Pundits’ Playoffs: Lake Champlain

Welcome to the playoff round of Pundits’ Picks.

Welcome to the playoff round of Pundits’ Picks. Our five-tournament regular season is over, the pundits have been ranked one through six in both the Pro and Staff divisions and are now facing off in mano a mano battle – pro vs. staff – at Lake Champlain. The six winners here will advance to compete in next month’s Pundit Championship. The six losers have a one-way ticket out of Punditville waiting for them and will watch from the sidelines in Birmingham.

Tournament site

Lake Champlain. Some call it the best bass fishery in the country. If not the best, it’s certainly in the top five or 10. The number of fish here is astronomical, and it’s going to take more than your average limit of bass to win this FLW event. In fact, catching just a limit here means very little, competitively, since nearly everyone catches limits here. What it takes is what past winners Sam Newby and Scott Martin have done: catch big, spawning largemouths. Sure, the lake’s plethora of smallmouths will help you make the cut, but look for a nice stringer with kicker buckets to take the win. But don’t forget about the pros who make their living in this part of the country; the northern boys know where the big ones are in this abundant fishery, and they will do well.

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Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop No. 6

Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh, N.Y.

June 21-24

Clark Wendlandt FLW pro Cedar Park, Texas Record: 5-0 (No.1 pro) Points: 3,705	VS.	Keith Lebowitz Co-host “FLW Outdoors” on FSN Record: 1-4 (No.6 staff) Points: 3,029
1) ANTHONY GAGLIARDI.He is fishing incredibly well right now and has the Angler of the Year lead. The pressure will be great, but I look for Anthony to pull through on top. 2) JAY YELAS.The last time we fished Champlain, Jay had a top-10 finish. He has settled in very well to focusing strictly on the FLW circuit, and he will continue to thrive. 3) KEVIN VIDA.Vida loves smallmouths, and I have had several conversations with him about Champlain. He understands how to fish here, and I expect him to do well. 4) SHINICHI FUKAE.Fukae has really impressed me. He has an incredible work ethic and great sportsmanship on the water. He is definitely here to stay. 5) CLARK WENDLANDT.I have never finished a top-10 at Champlain, but I have been very close a number of times. It is truly my favorite lake, and I can’t wait to get there.		1) DAVID WALKER.Enough is enough. Walker needs to have a great showing just to qualify for the championship this year. Scott Martin needed just that in 2004 and won the event on Champlain. Walker finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally, finally wins one (that’s 14 “finally”s for each top 10 he’s made without a win on the FLW Tour). 2) SCOTT MARTIN.I’ve got to give credit where credit is due. Scott has been nothing but consistent this year, and I expect him to continue to cash big checks both here at Champlain and at the FLW Tour Championship later this year. 3) LUKE CLAUSEN.Consecutive FLW Series top-10s. He currently sits about 12 spots out of the championship. You’ve got to believe that Luke would like to be the first ever to win the Classic and FLW Tour Championship in the same year. Takahiro had a shot at it, and Clausen wants his shot. Trust me, he’ll be fired up for this one. Besides, it would be a shame for him not to make it back to Birmingham, the place where he won his Championship a couple years back. 4) DAVID DUDLEY.Leads the FLW Series in points. He’ll be fishing for a million bucks next year, but he wants a shot at the 500 grand this year. If there’s anyone with dollar signs in their eyes, it’s Dudley, and he needs a big showing here to make it to the FLW Tour Championship. Finished in top 30 here back in 2004, and finished seventh in 2002. 5) SHINICHI FUKAE.Two wins, more than $300,000 in earnings this year, and yet he’s still not a lock for the championship. What a year for Shin, though. He’ll finish solid. Six top-10s in two years. That should say it all about this young Japanese angler’s talent.

David Dudley FLW pro Lynchburg, Va. Record: 4-1 (No.2 pro) Points: 3,447	VS.	Brett Carlson Editor FLWOutdoors.com Record: 2-3 (No.5 staff) Points: 3,158
1) JAY YELAS.He has done well here in the past and is a great sight-fisherman. If the weather holds up, he will come to the top. 2) CLARK WENDLANDT.He also has a set of eyes to see what he needs to vault him to the top, not to mention that he can catch fish other ways, too. 3) DAVID WALKER.If the wind will stay low, he’ll make the long run south for the largeheads and bust a few bags to get him to the top. I would pick him to win, but he has a curse on the winning front. 4) ANTHONY GAGLIARDI.What a great fisherman this man is. He also has a set of eyes on him to see what he needs to vault to the top, not to mention he is already on top for the year in the standings. 5) MATT HERREN.This is my dark horse. With the water high, I feel he will use his Kistler rods to feel out some big bags of largemouths.		1) JIM MOYNAGH.It’s about time the FLW Tour made another stop at a Northern fishery. Every time we hold a tournament up north, people are surprised at how easy it is to catch fish. Trust me, it’s no surprise to those who fish here often. This year, the top Northern angler on tour is Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minn. Right now, he currently sits second in the Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year race, a mere 35 points behind Anthony Gagliardi. I must admit, living only a few miles from Moynagh, I like the idea of the AOY trophy being where it belongs: in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. 2) CLARK WENDLANDT.It took a little longer than I anticipated, but Wendlandt is finally on the roll that I have been predicting. With a championship berth in play, I expect hefty sacks of brown bass each day from Clean. 3) DAVE LEFEBRE.Despite being a top-tier pro, this is my first time picking Lefebre. Much like Moynagh, Lefebre is a renowned Northern angler who knows how to put bronzebacks in the boat. While everyone else thinks they’re sitting pretty with five that weigh 15, watch as the Keebler Kid drops a 20-spot on the field. 4) KEVIN VIDA.In his career, the Clare, Mich., pro has 24 top-10 finishes. Exactly 19 of those have come on Northern lakes. So when the tour heads north, Vida gets paid. 5) ART FERGUSON III.Much like Vida, Ferguson has an astonishing record on Northern fisheries. Expect the Mizmo tubes to get bit early and often.

Dave Lefebre FLW pro Erie, Pa. Record: 3-2 (No.3 pro) Points: 3,296	VS.	Jason Sealock Associate editor FLW Outdoors Record: 2-3 (No.4 staff) Points: 3,412
1) SCOTT MARTIN.He won here in 2004 by sight-fishing. Those fish should still be spawning, and he will catch them again. 2) CLARK WENDLANDT.Clark is officially out of his slump (which I believe he has passed to me), and he seems to really like our Yankee fish. Look for him to do well here. 3) DAVE LEFEBRE.This pick is strictly for superstitious reasons. Not picking myself has certainly not been working. I need a strong finish here to make the championship, and I plan to get it done. 4) VIC VATALARO.Vic really knows how to catch big smallmouths and is always on them at Champlain. Unfortunately, bad things seem to happen to him during tournaments. This time, good things will happen and he will get his first top-10. 5) DAVID WALKER.What a year. The Walkster showed Burlington some big green fish last time, and with the water being up this year, I think that bite will be even better. I am looking for yet another top-10 from Berkley Boy.		1) DAVE LEFEBRE.He’s on the bubble for the championship, and he knows how to catch big bedding smallmouths as well as anyone I’ve ever fished with. He’s hungry to do well here, and he does well when the pressure is on. 2) SCOTT MARTIN.He knows how to catch them here. This is a history pick for me; he has a good record here and he’ll do well again. 3) SHINICHI FUKAE.I’m a man of my word. I said I would pick him for the rest of the season. He didn’t do well at Kentucky Lake, which means he’ll probably win this event (since he wins every other one). 4) JIM MOYNAGH.Having one of the best years of his career with FLW Outdoors, Moynagh will continue his hot streak into Champlain and be charged and ready for the championship in August. 5) JAY YELAS.He did real well here in 2002, and he knows how to catch those sight fish with great consistency. He’s hungry for a top-10, and it’s been long enough without one for this perennial top angler.

Rob Newell Contributing editor FLW Outdoors Record: 5-0 (No.1 staff) Points: 3,693	VS.	Randy Blaukat FLW pro Lamar, Mo. Record: 0-5 (No.6 pro) Points: 2,739
1) SHINICHI FUKAE.Three wins in one year? Why not? 2) RANDY BLAUKAT.Has a solid track record on Champlain, and he put in a little extra time on the lake this year. 3) TOM MANN JR.Great smallmouth fisherman who has a lot of history on Champlain. 4) KEVIN VIDA.Vast flats and big smallmouth are Vida’s game. 5) DAVID DUDLEY.Just a hunch.		1) DANNY CORREIA.Living only four hours from Champlain, Danny is an expert on catching the shallow largemouth on the lower end. Plus, he is on the bubble for the FLW Tour Championship. Besides, he deserves to win; he is one of the few pros on the tour who has stayed in the sport for years without the help of local information. 2) CLARK WENDLANDT.Clark will be all business here. He is on the bubble for the championship and historically does well at Champlain. His second-day big catch at Kentucky Lake will probably give him some good momentum going into this event. 3) RANDY BLAUKAT.Champlain is one of my favorite lakes, and I was fortunate enough to lead the event going into the final day at the last FLW Tour event we fished there two years ago. I love having a huge lake, where you can get away from the crowd. 4) DAVID WALKER.David also had a good tournament here two years ago and will most likely be fishing along with Danny Correia for big largemouths down south. He has been fishing well for about a month now, and I look for him to continue the roll here. 5) PIERRE FORTIN.Like all of my top five picks, Pierre finds his own fish and resists obtaining local information. This is key to long-term success. Along with Danny, Pierre is a semilocal and has spent many days on Champlain. His expertise with a Carolina rig will bring him a high finish here.

Gary Mortenson Editor FLWOutdoors.com Record: 3-2 (No.2 staff) Points: 3,339	VS.	Carl Svebek FLW pro Siloam Springs, Ark. Record: 1-4 (No.5 pro) Points: 3,074
1) KEVIN VIDA.Heading into the Champlain tourney, I’m going to rely heavily on the big guns residing north of the Mason-Dixon Line. And one of my favorites is Kevin Vida from Clare, Mich. In 2002 and 2004, the last two times the FLW Tour ventured to Champlain, Vida finished in 12th and 14th place, respectively. Vida knows this water like the back of his hand, he can catch smallmouth with ease, and he has more sunscreen than any other angler on tour. In short, I’m giving the Banana Boat King the nod here. 2) CHAD GRIGSBY.Grigsby, another Michigan native who just happens to be friends with Vida, has also done remarkably well on Champlain. In 2002 Grigsby netted a 20th-place finish, and in 2004 he finished 13th. A versatile angler familiar with Champlain, Grigsby needs to crack the top 10 just to make up for the thousands of dollars Vida owes him for unpaid beer tabs. 3) DAVE LEFEBRE.Hailing from Union City, Pa., Lefebre finished in 27th place on Lake Champlain in 2004 and has been lethal on Northern waters for the better part of his career. There is no question Lefebre will do well this tournament. But the question is this: Will he make the Keebler Elf proud and crack the top five? I’ve got five chocolate chip cookies that say he does. 4) JIM MOYNAGH.Secretly one of the funniest guys on the tour, Moynagh, a native of Carver, Minn., has also demonstrated that he has what it takes to tame Champlain. In 2002 Moynagh landed in third place overall, and in 2004 he scored a 44th-place finish. Standing at No. 2 overall in the year-end FLW Tour standings with a chance at the 2006 AOY title, Moynagh should have plenty of motivation to hit a home run in this event. 5) SCOTT MARTIN.Here is the only Southerner I’m taking in the top five, but it is with very good reason. In 2002 Martin finished fourth on Champlain, and then in 2004, he walked away with the tournament title. Although Martin hails from Clewiston, Fla., he’s probably got as much experience on Lake Champlain as anyone. And while he probably won’t win back-to-back titles, Martin should be among the contenders on that final Saturday.		1) SCOTT MARTIN.Scott has always been a steady hand at Champlain. I believe he will be dialed in to exactly what the smallmouths are doing and will have a successful tournament. 2) CLARK WENDLANDT.Clark is on a comeback in 2006. Coming off one of his tougher years last year, he certainly has been dialed in here lately. I look for him to have a good finish and secure himself a spot for the 2006 championship. 3) SAM NEWBY.This has been his lake. After winning Champlain several years ago, Sam has always been real consistent on Champlain, and I don’t expect anything different this year. Look for him to be in the running. 4) DAVID DUDLEY.A fellow Castrol team member, David is on for a comeback year. He has been doing really well here lately, and he needs a top finish to make the championship. He will figure them out and have a good tournament. 5) KEVIN LONG.Kevin is very familiar with smallmouth bass. I look for him to have a great tournament and have a top finish.

Jeff Schroeder Editor FLWOutdoors.com Record: 2-3 (No.3 staff) Points: 3,448	VS.	Art Berry FLW pro Hemet, Calif. Record: 2-3 (No.4 pro) Points: 3,197
1) KEVIN VIDA.While fishing Champlain is a blast, picking Champlain is a chore. Might as well just throw darts at the tournament field because we know everybody can catch them here. My strategy this go-round is just to aim north. Hence, Mr. Vida gets the nod. How long’s it been since he won anything outside of Detroit, five years? Time to spread those wings again, Vida-man. I know he’s got the resources to pull enough footballs off the flats on Champlain’s north end to make the cut, but can he win on just smallies? History says no; it always takes a bag full of largemouths, at least one of the last two days, to win at Champlain. For that, head south, my man. 2) CHAD GRIGSBY.Grigsby’s approach to tournament fishing is simple and effective: “It’s not rocket science,” he says. And that is especially true at Champlain. Thus, Grigsby’s always in his element here. Pending some kind of mechanical breakdown, this is a can’t-miss pick, especially since he’s Accomplice No. 2 in the trio of Michigan Militia members that I’ve assembled for the purpose of these picks. They’re all talking, they all know how to catch smallies at Champlain, and none of them have to worry any longer about an erstwhile Northern Division star/pundit turned TV pretty boy named Mark Zona. 3) SCOTT DOBSON.Accomplice No. 3 in the Michigan Militia. I like the feel of picking the 123rd-ranked pro to make the top five, mainly because no one else will. And that’s just smart punditry. Thing is, Grigsby’s right: It ain’t rocket science. With all those smallies in Champlain, Dobson’s always on the docket. Easy pick. Guaranteed points. 4) DAVE LEFEBRE.He caught a really big bag here on day two in 2004 and should have made the cut except for whatever happened to him on day one. So what happened? I can’t remember, but I’m sure he’ll remind me the first chance he gets. No matter. Water under the bridge. And maybe that’s where he’ll start fishing on Wednesday. 5) SCOTT MARTIN.Remember those largemouths I was talking about? Martin, the 2004 Champlain champ, obviously knows where they are, and he’s not afraid to go down and get them.		1) DAVE LEFEBRE.Did well here last time. Lives close. Maybe just a hunch, or a Tollhouse secret. 2) SCOTT MARTIN.I had to pick Scott, a great guy and always tough to beat. Won here last time FLW stopped at Champlain. Will finish very strong here, with a good chance of winning the whole thing. 3) DEAN ROJAS.Rojas, can I get a RIBBIT!! RIBBIT!!?? The frog will play a key role here and should pay off for Dean. Also a great sight-fisherman. 4) DAN MOREHEAD.Good under pressure, needs strong finish to make the championship. Dan should be able to rise to the occasion. 5) KEVIN VIDA.The Banana Boat should be loaded with smallies at this derby. It might be Kevin’s time to celebrate in the sun.