Gallant Wins at 1,000 Islands

Clayton, NY – The Saint Lawrence River and Lake Ontario once again demonstrated why they are regarded as the premier fishing destinations in the country this weekend. Seventy-one anglers launched from French Creek Marina, and the results were remarkable. Out of these 71 participants, 32 managed to present a five-fish limit weighing over 20 pounds, including 13 individual fish exceeding 5 pounds each. The competition saw a total of 282 fish brought to the scales, collectively weighing 1,141 pounds, averaging 4.05 pounds per fish.

Mr. Cooper Gallant from Bowmanville, ON, emerged as the top angler with an impressive five-fish limit totaling 26.97 pounds. His catch also included the day’s largest fish, weighing in at 6.24 pounds. This achievement earned him a total prize of $5,320, which translates to $197.25 per fish.

“I was constantly on the move today, fishing a lot of new waters. I burned through a full tank of gas and covered a significant portion of the lake. At one point, I was concerned I might not make it back due to running on fumes. I caught my fish in 4 to 8 feet of water, focusing on areas with large boulders and adjacent sandy patches. Identifying these spots was crucial, as there are still plenty of fish up shallow, but finding the larger ones, around 5 to 6 pounds, is more challenging. I was fortunate to locate some prime areas today where big fish were abundant. All my catches were on a drop shot, using a new bait that will be released in a few weeks,” said Cooper Gallant.

The second-place position was a tie between Ethan Carr of Massena, NY, and Jon Canada of Helena, AL. Both anglers presented a five-fish limit weighing 26.58 pounds each. Jon’s catch included a 5.68-pound kicker, while Ethan’s featured a 5.33-pound kicker. Each angler earned $2,150 for their efforts.

Ethan stated, “I was able to put together a 2 -part pattern together between fishing, a club tournament the week before and 2 days of practice. There was pretty good shallow bite with some bigger fish still up shallow. Then up in the day with the boat traffic and all I had to move out and fish the deep-water pattern. Main thing I tied to do was to stay ahead of the fish, cause the bigger fish was moving to the deeper holes. I was using hair jigs up shallow, an a Geart Lake finesse rig called a judy craw, and for my deeper water I was using a east coast open water snipper jig with a max scent little general trailer and also a ned rig with the same max scent bait, green pumpkin color. “

Jon stated, “I stayed in the river all day. I fished from Alex Bay to the mouth of the river on both sides, the American and Canadian. I stayed in 25 to 40 feet of water all day, fishing a drop shot and a Ned rig. Most of the fish I caught came off isolated boulders, and the others came from certain veins. I was trying to find the big groups of fish, but they seemed to have been scattered. I was able to use my scope to see them in the morning, but as the day went on, I had to just cover the areas. Then it was strictly fishing off feel, unable to use the scope. I sure would love to have been able to catch them using a Carolina rig.”

Brent Anderson of Kingston Springs, TN, finished 4th with a five-fish limit weighing 25.76 pounds, including a 5.80-pound kicker, earning $1,400.

Brent stated, “I normally drift here, but I’ve been at Champlain all week, so I didn’t get to practice. I fished between Alex Bay and Chippewa shallow, used a bitter fly, and used a Ned rig to get a few. I stayed shallow all day.”

Brad Brodnicki of Amherst, NY, finished 5th with a five-fish limit of 24.98 pounds, including a 6.06-pound kicker, making his finish worth $1,100.

Brad stated, “I stayed on the main lake all day in about 30 to 40 feet of water. I was relying on my live scope to see the fish. Then I would throw to them using a jig head minnow. Did this all day.”

The next event for this division will be on 8/3/2024 at Lake Champlain, launching from the Dock Street ramp. We will also return to the 1000 Islands on 7/26-27/2024 for the Top 150 Solo Series. It’s not too late to sign up for this event, which should be another slugfest.

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About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is dedicated to organizing affordable, local tournaments for weekend anglers while offering opportunities for individual angler advancement. To learn more about American Bass Anglers, including the Team Series, American Fishing Tour, American Couples Series, annual Military Team Bass Tournament, ABA Team Series, Top 150 Solo Tour, and Professional League, all presented by Caymas Boats, please visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256) 232-0406.