COSTA FLW SERIES | 1000 ISLANDS
CLAYTON, N.Y.
By Kyle Wood
WINNING ANGLER
Kyle hall
Rio Vista, Texas
Winning Weight:
68-11 (15 fish)
details:
Sept. 6-8, 2018
Presented by Navionics
Hosted by Clayton
Chamber of Commerce
tournament began. The
added time on the fishery
no doubt helped him dial in
the recipe for success on
big smallmouths.
“I put most of my time in
on the river,” says the 21-
year-old. “I knew there
would likely be a day like
today [the final day] where
the lake [Ontario] would be
off limits, and I really
thought the river was more
consistent. I could get bit
on the lake, and it would be
a 5-pounder, but the rest
of the school would leave.
On the river, I could catch a
fall 2018 I flWfIshIng.com
5-pounder, and there’d be
more with it.
“Learning how the fish
would set up in the current
was huge,” continues Hall. “I
found a school of fish in
practice, and I would go
back to them every day to
see how they set up in dif-
ferent wind directions and
different weather. It showed
me they wouldn’t leave the
spot, but they may slide
deeper or shallower.”
Hall did all of his work
with one drop-shot rod
rigged with a Berkley
PowerBait MaxScent
Flatnose Minnow (natural
shad). He used a 5/8-ounce
weight the first two days
but switched to a 1-ounce
weight on the final day due
to wind.
Current breaks along the
main river channel within
sight of Clayton, N.Y., in any-
where from 20 to 40 feet
held the winning small-
mouths. Hall fished about
20 breaks, hitting his best
spots multiple times
throughout the day.
WINNING CO-ANGLER
PHOTO
K
yle Hall had never
been to the 1,000
Islands before. In
fact, he’d never been to the
state of New York until he
came up for the first time
at the beginning of August.
Now, after weighing 68
pounds, 11 ounces of
smallmouths to win the
final Northern Division
event of the season, Hall
says the 1,000 Islands
region is his favorite place
on the planet.
In total, Hall spent about
three weeks on the St.
Lawrence River before the
Northern Division
drew tiano
Hudson, N.Y.
Winning Weight:
59-05 (15 fish)
Winning Program:
Tiano fishes at 1,000
Islands regularly and
knew that a drop-shot
would be king. On the
first two days, he boated
back-to-back 20-pound
limits on Lake Ontario.
Paired with Hall on the
final day in tough condi-
tions, he kept the same
Yamamoto Shad Shape
Worm rigged on his
drop-shot while fishing
in the river and won by
more than 5 pounds.
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