Cortiana Captures the Lead on Choppy Lake Champlain
Oklahoma angler takes over top spot in New York after furious Day 2
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Higher-than-expected winds, big waves and heavy cloud cover brewed over the proceedings on Day 2 of Covercraft Stop 6 Presented by Wiley X at Lake Champlain. For some anglers, that departure from a partly sunny first day meant a tough bite. For others, however, the change of pace proved to be just the trick to moving on to a slot in the Top 50 on Day 3 of the final event of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Fuel Me regular season.
A dozen 20-pound bags went to the stage on the Plattsburgh waterfront. But with the silhouette of Vermont’s Green Mountains in the background, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, pro Kyle Cortiana stood above the pack with 22 pounds, 2 ounces.
“I caught 18 pounds pretty quick this morning,” said Cortiana, who boated his final limit by 10:30 a.m. “I did that dragging a Carolina rig with a YUM Christie Craw on it. After that, the rest of the day I went practicing.”
As Cortiana stood at the podium, an emotional scene began to unfold. His 67-year-old father, Carl Cortiana, swelled with pride in the audience below. The elder Cortiana hadn’t boarded an airplane in decades and had never flown by himself. To reach Plattsburgh, he needed to make three connections and navigate the chaotic modern world of air travel.
“He has a big heart,” said Kyle Cortiana. “Dad is the first one to shed a tear and cry when he gets excited. Yesterday when I had a good day, he was really excited. And then I was excited this morning because I knew he was going to get to watch. I’ve never lead a Pro Circuit event, so to be able to give that to my dad for the first time is awesome.”
Cortiana said his game plan has been to run new water each day. With a solid limit in the livewell early, he was able to spend about half the day scouting out areas to fish for the rest of the tournament. Cortiana is focusing on the midlake section, an area he feels has less pressure than its upper reaches.
“A lot of my fish are on specific things,” he added. “I know I can go find similar little things, look at them with ActiveTarget and see 4- or 5-pounders that I can throw at.”
Hall Hovering Close in Second
Nipping at Cortiana’s heels is Day 1 leader Kyle Hall. The Granbury, Texas, pro followed up a stellar 21-13 total on the opening day with 19-14 to hold on to second place. Hall’s day played out as an inverse to Cortiana. Instead of an early bag, Hall said he didn’t have much to show after the first six hours of fishing.
“I lost a bunch this morning,” Hall said. “When I started losing them they moved on me. It took me until 11 or 12 to find them again.”
Hall leaned on a Berkley Flatworm – one of the most popular soft plastics in the tournament – to grind his way through the day with a respectable total. Now, he finds himself in an enviable position heading into the Day 3.
“I’m going to try to catch another 20 pounds,” Hall added. “I think the weights dropped a little today, but they’ll be back tomorrow. I’m going to need another 20 to make the Top 10.”
Newcomb Shooting for 20 Again
Camdenton, Missouri, pro Andy Newcomb posted 20-14 on Day 1 and came in just 1 ounce shy of that mark on Day 2. With 41-11, Newcomb sits squarely in third place and well within reach of making the Top 10 cut for the final day. Newcomb said he isn’t sure whether he can replicate his back-to-back performances, but plans to swing for the fences.
“I had a good practice and went into Day 1 not knowing if I could catch 15 or 18,” Newcomb said. “I think I’m around some pretty good fish and I’m going to lean on on them pretty good tomorrow to try to get to that 20-pound mark again.”
What Awaits on Day 3?
For the Top 50 anglers inside the cut on Day 3, Champlain promises to be a friendlier fishery. Winds are expected to subside and sun – which noticeably improves the smallmouth bite – is expected to make a return after a day that left many wondering if rain was imminent.
Those still inside the Top 10 after Day 3 will have to boat bass that are largely transient. Though many anglers reported seeing schools of 50 or more bass on grass flats, those schools seemed to disperse after two or three catches. For now a championship at one of New England’s finest fisheries remains on the table for any angler able to make that cut, as weights zero on the final day.
Top 10 Pros
1. Kyle Cortiana – 42 – 10 (10)
2. Kyle Hall – 41 – 11 (10)
3. Andy Newcomb – 41 – 11 (10)
4.. Matt Becker – 40 – 10 (10)
5. Kurt Mitchell – 40 – 01 (10)
6. Dakota Ebare – 40 – 00 (10)
7. Skeet Reese – 39 – 07 (10)
8. Michael Neal – 39 – 03 (10)
9. Casey Scanlon – 39 – 01 (10)
10. Tyler Stewart – 38 – 07 (10)
Neal Eyes Back-to-Back AOYs, Hatfield Seals Deal in ROY Race
Michael Neal has spent much of his career on the brink, balancing on the razor’s edge – “very good” on one side and “legendary” on the other. For nearly a decade, Neal was a rising star, followed by a budding superstar, for years right on the precipice of establishing himself as one of the very best in the sport of bass fishing.
Neal broke through last season with a Pro Circuit Angler of the Year award that proved to the Dayton, Tennessee, pro that he’d finally made it. Not long after, he notched his first win on a major touring circuit with his Bass Pro Tour victory in the final event of the 2021 season, and he began 2022 in much the same fashion with a Pro Circuit win at Sam Rayburn in January. Seemingly all at once, Neal became the superstar many already knew he was, victories and AOYs be damned.
Now, Neal holds the fate of his 2022 Pro Circuit season in his own hands, leading Justin Lucas by 26 points if the tournament ended today. Neal currently sits in eighth, well within striking distance of another final-day cut and another shot at a big win on the big stage. Lucas is just 1 pound, 7 ounces behind Neal and in 15th. Should Neal not make the cut to fish Day 4, fireworks could ensue – especially with weights resetting to zero for the final frame – but one thing is certain: One more quality day of fishing from Neal and he’ll have another AOY trophy to add to his resume.
With no one else really within striking distance of the points lead making the Day 3 cut, it’s all Neal and Lucas from here on out.
While AOY still hangs in the balance, the Polaris Rookie of the Year race came to an end on Saturday with Nick Hatfield finishing the job in impressive fashion. The Greeneville, Tennessee pro added to his 17-6 on Day 1 with 19-7 on Saturday to find himself in 24th. Chasing him, Andrew Loberg stumbled with just 14-11 on Day 2, missing the Top 50 cut and ensuring no one was going to catch up to Hatfield in a season that saw the rookie tally two top-five finishes to this point.