With Stage Eight Looming, Anglers Prep for Northern Smallmouth
Eight days from now, 80 of the best bass anglers in the world will converge on Neenah, Wisconsin for the Bass Pro Tour Evinrude Stage Eight Presented by Tracker Off Road. The final stop of the inaugural Bass Pro Tour season is the most northerly fishery on the 2019 schedule, and the first where smallmouth will be the key species.
Without Winnebago Experience
Alabama pro Gerald Swindle has fished smallmouth-dominated lakes in the past, but Lake Winnebago—the site for the Shotgun and Elimination Rounds—will be a new experience for him.
“It’s a weird feeling because while you’re excited to get to Stage Eight and the end of the season, you’re also nervous because you’ve never been there before,” Swindle admitted. “It’s truly going to be starting cold there for me. This should be an interesting event to see how all of the anglers try to decipher this lake.”
Jonathon VanDam grew up in Michigan and spent a majority of his early life fishing for smallmouth in the Great Lakes region. While he has seen plenty of northern lakes, Lake Winnebago is a place where he has yet to drop a line in the water. Still, VanDam says that he has some friends who have experienced the quality of fish that eastern Wisconsin has to offer.
“I hear some guys tell me that Lake Winnebago is a pretty big sleeper lake for big smallmouth in Wisconsin,” VanDam explained. “I’m excited to get over there and check it out.”
Brandon Palaniuk has some experience fishing in Wisconsin during his time on the B.A.S.S. circuit, earning a second-place finish on Lake Michigan in 2012 and a ninth-place finish in 2015 at Sturgeon Bay. Despite the Idaho pro’s past success in America’s Dairyland, Stage Eight proves to be a new experience for him.
“Practice is going to be really important for me in Stage Eight because I’ve never even seen the lake,” Palaniuk said. “This will be the first time that I’ve fished the MLF format on a northern smallmouth fishery. I’ve always had a good track record with smallmouth, but I’ve never fished for them under the pressure of MLF. We’ll see how much I might have to adjust my approach.”
Shifting to Smallmouth
As the Bass Pro Tour works its way through the 2019 schedule, the field of 80 has seen its focus shift from solely largemouth to a combination of spotted, smallmouth and largemouth, to now mainly smallmouth.
Smallmouth have come into play at Stages Seven and Eight, but they have yet to be the predominant species. As the anglers head north, bronzebacks will take center stage. Swindle says that the change in scenery and species highlights the field’s versatility.
“I like the variation of fisheries throughout the season and fishing for different species because I think it keeps all the guys versatile,” Swindle explained. “This MLF style really makes all the anglers work on their game and highlight what they can do best. I don’t think you can be a one-dimensional fisherman and survive this schedule.”
VanDam feels comfortable making the shift in species thanks to his northern roots. While smallmouth may be mysterious to some, VanDam thinks he comes into Stage Eight with a little bit of an edge because of his familiarity.
“It’s easy for me to adjust to fishing for smallmouth because that’s what I grew up doing,” VanDam said. “They are kind of a strange species to get a grasp on, but it’s kind of become second nature to me. I feel like I might have a little bit of an advantage just because I know how northern smallmouth are.”
Depending on a Drop-Shot
During Stage Six we saw the power of the drop-shot when Aaron Martens took home the Championship on Table Rock Lake. VanDam and Palaniuk both agree that we will see multiple pros utilize the drop-shot in Stage Eight.
“The drop-shot will be used again a lot I think,” VanDam confirmed. “However, the way that the spring has been in the northern part of the country, you may see some pre-spawn fish. Most of the time when you find one smallmouth you find a lot more with them. I’ll use some more search baits and try to find some groups of fish. From there, you can adjust accordingly and utilize other tactics besides just a drop-shot.”
“Anytime you go to a smallmouth-dominated lake, there are going to be drop-shots that come into play,” Palaniuk reiterated. “I think we will see every type of moving bait that you can think of as well.”
One Last Chance at the Dance
The race is on for one of the 30 spots in the inaugural REDCREST Championship. Palaniuk currently sits in 22nd place and in a comfortable position to move on to the postseason, but knows that he has to catch them in Neenah. After a second-place finish in Stage Seven, the Huk pro wants a Stage Eight Championship trophy to go along with his REDCREST qualification.
“The only way to secure your spot 100 percent is to just win,” Palaniuk said. “If I can make it into the Knockout Round, I think that will give me a pretty good chance to clinch a spot in the REDCREST. Still, the only way to get a guaranteed spot is to just win, and that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
As for Swindle, he has found himself in the unenviable position of 35th place, nine points back of the Qualification Line heading into the final event of the season. A good finish in Stage Eight could be enough to move the Toyota pro into the Top 30, but in his mind, his year could have gone a lot better than it has. It’s all about ending the regular season the right way for Swindle.
“I have not fished well in my mind this year,” Swindle said of his performance through seven Stages. “I’ve had a really weird year missing the cut several times, and I haven’t been happy with the way that I’ve fished at some events. The way that I’m looking at this final stage is that it’s the last time for me to go out there and do it right for myself. Don’t worry about the points or standings, I want to go out there and fish, get in my truck, come home and say, ‘I did my best.’”
The Evinrude Stage Eight Presented by Tracker Off Road is set to begin on June 25 from Neenah, Wisconsin. You can watch it on the MLF NOW! live stream for free on MajorLeagueFishing.com.