Johnston Will Take 1-13 Advantage Into Final Day

By B.A.S.S. Communications Staff

Chris Johnston believed in his sweet spot enough to give it a second chance, and that call paid off in a big way, as the pro from Otonabee, Ontario, tallied a three-day total of 48 pounds, 10 ounces and maintained the lead on Day 3 of the Bassmaster Elite Series event at the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis.

After tying for 4th place on Day 1 with a limit of 16-04, Johnston added 15-10 on Day 2 and took over the top spot. He entered the third round 2 ounces ahead of Texan Keith Combs ¬ and with a limit of 16-12, Johnston now heads into the final day with an advantage of 1-13 over Combs.

“I ran to a spot that I’d fished in the morning, but I never got a bite because it was raining,” Johnston said. “There was a lot of bait in the area, and I think the rain had the bait all pushed down to the bottom and the fish weren’t active.

“I stopped there again with about 15 minutes to go because I know there’s a lot of fish in there. It’s just hard to get them to bite.”

Johnston said he usually has to see fish blowing up (surface feeding) in the spot’s matted grass, but his first cast drew a bite. He missed that fish, but five casts later he caught a 3 1/4-pound largemouth a little before 2:30 p.m.

“It was hard because the wind was blowing in, but they were in these little pockets,” Johnston said. “The wind had my frog kind of going across sideways, but that (3 1/4-pounder) grabbed a hold of it and that was huge.”

Johnston’s key spot comprised a break in the vegetation with sand next to a current edge. The week’s rainfall has raised the water level, and Johnston said that has expanded the spot’s opportunity.

“Normally, I have to throw a frog over that spot because it’s eelgrass and I couldn’t (previously) throw any treble hooks,” Johnston said. “Today, I noticed that there was several inches of water over it.

“As long as there’s not blown-in eelgrass over it, I can probably throw a (Heddon Zara) Spook on them or something different to get more bites. On Day 4, I might try throwing different baits instead of just a frog.”

Johnston got his day going by catching an early limit of smallmouth on a bladed jig and finesse rigs. Once he transitioned to his mat frogging, he culled all of those with bass caught on a chartreuse/white Spro Bronzeye Frog.

“Ideally, I don’t spend as much time fishing smallies, but as soon as I roll up to this spot, I seem to get one or two smallmouth bites,” Johnston said. “If I can get one of those to be 3-plus pounds (on Day 4), that will be a good start.”

Though the tournament won’t be decided until Monday, Brandon Palaniuk of Rathdrum, Idaho, clinched his second Bassmaster Angler of the Year title on Sunday with a 25th-place finish that gave him a final total of 723 points for the season. Palaniuk, who won his first AOY title in 2017, was uncharacteristically emotional in his acceptance speech, particularly when describing the motivation he got from the memory of his friend and former Bassmaster Elite pro Aaron Martens, who won AOY titles in 2005, 2013 and 2015. Martens died of brain cancer last November.

“Before the first tournament of the year, I slapped an Aaron Martens sticker on my windshield,” Palaniuk said. “There were a lot of times that got really tough this year, and I would turn around and look at that sticker. I felt like he was looking back at me and saying, ‘I love you, bro’ (Martens’ trademark saying), and it helped every time.

“This whole week, I was slapping that sticker or I would give him (a fist bump) and I’d say, ‘Thank you’ for everything he’s done.”

With one day remaining in the tournament, Combs is still well in contention for his first Elite Series win since 2017.

Hailing from Huntington, Texas, Combs placed 16th on Day 1 with 14-05 and rose 13 spots with a second-day limit of 17-07. Adding 15-01 Sunday yielded a 2ns-place total of 46-13.

“I’m making a long run to Pool 9 and hitting a lot of spots,” Combs said. “Today, it was slower in those areas and I was surprised. I came back with maybe a 14-pound bag and culled almost every one of them. I have some stuff in Pool 8, too.”

Combs said his main pattern in both pools comprises sandbars with current flowing over top and various other current-breaking scenarios. He caught his fish on a Strike King swim jig, a Strike King Sexy Frog, a Strike King Sexy Dawg and a Texas-rigged Strike King Cut-R Worm.

Bryan Schmitt, who lives in Deale, Md., started with the event’s biggest bag, 17-10, on Day 1 and caught 14-03 the second day. His Day-3 limit of 14-12 gave him a total of 46-09, good for 3rd place.

Returning to the same large, wind-protected grassbed he’s worked since practice, Schmitt found the fish in a pickier mood. After catching fish on multiple baits the first two days, he was only able to get bit on a Carolina-rigged Missile Baits Baby D Stroyer.

“Where I caught some of my fish yesterday, I caught all of them today,” Schmitt said of his effort to refine his focus each day. “I learned a little bit and expanded on it and tomorrow, I’m going to stay there all day.

“The key spot is a little depression with a little bit of rock in an eelgrass bed, and the smallmouth and largemouth are in there.”

The 10 remaining anglers will take off at 7 a.m. CT from Copeland Park. The weigh-in will be held back at the park at 3 p.m., with the winner earning $100,000 and an automatic berth into the 2023 Bassmaster Classic.

Day 3 Standings

1. Chris Johnston -- Otonabee, ON -- 15, 48-10 -- 100
Day 1: 5, 16-04 -- Day 2: 5, 15-10 -- Day 3: 5, 16-12

2. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 15, 46-13 -- 99
Day 1: 5, 14-05 -- Day 2: 5, 17-07 -- Day 3: 5, 15-01

3. Bryan Schmitt -- Deale, MD -- 15, 46-09 -- 98
Day 1: 5, 17-10 -- Day 2: 5, 14-03 -- Day 3: 5, 14-12

4. Bryan New -- Saluda, SC -- 15, 45-05 -- 97
Day 1: 5, 15-15 -- Day 2: 5, 13-01 -- Day 3: 5, 16-05

5. Matt Arey -- Shelby, NC -- 15, 45-00 -- 96
Day 1: 5, 15-08 -- Day 2: 5, 14-13 -- Day 3: 5, 14-11

6. Drew Benton -- Blakely, GA -- 15, 44-02 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 16-05 -- Day 2: 5, 13-01 -- Day 3: 5, 14-12

7. KJ Queen -- Catawba, NC -- 15, 43-10 -- 94
Day 1: 5, 15-10 -- Day 2: 5, 13-05 -- Day 3: 5, 14-11

8. Gerald Swindle -- Guntersville, AL -- 15, 43-07 -- 93
Day 1: 5, 15-03 -- Day 2: 5, 13-15 -- Day 3: 5, 14-05

9. Scott Martin -- Clewiston, FL -- 15, 43-06 -- 92 -- $1,000
Day 1: 5, 13-07 -- Day 2: 5, 16-08 -- Day 3: 5, 13-07

10. Brandon Lester -- Fayetteville, TN -- 15, 42-15 -- 91
Day 1: 5, 14-13 -- Day 2: 5, 13-09 -- Day 3: 5, 14-09

The following anglers did not make the cut and will not fish on Day 4

11. Brock Mosley -- Collinsville, MS -- 15, 42-12 -- 90 -- $11,000
Day 1: 5, 15-11 -- Day 2: 5, 11-01 -- Day 3: 5, 16-00

12. Jay Przekurat -- Stevens Point, WI -- 15, 42-12 -- 89 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 13-01 -- Day 2: 5, 15-02 -- Day 3: 5, 14-09

13. Ray Hanselman Jr -- Del Rio, TX -- 15, 42-07 -- 88 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 13-06 -- Day 2: 5, 12-15 -- Day 3: 5, 16-02

14. Jason Christie -- Park Hill, OK -- 15, 41-15 -- 87 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 11-14 -- Day 2: 5, 14-10 -- Day 3: 5, 15-07

15. Bob Downey -- Detroit Lakes, MN -- 15, 40-13 -- 86 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 10-06 -- Day 2: 5, 15-06 -- Day 3: 5, 15-01

16. Alex Redwine -- Blue Ash, OH -- 15, 40-12 -- 85 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 14-07 -- Day 2: 5, 11-06 -- Day 3: 5, 14-15

17. Koby Kreiger -- Alva, FL -- 15, 40-06 -- 84 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 14-13 -- Day 2: 5, 11-02 -- Day 3: 5, 14-07

18. Matt Herren -- Ashville, AL -- 15, 40-05 -- 83 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 16-08 -- Day 2: 5, 10-13 -- Day 3: 5, 13-00

19. Brandon Cobb -- Greenwood, SC -- 15, 40-05 -- 82 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 12-02 -- Day 2: 5, 13-13 -- Day 3: 5, 14-06

20. Buddy Gross -- Chattanooga, TN -- 15, 40-02 -- 81 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 12-14 -- Day 2: 5, 14-05 -- Day 3: 5, 12-15

21. Brandon Card -- Salisbury, NC -- 15, 40-01 -- 80 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 14-01 -- Day 2: 5, 13-09 -- Day 3: 5, 12-07

22. Paul Mueller -- Naugatuck, CT -- 15, 39-15 -- 79 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 11-07 -- Day 2: 5, 12-09 -- Day 3: 5, 15-15

23. Austin Felix -- Eden Prairie, MN -- 15, 39-15 -- 78 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 13-13 -- Day 2: 5, 12-14 -- Day 3: 5, 13-04

24. Patrick Walters -- Summerville, SC -- 15, 39-12 -- 77 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 13-06 -- Day 2: 5, 13-05 -- Day 3: 5, 13-01

25. Brandon Palaniuk -- Rathdrum, ID -- 15, 39-11 -- 76 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 12-13 -- Day 2: 5, 11-13 -- Day 3: 5, 15-01

26. Jeff Gustafson -- Keewatin, ON -- 15, 39-08 -- 75 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 16-04 -- Day 2: 5, 11-13 -- Day 3: 5, 11-07

27. Chad Pipkens -- Dewitt, MI -- 15, 39-07 -- 74 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 13-09 -- Day 2: 5, 11-03 -- Day 3: 5, 14-11

28. Caleb Kuphall -- Mukwonago, WI -- 15, 39-07 -- 73 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 12-13 -- Day 2: 5, 13-01 -- Day 3: 5, 13-09

29. Jake Whitaker -- Hendersonville, NC -- 15, 39-04 -- 72 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 12-03 -- Day 2: 5, 12-04 -- Day 3: 5, 14-13

30. Matt Robertson -- Kuttawa, KY -- 15, 39-04 -- 71 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 13-02 -- Day 2: 5, 12-12 -- Day 3: 5, 13-06

31. Seth Feider -- New Market, MN -- 15, 39-03 -- 70 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 10-07 -- Day 2: 5, 16-02 -- Day 3: 5, 12-10

32. Drew Cook -- Cairo, GA -- 15, 38-13 -- 69 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 11-05 -- Day 2: 5, 15-01 -- Day 3: 5, 12-07

33. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 15, 38-10 -- 68 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 11-05 -- Day 2: 5, 15-05 -- Day 3: 5, 12-00

34. Kyle Welcher -- Opelika, AL -- 15, 38-02 -- 67 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 12-00 -- Day 2: 5, 13-09 -- Day 3: 5, 12-09

35. Skylar Hamilton -- Dandridge, TN -- 15, 37-15 -- 66 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 12-02 -- Day 2: 5, 11-15 -- Day 3: 5, 13-14

36. Hunter Shryock -- Ooltewah, TN -- 14, 37-12 -- 65 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 14-05 -- Day 2: 5, 13-11 -- Day 3: 4, 09-12

37. Hank Cherry Jr -- Lincolnton, NC -- 15, 37-06 -- 64 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 13-09 -- Day 2: 5, 12-08 -- Day 3: 5, 11-05

38. Joshua Stracner -- Vandiver, AL -- 15, 37-02 -- 63 -- $11,000
Day 1: 5, 11-15 -- Day 2: 5, 11-13 -- Day 3: 5, 13-06

39. Michael Iaconelli -- Pittsgrove, NJ -- 15, 37-01 -- 62 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 11-08 -- Day 2: 5, 12-12 -- Day 3: 5, 12-13

40. Cody Huff -- Ava, MO -- 15, 37-01 -- 61 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 12-03 -- Day 2: 5, 12-07 -- Day 3: 5, 12-07

41. Tyler Rivet -- Raceland, LA -- 15, 36-13 -- 60 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 13-03 -- Day 2: 5, 10-06 -- Day 3: 5, 13-04

42. Luke Palmer -- Coalgate, OK -- 13, 36-12 -- 59 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 14-01 -- Day 2: 5, 14-08 -- Day 3: 3, 08-03

43. Mike Huff -- London, KY -- 15, 36-11 -- 58 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 12-05 -- Day 2: 5, 13-02 -- Day 3: 5, 11-04

44. Marc Frazier -- Newnan, GA -- 15, 36-08 -- 57 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 12-00 -- Day 2: 5, 11-15 -- Day 3: 5, 12-09

45. Kenta Kimura -- Osaka, JAPAN -- 15, 36-00 -- 56 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 09-13 -- Day 2: 5, 14-09 -- Day 3: 5, 11-10

46. Chris Zaldain -- Fort Worth, TX -- 15, 35-07 -- 55 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 14-15 -- Day 2: 5, 10-04 -- Day 3: 5, 10-04

47. Derek Hudnall -- Zachary, LA -- 15, 34-06 -- 54 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 13-09 -- Day 2: 5, 10-02 -- Day 3: 5, 10-11