Scott Decks the Competition on Champlain
Lake Champlain
June 11, 2017
by Gary Menchen
With the opening day of bass season on Lake Champlain one week earlier than the rest of NY State, Watershed B/M took advantage of the situation and fished this lake earlier than we ever have before. And if you were not “bed fishing”, you were not “catching” as the top four anglers proved. Even with a pretty good “blow” out of the south causing choppy to rough water conditions, some keen eyed bassers found and caught ‘em.
We have reached the halfway point of the 2017 season with 6 down and 6 to go as young stick Scott Decker won his first club event of the season. Fishing out of his brand new Bass Cat powered by a 250 Mercury, Scott brought 14.82lbs of fat bass to the scales. Decker found his mixed bag of bass on a rocky point with milfoil on both sides and caught them throwing white baits. This makes it six different anglers to win each event this this year showing the parity in Watershed this year.
Greg Menchen had his best showing thus far with a good day finishing second with 14.10 lbs. All of Greg's fish were green and caught on jigs & plastics in a 150 yard stretch of shallow water with weeds & reeds.
Third place went to Watershed rookie Tommy Rosato who is making some loud noise in the club. Fishing with Decker, he also limited out with spawning bass. Again, he caught them on Wal-Mart purchased cheap worms. That's all this college kid can afford! Tom has the eyes of an eagle, it's good to be young. Rosato also had lunker with a 4.13lb largemouth bass. It will only be a matter of time until he wins a tournament and it will be out of the back of someone's boat.
Fourth place was claimed by Timmy Thompson whose experience and decision making showed true. Without practice (also without sleep as he drove to Champlain from CT overnight), his clear thinking got him results. Tim started out going south from the Port Henry launch but after the frustration of almost four hours and only one dink of a large mouth in his well he fired up the big motor and headed north to clearer water and search for nests. And find them he did to return to the weigh in with a 12lb 10oz limit. A rumor that he fished the beds with an “Alabama Rig” were not confirmed, actually tubes were the deal as the always are when he sight fishes.
So at the halfway point of “WBM Trail 2017”, “The Hammer”, Timmy Thompson has the taken lead in the race for AOY with 45.29lbs followed closely by Tommy Rosato who has 44.87 lbs. Greg Menchen has made a move up to third place followed by Andy Krayewsky, Bryan Gudd, and defending 3 time AOY John Ogolik. Our next regular points tournament will be the night event on Sat July 8 on Lake Mahopac. But during the break before that tx, Watershed’s Annual Classic is scheduled for the weekend of June 24 & 25. We head north again to fish the bass factories of Saratoga & Ballston Lake. It should prove to be a great tournament with big weight's and big fish. See you all there
14.82
Decker found his mixed bag of bass on a rocky point with milfoil on both sides and caught them throwing white baits.
14.10
All of Greg's fish were green and caught on jigs & plastics in a 150 yard stretch of shallow water with weeds & reeds.
13.09
Tommy caught them on cheap worms he purchased at Wal-Mart purchased. That's all this college kid can afford!
Rosato also claimed the lunker for the event. A 4.13lb LMB
12.10
Tim targeted bedding fish using A-Rigs tipped with tubes and wacky senkos :-)