PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – When the rest of the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Northern Division event at Lake Champlain was canceled the morning of Day 3, Jarvis Ellis summarily earned the win on the co-angler side. A frequent co-angler with MLF, Ellis has had several good finishes over the years and put together two excellent days for the win on Champlain. Tallying 16 pounds, 2 ounces on Day 1, Ellis backed it up with 15-6 on Day 2 to move into the lead with a 31-8 total. For the win, Ellis takes up a new Phoenix boats package worth $33,500, which he already has plans for.
Both days, Ellis, a Georgia native, relied on the trusty Carolina rig.
“The first day, my boater, he was ‘Scoping, like, 13 to 15 feet, and that was the ideal depth that I had practiced in,” Ellis said. “I was just throwing a Carolina rig with a short leader. I practiced with some guys who used a longer leader, and they weren’t getting bit. I think the short leader was ideal. I used a leader about a foot long with a 3/4-ounce weight and a Zoom UltraVibe Speed Craw in green pumpkin.”
After he limited, Ellis would swap out to the Zoom Super Speed Craw in the same color to chase bigger bites.
Fishing up north on Day 1, Ellis found himself mid-lake on Day 2.
“My pro was fishing topwater, so, you know, I picked up a drop-shot,” he said. “I got bit, but I wasn’t getting the quality bites. All my fish came back on the Carolina rig, doing the same thing, just dragging it.”
Ellis has been to Champlain a few times now, but this was his first time putting together a complete event.
“It’s my fourth time going there,” he said. “And I always have a good day, I just never could put two days together. I guess it was my time right now because the event was two days, and I fished good for two days.”
Between a young family, working for UPS and his side business of Completely Clean Pressure Washing, Ellis stays plenty busy. But, next year, new boat in tow, he’s planning on taking on some fishing around home from the front of the boat and continuing to head north as a co-angler for some summertime smallmouth action.
Top 10 co-anglers
1. Jarvis Ellis – 31 – 8 (10) – $33,500
2. Christopher Dam – 31 – 3 (10) – $5,100
3. Hunter Tibbetts – 31 – 0 (10) – $4,100
4. Glenn Hall – 30 – 15 (10) – $3,500
5. Michael Luckey – 30 – 2 (10) – $3,000
6. Jakob LaBelle – 30 – 1 (10) – $2,500
7. Allen Haigh – 29 – 10 (10) – $2,000
8. David Archibald – 29 – 9 (10) – $1,750
9. Robert Bruguiere – 29 – 4 (10) – $1,500
10. Haydan Marshall – 29 – 3 (10) – $1,250