him and others after him, won’t end at high school.

“I’ll never stop fishing,” he said with a gleam in his eye. “It’s a lot of fun for me, so it’s kind of hard to stop.”

NOT JUST 1 SCHOOL Adirondack Anglers is managed by Kelly LaBounty, who wants to spread the word about the club.

“Some people thought you had to belong to a certain school when, really, this isn’t a school-sponsored thing,” she said.

“It’s just people who are like-minded looking for other like-minded (peers).”

For more information, email LaBounty at kjlockwood68@gmail.com.

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BASSMASTER EASTERN OPEN • W��������, A����� 1, 2018 9

This year’s Bassmaster Open local participants Brett Carnright Plattsburgh, NY • Pro-angler Bassmaster Series: 1 career top 10 finish 1 event fished total Earnings: $6,528 FLW Series: Pro status 3 career top 10 finishes 4 events fished total Earnings: $32,117

Ryan Latinville

Alec Morrison

Plattsburgh, NY • Pro-angler Bassmaster Series: N/A FLW Series: 5 career top 10 finishes 15 total events fished Earnings: $27,586

Peru, NY • Co-angler Bassmaster Series: 1 career top 20 finish 5 events fished total Earnings: $924 FLW Series: 4 career top 10 finishes 7 events fished total Earnings: $12,805

* The list of local participants in this year’s Bassmaster Eastern Open No. 3 on Champlain was provided by JamieDay Matthews, B.A.S.S. Communications Coordinator. Statistics on each participant was obtained by Bassmaster.com and FLWFishing.com. Photos were taken off of FLW’s websites with permission by Joseph Opager, director of public relations for FLW Fishing.

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10 W��������, A����� 1, 2018 • BASSMASTER EASTERN OPEN

UPCOMING: Meet & Greet with John Hunter August 1, 2018 • 7 to 9 p.m. • Texas Roadhouse, 356 Cornelia Street, Plattsburgh, NY 12901

T

he public is invited to join professional fisherman John Hunter at Plattburgh’s Texas Roadhouse, as he brings his state-of-the-art Falcon Bass Boat and truck and shares fishing tips, answers questions and signs autographs.

At age 16, Hunter got his first boat and began his competitive fishing career.

In college, Hunter led the Georgetown fishing team to be ranked first for most of the 2012 & 2013 season in the Cabelas School of the Year rankings. They competed and qualified in the 2013 FLW Collegiate National Championship as well as the 2013 & 2014 Bassmaster National Championship, taking home many top five and top 10 finishes.

Upon graduating, Hunter became a professional and in 2015 joined forces with Texas Roadhouse for his rookie season on the Walmart FLW Tour and the Bassmaster Opens, taking home the FLW Co-Angler of the Year title, five top 10 finishes and qualifying to fish the Bassmaster Elite Series through the Northern Opens.

In 2016 and 2017, Hunter competed on the Bassmaster Elite Series. He came in 75th place in last year’s Bassmaster Elite at Champlain presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels.

This season, he is moving back to the FLW Tour and will compete across the country and chase his goal of becoming and FLW Tour Champion.

All guests can register to win a $100 fishing prize package, which includes a Texas Roadhouse gift card, fishing hat, fishing t-shirt, and an assortment of fishing tackle.

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BASSMASTER EASTERN OPEN • W��������, A����� 1, 2018 11 Continued from page 6

contribute much to the overall fishing industry, including, and especially, conservation efforts.

Membership included the informative Bassmaster Magazine, which remains in print to this day.

The concept took off, and soon enough Scott’s dream of having competitive bass fishing be amongst the ranks of televised sports like golf and bowling, began to materialize.

Numerous tournaments were held as more anglers and spectators kept coming.

Then, in 1971, he loaded 25 of the best anglers he knew, along with a collection of outdoor media members, into an airplane and once in the air he announced that they were headed to Lake Mead in Nevada for what would be the very first Bassmaster Classic — the biggest fishing tournament in the world.

It’s been 50 years since B.A.S.S. was launched, and there’s been no looking back.

The organization has over a half-million members and is the spoke of the

2

wheel for various levels of bass clubs and federations. Tournaments take place at the local, state and regional levels as part of a hierarchy that allows anglers to chase their competitive fishing dreams to the highest level, which is the Bassmasters Elite Series that is televised regularly.

The Bassmaster Classic has become one of the biggest annual fishing events of the year and is often referred to as the Super Bowl of bass fishing. Thousands of spectators attend, and the tournament is covered extensively on television and the Internet.

The classic made national news in 1980 when it was held in the 1000 Islands region, as it was later featured on ABC’s 20/20 news program.

In 1984, two future presidents attended the classic, which took place that year on the Arkansas River.

Then-Vice President George Bush and then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton were at the final weigh-in. Eight years later, they would go head-to-head in

the 1992 Presidential election where Clinton unseated Bush.

Through the years professional anglers have become household names, and many launched their careers on the B.A.S.S. circuit.

Roland Martin, Hank Parker, Bill Dance and Kevin VanDam are just a handful of examples.

B.A.S.S. has played a prominent roll in conservation, including the 1972 Clean Water Act. When the classic was held in Pittsburgh in 2005, it paid homage to decisions made three decades earlier, influenced, in part, by this organization.

In 2001, B.A.S.S. was sold to ESPN, which had launched a large outdoors initiative that included the creation of the Great Outdoor Games — an Olympic style competition of outdoor sports that included dog, timber and shooting events alongside bass and fly fishing.

Then-New York Gov. George Pataki attended the final weigh-in at the bass fishing tournament at the Great Out-

door Games in Lake Placid in 2002.

The creation of the elite series and the expansion into women’s bass fishing would flourish in the 2000s; further growing the B.A.S.S. empire. Eventually, collegiate and high school bass fishing took hold as well.

B.A.S.S. changed hands again in 2010, and once again just last October, and is now owned by Anderson Media Corporation.

Bass fishing is as popular as ever and is part of a growing outdoor industry that, combined, would be a Fortune 500 company.

Along with the white-tailed deer and wild turkey, the black bass (which includes both largemouth and smallmouth) is the most sought-after game species in the industry.

B.A.S.S., as an organization, is a big part of the reason why the fish that epitomizes the organization’s name is held in such high regard.

And it all began over 50 years ago, when Ray Scott pursued his desire to live his version of the American dream.

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GANIENKEH TERRITORIAL BINGO

3 Days A Week!

Wednesday & Friday: Starts at 6:30pm Doors Open at 5pm Sunday: Starts at 12:30pm Doors open at 10am

3083 Rand Hill Road, Altona, NY (corner of Rand Hill Road and interstate 190) Devil’s Den Road Via Altona, NY • 518-236-7099 • 518-493-2247