Story by Robert Wroblewski | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
That’s a wrap for Stop 5 of the National Professional Fishing League at the St. Lawrence River out of Massena, New York. I walked away with a 17th place finish and a three-day total of 66.3 pounds, and I can honestly say, this event tested me in just about every way possible.
This was my first time ever fishing in New York, and going into it, I knew I couldn’t afford to slip in the points race. The St. Lawrence has always been one of those places I dreamed of fishing, but I had no prior experience. That meant my practice needed to count.
During the three official practice days, I spent the first two days in the river. The wind was howling, and it made the main lake almost unfishable. I covered a ton of water and was confident I could catch 18 to 20 pounds a day in the river, but I also knew that weight wouldn’t be enough to get paid in a place like this.
So, on the last day of practice, I took a chance. I ran out to Lake Ontario, where the Canadian side had just opened to bass fishing the day before. When I got out there, I found a bunch of bedding smallmouth that looked fresh, untouched, and aggressive. I ended that day with over 25 pounds, and it gave me all the confidence I needed to lock in my game plan: run to the main lake all three days of competition.
The decision to commit to that run was a huge gamble. It took two hours one-way, and I had to stop for gas both coming and going. I burned over $800 in fuel for the week—the most I’ve ever spent, and the most miles I’ve ever run in a bass boat. But from the moment I made my first cast on Day 1 and caught a 6.7-pound smallmouth—my personal best—I knew it was the right call.
My pattern was built around fishing extremely shallow. I’d throw a Bruiser Baits Rad Shad to pull fish off the bed or trigger their attention, then follow up with a drop shot, tube, or Ned rig to get them to commit. It was a finesse game mixed with strategy and patience.
But man, the week didn’t come without challenges. On the first day of practice, I hit a deer with my truck. Then on the last day of practice, my trolling motor battery died. Luckily, Rick Mitchell—who let me crash at his place—loaned me his battery for the first two tournament days.
Day 1 of the tournament, my motor alarm started going off on the way back in, and I had to stop and add oil mid-run. Then on Day 3, I borrowed a battery from another angler, and it died first thing that morning. I was dead in the water until Rick — who was spectating nearby—came to the rescue again and swapped batteries with me.
To top it off, one of my livewell pumps stopped working, so I had to use a bait container to manually fill the wells and stopped a dozen times throughout the day to check on my fish. It was one thing after another, but I kept a cool head and stayed locked in.
Looking back, I know this was God’s way of testing my patience, discipline, and mental toughness. Through it all, I stayed focused, kept grinding, and came out with a strong finish. I’m blessed to have battled through the adversity and still placed in the Top 20.
I can’t thank my sponsors, supporters, and everyone who follows my journey enough. Your encouragement keeps me going. Now it’s time to rest up and start preparing for the final stop of the season at Logan Martin. I’m fired up to finish this season strong.
Robert Wroblewski – Angler Profile
