By Frank Geremski:
The St. Lawrence is a majestic river that combines a world famous historic Seaway with breathtaking scenery. Countless islands speckle the St. Lawrence coining the area’s moniker as the 1000 Island Region. The area’s beauty must be witnessed firsthand to be truly appreciated. Most important for anglers, these islands that sprout out everywhere throughout this deep-water channel that connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean creates countless opportunities for fishermen. The 1000 Island Region of Upstate NY offers historic world-class fishing for huge and plentiful northern pike and tasty walleye, and for as long as anyone can remember is the musky capital of North America. It’s the St. Lawrence’s bass fishing that is taking center stage this summer, with the Bassmasters “Elite Series” coming to the 1000 Island Region for the third time in five years this summer for good reason.
This 1000 Island Region has always offered tremendous bass fishing, with countless shoals and sunken ships that create a textbook structure for smallmouth bass, and a myriad of bays and weedy backwaters that offer phenomenal largemouth opportunities. The St. Lawrence smallmouth fishery has been a destination for many years because of its sheer numbers of fish, a perfect current, and boundless structure. A full day of bent rods on 2-3 lb. smallmouth has always been the norm. In the last decade, an invasive baitfish species, the goby, has begun to populate this and other Great Lakes waters. Though these small fish can be quite a nuisance for bait fishermen, their spread has had the effect of steroids on the smallmouth population. The goby’s desired habitat aligns perfectly with the smallie’s dinner table. Evidence of this is the NYS record 8lb 4oz smallmouth bass that was landed last August on a 20-inch specimen. It’s this type of occurrence and the beauty of the river that has lured the highest level of tournament bass fishing, Bassmaster “Elite Series” from July 20-23 to the small, yet quaint Waddington of St. Lawrence County, New York.
Bassmaster has recently polled their contestants and found that the St. Lawrence ranks as its participants’ second favorite destinations. Five fish bags over 20 lbs are expected by all who compete. Most everyone participating catches loads of fish. The Angler Magazine field expert and Bassmaster Justin Walts predicts that about 75% of the professional anglers will be targeting these massive smallmouths. Often, pro’s will start their day ensuring a five-fish bag of 2-3lb. smallies before they seek out bigger largemouth on waters that have consistent smallmouth fishing. On the St. Lawrence, the dynamic changes because of the REAL possibility of scoring huge smallmouth to replace their smallest fish in their live well. Walts, who fishes the St. Lawrence often, favors drop shotting these deeper shoals (25-50 ft of water) with watermelon, shad or perch colored V-tailed shad or casting crankbaits and swimbaits on shoals 25 ft or less. The largemouth bite is excellent also, flipping the weeds or tossing frogs in back bays is the ticket to score.
Spectator participation is also a factor for the “Elite Series” return to St. Lawrence County and Waddington, New York. In 2015, the small town hosted over 30,000 fishing fans, breaking an “Elite Series” record, and my prediction is that will be surpassed this year. The Village of Waddington hosts a four-daylong event to entertain and feed the visitors, with national musical venues and fireworks provided by local sponsors. Visit www.waddingtonpartyinthepark.com for more details. For more fishing on St.Lawrence County visit www.fishcap.com or call 877-228-7810 to receive a free St. Lawrence County Anglers Guide. St. Lawrence County also boasts other tremendous fisheries, specifically Black Lake which is loaded with bass, crappie, and pike. The St. Lawrence also features a world-class fledgling carp fishery, that recently has been attracting anglers world-wide. Though St. Lawrence County is remote, it is easily reached via a picturesque drive from Syracuse or can be reached via local airports in Massena, Ogdensburg, or Watertown, New York.