2014 BASS Northern Open #2 Lake Champlain Day 2: Siller Still Leader on Champlain.

A calmer and safer Day 2

By John Neporadny Jr.

bass press release

Plattsburgh, N.Y. — Scott Siller took one step closer to the thrill of victory by catching another heavyweight limit in the Bass Pro Shops Northern Open on Lake Champlain.

Scott still in control as final 12 make it to Saturday.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

The Milwaukee, WI, angler bagged up a 19-pound, 2-ounce limit Day 2 to retain the lead in the pro division with 39-2. “Yesterday was a really awesome day after the weigh-in to be on the top of a Bassmaster leaderboard,” said Siller. “It was like a birthday all day long so I kind of didn’t want today to come around.”

Now he is glad today did come around because he kept the lead and is in position to win his first B.A.S.S. event. “It was a tough day,” he said. “I had a couple of fish I wished I could have culled out.”

The 44-year-old police officer caught a couple of keepers early on a jig but when he couldn’t get any more bites, Siller switched to a square-bill crankbait and on the second cast caught a 5-pounder. “I stuck with that for a while, and then went back to the jig and just kind of mixed it up a little bit to try to figure out what would trigger the fish to bite,” he said.

Siller never threw the square bill in practice but he felt like it was a good option to get some bites after the fish stopped hitting the jig. “I am not a big crankbait fisherman, but the conditions and the cover and structure that I was fishing pointed towards a crankbait,” he said.

For the second straight day, Siller had his limit in his first hour of fishing. “But I had one that was over 5 and the other four were under 3 pounds,” he said. “Two of them were around the 2-pound mark and I culled both of them out with some decent fish.”

Fishing pressure has been nil in Siller’s area, but he did have some observers around on Friday. “There is a club tournament tomorrow in that area and I probably had about half a dozen bass boats that were watching me fish for most of the day,” he said. “I went to three or four areas and they followed me everywhere I went. So I don’t know if they were watching as spectators or if I am going to have company tomorrow.”

Touring pro Shin Fukae moved into second place with 38 pounds. The Palestine, Texas angler fished for largemouth again Friday and caught a small limit in the morning. He later added two 4-pounders while rotating between three spots. “Most of my fish though came from one spot,” he said.

Rounding out the Top 5 in the pro division are Dave Wolak, Wake Forest, N.C., in third place with 37-2; Mike Iaconelli, Pitts Grove, N.J., fourth, 36-15; and Aaron Martens, Leeds, AL, fifth, 36-2.

Watervliet, N.Y., angler James Schneider moved into the co-angler lead with 20-13. The 49-year-old orthopedic surgeon noted he has fished Champlain about 20 times. “I am very familiar with what the bass want to eat here,” said Schneider, who disclosed he has caught all of his smallmouth both days on Li’l Hustler spinnerbaits.

The Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau (www.goadirondack.com) is the host for this week’s Northern Open. The final-day launch and weigh-in featuring the Top 12 anglers in the pro and co-angler divisions will be held at Dock Street Landing at 5 Dock Street in Plattsburgh.