Stone on Sturgeon Bay: Four Keys as Bass Pro Tour Stage Five Approaches
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin is set to host the final Bass Pro Tour event of the 2020 season on Friday, July 10. It’s a big body of water with even bigger opportunities for the 80 anglers competing in Stage Five.
MLF analyst Marty Stone has been combing through his notes and compiling his research to identify a few things to watch for in northern Wisconsin come the end of this week.
Qualifications at Stake
There’s a lot on the line coming into the final event of the season. Four anglers are battling it out for the Points Championship, there’s a tight race for REDCREST 2021 qualification, and something that many people didn’t realize.
“This is the last event the anglers have in order to qualify for next year’s Heavy Hitters,” Stone said. “Stage Five is going to be so important in so many ways, but that might be the biggest.”
Only the Top 40 anglers in terms of points will qualify for REDCREST next spring. Last year, only the Top 30 point-earners qualified. Even with 10 extra spots up for grabs, Stone says to expect a fight right to the end for that 40th and final spot.
“All of these guys want to fish REDCREST because that’s another opportunity for a check for them,” Stone said. “Those guys like Mike McClelland, James Watson, Fred Roumbanis and Dave Lefebre are going to be on high alert all week long to know right where they stand and how many points they need to get into the Top 40.”
Big Smallmouth to be Caught
In order to qualify for Heavy Hitters, the pros will have to be on the lookout for monster smallmouth. Stone believes we’ll see many 4- and 5-pound smallmouth caught this week. However, if someone wants to separate themselves from the rest of the pack, they need locate some of the super-sized smallmouth that live in Sturgeon Bay.
“I have this place on my bucket list of bodies of water to fish in my lifetime because there are massive smallmouth that live here,” Stone expressed. “There was an event on Sturgeon Bay a few years ago where someone caught an 8-pound smallmouth. That’s huge. I would love to see our guys be able to come up with some impressive smallmouth and I think they can do it.”
Stone’s praise for Sturgeon Bay doesn’t stop there. This will be the Bass Pro Tour’s first stop at a predominantly smallmouth-filled body of water. Although smallmouth may not be the size and stature of their largemouth cousins, Stone thinks that if you’re going to look for big smallies, there aren’t many better places to do it.
“When you think of giant largemouth you think of Lake Fork or Lake Falcon,” Stone said. “By the same token, when I think of big smallmouth I think of Sturgeon Bay. An 8-pound smallmouth is equal to a 13-pound largemouth in terms of rarity. They have those type of smallmouth in this bay.”
Expansive Area to Fish
There will be big smallmouth, and there will also be big open spaces for the field to find them. The 80 pros will have no shortage of water to fish, as the competition boundary goes from Green Bay on the south end to Washington Island and the western shores of Lake Michigan to the north.
“There’s nothing in fishing quite like being surrounded by water on all sides with no land anywhere in sight,” Stone explained. “It’s a daunting feeling, that’s for sure. It’s going to be interesting to see how our anglers handle all that open water and vast space. This will basically be like fishing on the Great Lakes.”
Stones says that he is curious to see which strategies come into play with the weather. Windy days are better for smallmouth fishing, but can cause big swells out in the open water. Stone admits he wouldn’t be surprised to see some swells over 4 feet tall. He says it’s hard to determine how safe the anglers will play it until they are out there and can see the conditions for themselves.
Welcome Back Aaron
Stone ends the conversation with a welcome back message for Aaron Martens. The 2019 Stage Six champion returns to competition after missing Heavy Hitters due to his ongoing battle with a brain tumor.
While Martens’ battle isn’t over, Stone expresses just how happy he will be to see Martens back on the water in his purple jersey.
“He’s not only a great angler, but a great person, and everyone involved in the world of bass fishing knows that,” Stone said. “To have him back out there, even if he’s not 100 percent, it makes me happy to see and I know it makes him happy to be back out there competing. I wish him nothing but the best this week.”