St. Lawrence Midday Update – Day 1
Big bags are on the horizon for afternoon weigh-in
If there was any doubt about anglers making long runs today, put them to rest.
The final leg of the Costa FLW Series Northern Division presented by Gajo Baits on the St. Lawrence River opened to perfect conditions for anyone looking to burn some gas. Yes, it was a crisp 40 degrees at takeoff, but it was clear and calm. In fact, the current is ripping so hard it’s keeping the river as flat as most anglers have ever seen. Most pros should’ve been able to run all 95 miles to Lake Ontario (and into the lake if they wanted to) with little trouble.
Unfortunately, our on-the-water crew was only able to cover from takeoff down a little south of Ogdensburg. It’s unclear just how many took advantage of the conditions and ran down to Clayton or beyond.
As for the anglers we did find, most were hanging out deep doing damage with drop-shots.
Bob MacMillan of Ontario had the biggest bag we found this morning at around 18 1/2 pounds, anchored by a stud 6-pound kicker. He’s out deeper than most in his section near Ogdensburg, and unfortunately, others have taken notice. He says a fellow competitor watched him catch all his weight first thing in the morning and started making the exact same drift ever since.
Of course, not everyone is catching them. When we found pro Jacob Powroznik, he was fishing a channel marker on the main river still trying to put his first fish in the livewell. Needless to say, he was not too thrilled with the fishing up to that point. Lucas Bogosian also was sitting on zero when we found him, but it was still early in the day.
As for others we bumped into, Tom Piper was sitting on 16 pounds alternating between a drop-shot and a Carolina rig. Jay Burger had 15 pounds, but with only four fish. He’s obviously on the right quality.
Andrew Heivly was also in the teens at around 13 pounds. Travis Manson had two and was fishing nearer to takeoff. Heath Toler had a pair of small fish and Brian Dauberman had only one fish just before we got off the water.
There are some big names we never found today, including the Northern Division Angler of the Year leader Scott Dobson or any of the three guys on his heels – Casey Smith, Troy Morrow and Adrian Avena. Perhaps they made the long run down to Clayton (we know one did, for sure), or perhaps we just missed them in all that water to cover.
Weigh-in starts at 3 p.m. ET, and based on the conditions, we’re sure to see plenty of bags crack the 20-pound mark.
Tournament details
Format: All boaters and co-anglers will compete for two days. The top 10 boaters and co-anglers based on cumulative weight after two days of competition will advance to the third and final round, with the winner determined by the heaviest cumulative three-day weight.
Takeoff Time: 7 a.m. ET
Takeoff Location: Massena Intake Boat Launch, 1415 State Hwy 13, Massena, NY 13662
Weigh-In Time: 3 p.m. ET
Weigh-In Location: Massena Intake Boat Launch, 1415 State Hwy 13, Massena, NY 13662