toP fIve
1. corY JoHnSton
cavan, ontarIo
Total Weight: 50-04 (15 fish)
Winnings: $77,778
2. caSeY SmItH
macedon, n.Y.
Total Weight: 46-01 (15 fish)
Winnings: $12,724
3. Ian renfreW
PHoenIX, n.Y.
Total Weight: 44-14 (14 fish)
Winnings: $9,774
sheltered and wasn’t too close to shallow water so it wasn’t
stained from the wind. Most of the time I was fishing very
specific stuff, and the rest of the time I was fishing a break
with an umbrella rig.”
Besides the added umbrella rig on the final day, Johnston
also fished a DUO Realis Spinbait 80 (ghost pearl) and put a
few in the boat on a Rapala X-Rap Pop that he fished at a few
spots and in and around his juicer areas to grab some bonus
bass on days one and two.
keys to victory
5. LaWrence maZur
eaSt aurora, n.Y.
Total Weight: 44-03 (14 fish)
Winnings: $7,330
PreSentatIon keYS
having found his fish usually in water 4 feet deep
or less, Johnston cleaned up on the first two days,
tying for second on the first day with 17 pounds, 6
ounces and taking a commanding lead on the second
day with 18-13. the key for Johnston was catching
pressured, spooky bass at a high rate, and that start-
ed with his dozens of waypoints on specific pieces of
cover. knowing where to look ahead of time gave
him an advantage over the bass and let him creep up
and make precise presentations.
“It was just a matter of sneaking up on them and
seeing them far enough out so y