June 13, 2019 by FLW Communications – Photo courtesy of FLW
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, will visit Plattsburgh, June 27-30, for the FLW Tour at Lake Champlain presented by T-H Marine – the seventh and final event of the 2019 FLW Tour regular season. The four-day tournament, hosted by the City of Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau, will feature 168 of the world’s best bass anglers competing for a cash prize of up to $125,000 along with a free outdoor expo and a kid’s fishing derby.
Lake Champlain has long been a staple on FLW’s tournament schedule. With more than 50 visits across multiple FLW circuits since 1994, the northern fishery has solidified its reputation as a top bass-fishing destination and continues to kick out notable weights year after year. When the FLW Tour last visited in 2016, Tour stalwart Scott Martin of Clewiston, Florida, finished on top with a four-day total of 74 pounds, 10 ounces.
“The lake should fish well for us. If the weather is nice, I would expect the winning weight to be in the 73- to 75-pound range [in four-days]. I wouldn’t be shocked if it took even more, though,” said Lowrance pro Austin Felix of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, who has two top-10 finishes on Lake Champlain in FLW competition. “The only problem is that the lake is a lot higher and a bit dirtier than we’re used to, so it’s going to make sight-fishing a lot more difficult. But at the same time, the high water should make the largemouth fishing a lot better.
“I think we’ll see both species (largemouth and smallmouth bass) in all three phases of the spawn,” continued Felix. “Down by Ticonderoga they might be a little more postspawn, but there’ll definitely be largemouth up north that haven’t spawned yet.”
Felix said that with the largemouth bite being more of a factor than in years past, the Ticonderoga and Missisquoi areas could be especially productive for anglers.
“The usual areas like the Inland Sea and around Burlington will be in play. The middle, wider part of the lake tends to warm up slower so those fish should be a little bit bigger,” said Felix. “There’s so many bass in that lake. Everybody is going to catch fish – it’s just going to come down to finding the ones that are a bit bigger than the rest.”
For anglers targeting largemouth, Felix said a ChatterBait and a flipping bait would be a good bet, while a jerkbait, a Keitech swimbait and a Ned rig would work well for smallmouth. The Minnesota pro added that a drop-shot rig will be a good choice for both species.
Anglers will take off at 6:30 a.m. EST each day from the Plattsburgh City Marina, located at 5 Dock St., in Plattsburgh. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins, June 27-28, will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday’s weigh-ins, June 29-30, will also be held at the marina, but will begin at 4 p.m.
Prior to weigh-in each day, FLW will host a free Family Fishing Expo at the Plattsburgh City Marina from 2 to 6 p.m. The Expo is a chance for fishing fans to meet their favorite anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, as well as learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities.
Also for youth, the FLW Foundation’s Unified Fishing Derby will be held at Wilcox Dock, located at 90 Cumberland Ave., in Plattsburgh, on Saturday, June 29, from Noon-2 p.m. The event is hosted by FLW Foundation pro Cody Kelley along with other FLW Tour anglers, and is free and open to anyone under the age of 18 and Special Olympics athletes. Rods and reels are available for use, but youth are encouraged to bring their own if they own one. The 1st and 2nd place anglers that catch the most fish will be recognized Saturday on the FLW Tour stage, just prior to the pros weighing in.
As part of the FLW Tour’s community outreach initiative, FLW Tour anglers will visit patients, guests and staff at the Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, located at 75 Beekman St., in Plattsburgh on Wednesday, June 26, from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. During their visit, anglers will interact with guests, snap photos and sign autographs for patients, as well as give away some goodie bags and share fishing stories.
Television coverage of the FLW Tour at Lake Champlain presented by T-H Marine will premiere in 2019. The exact air-date will be announced soon. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs each Saturday night at 7 p.m. EST and is broadcast to more than 63 million cable, satellite and telecommunications households in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean on the World Fishing Network (WFN), the leading entertainment destination and digital resource for anglers throughout North America. FLW television is also distributed internationally to FLW partner countries, including Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Spain and South Africa.
The popular FLW Live on-the-water program will air on Days Three and Four of the event, featuring live action from the boats of the tournament’s top pros each day. Host Travis Moran will be joined by veteran FLW Tour pro Todd Hollowell to break down the extended action each day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. On-the-water broadcasts will be live streamed on FLWFishing.com, the FLW YouTube channel and the FLW Facebook page.
In FLW Tour competition, the full field of 168 pro anglers compete in the two-day opening round on Thursday and Friday. The top 30 pros based on their two-day accumulated weight advance to Saturday. Only the top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from the four days of competition.
Throughout the season, anglers are also vying for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2019 FLW Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing. The 2019 FLW Cup will be on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Aug. 9-11 and is hosted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism and Visit Hot Springs.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the sport’s top anglers on the FLW Tour on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
