Avena racks up 29-6 of smallmouth, leads Wheeler by 2 ounces with one day to go on Cayuga

Adrian Avena described the Knockout Round as the best day of smallmouth fishing in his life. Photo by Garrick Dixon. Angler: Adrian Avena.

June 10, 2023 • Mason Prince • Bass Pro Tour

UNION SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Cayuga Lake slugfest cut down from 40 to the Top 10 today after another wildly impressive day of smallmouth fishing. Favorite Fishing Stage Five Presented by ATG by Wrangler has one more day in western New York with 10 pros vying for the title and a $100,000 check.

The 10 anglers fishing on Cayuga Lake on Championship Sunday are:

1. Adrian Avena – 29-6 (5)

2. Jacob Wheeler – 29-4 (5)

3. Spencer Shuffield – 28-1 (5)

4. David Dudley – 27-8 (5)

5. Dakota Ebare – 27-5 (5)

6. Takahiro Omori – 26-14 (5)

7. Mark Rose – 26-11 (5)

8. Alton Jones Jr. – 26-8 (5)

9. Matt Becker – 26-2 (5)

10. Kevin VanDam – 25-15 (5)

Adrian Avena caught three 6-pounders and two 5-pounders to win the Knockout Round. Photo by Garrick Dixon

Leader Avena hoping for one more day in smallmouth heaven

Adrian Avena holds a slim 2-ounce lead over his good friend Jacob Wheeler with one more day to go. After what Avena called the best day of smallmouth fishing of his life, he was still in awe of what Cayuga Lake has to offer even after a full week of a stacked field of smallmouth anglers throwing haymakers at it.

“There’s just straight quality out there,” Avena said. “I had never caught a 6-pound smallmouth before coming here and I’ve caught multiple this week, including today. If you look at my second-best five, I probably had 24 pounds from them. Just one of the best days of smallmouth fishing in my life.”

The New Jersey pro tallied three 6-pounders and two 5 1/2-pounders for his impressive 29-6 limit. His plan for tomorrow, like the rest of the remaining field, is to go after spawning smallmouth once again. But the ones that have been there all week are starting to disappear into deeper water. Avena knows that there’s more spawners to be had, it’s just about locating them before anyone else does.

“I’m definitely going to have to find some new fish tomorrow if I want to win,” Avena said. “I foul-hooked a 5-12 today that I’m hoping I can find tomorrow. I found a 6-6 earlier in the week that’s gone now as well as another 6-pounder that has moved out. There’s fish that are moving out, but also new ones moving in so I hope I can find a big 7-pounder like Wheeler did today.”

Jacob Wheeler’s day was highlighted by a 7-5. Photo by Phoenix Moore

Going to take more than 50 pounds to win on Cayuga

Avena said it best when he said that Sunday’s Championship Round is going to be a “dog race.” Smallmouth bites may come easy for the Top 10, but a win will be far from easy. Everyone inside the Top 10 caught 25 pounds or more and all will undoubtedly be looking to repeat their smallmouth success.

All 50 of the Top 10’s best five fish were smallmouth, to the surprise of pretty much no one. Cayuga has proven this week that spawning smallmouth are the ones you want for bites and for size, as their aggressiveness during this spawning period is unmatched by the lake’s largemouth.

The key on the final day will be locating big smallies that haven’t been caught this week, to boost the overall average of the Top 10’s final-day fish. Wheeler spent the last part of his day in search of a 7-pound smallmouth and Spencer Shuffield mentioned how he’s on the lookout for something better than the 5-pounders he caught on Saturday. There’s no question that to win, tomorrow’s champion will need a couple of 6-pounders, perhaps even an elusive 7-pounder.

What’s next

Stage Five wraps up on Sunday with the Championship Round. Weights will carry over as the angler with the highest two-day total will be named the Stage Five Champion on Cayuga Lake. Coverage begin at 7:45 a.m. ET with MLFNOW! at MajorLeagueFishing.com and the MLF app.