Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
We’re halfway through Day Two and halfway through the event. The big smallmouth are still biting, but things are a little slower across the board. Despite sitting in fifth place on the unofficial Fishing Chaos Catch Track, Day One leader Drew Cook likely has more weight in his livewell, having just caught a 6-pound smallmouth on live coverage.
Second-place angler Patrick Walters hasn’t reported any new catches today, but he does have a limit, keeping him near the top of the leaderboard. He’s hoping to make a few culls before heading back to Massena. In third, Kyle Welcher, who is leading the Progressive Angler of the Year race, has a small limit, estimated around 17 pounds, but a lack of cell signal may be delaying updates from the water.
The top anglers are fishing similarly, rotating between sight fishing for spawning bass and blind casting to big fish roaming the shallow, sandy flats. Day One saw plenty of 20-pound bags, with nearly half the field hitting that mark, and the average bag, according to Ken Duke, was over 19 pounds. Things seem a bit tougher today, and while some anglers will catch big bags, the overall field should have a slightly smaller average on Day Two.
On the water photographers are reporting that the closer you get to the big Lake Ontario, the more guys that are fishing shallow with hair jigs, dropshots and other finesse baits.
Atkins/Lineberger Unofficially on Top
Justin Atkins and Shane Lineberger are currently at the top of the Fishing Chaos Catch Track with a total of 43-9. Both anglers are nearing 20 pounds and should have secured a spot in the check range, assuming Day Two weights are a bit lighter than on Day One. Atkins is reported to have much more weight than he is reporting, closer to 24-pounds, and is likely the current leader. Behind them, Shane LeHew is just an ounce back with 43-8, followed by Cole Harris with 42-3, and Day One leader Drew Cook with 42-2, rounding out the top five. Things are bound to change this afternoon, and weights will likely even out.
Live coverage continues throughout the day and on Finale Friday, wrapping up this New York slugfest.
Current Top 10 (Unofficial):
Justin Adkins 43-9
Shane Lineberger 43-9
Shane LeHew 43-8
Cole Harris 42-3
Drew Cook 42-2
Zack Birge 41-11
Jason Burroughs 41-9
Darrell Davis 39-11
Scott Wiley 39-10
Mike Quinlin 38-5
Catch the Weigh-In
The weigh-in begins at 3:00 PM EST on TNPFL.com. Don’t miss it!
Follow along on the Weigh Live Tracker for real-time unofficial updates from the water.
Check out the Morning Story and Launch Photo Gallery, here!
