Canadians: Cory Johnston 4th, Gustafson 30th & Cooper Gallant 33rd.
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| Canadian pro Chris Johnston has taken the lead on Day 3 of the 2026 SPRO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain with a three-day total of 62 pounds, 13 ounces. (Photo: Seigo Saito/BASS) |
BASS Press Release
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — He was dealing with a cold front, but Chris Johnston had the hot hand. That productivity gave the accomplished pro from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada the Day 3 lead in the SPRO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain.
Keeping himself in the conversation from the start, Johnston placed eighth on Day 1 with 19 pounds, 14 ounces and rose to third a day later on the strength of his 21-7 limit. Adding a Semifinal Saturday bag that weighed 21-8, Johnston tallied a three-day total of 62-13.
Heading into Championship Sunday, Johnston leads Bryan Schmitt by 3 ounces.
Despite turning in his best bag of the week, Johnston said the weather system moving through the area interrupted the game plan he’d been following.
“The wind is what really hurt me and maybe the cold,” Johnston said. “A lot of my smallmouth have been coming shallow. I’ve been trying to get a couple kicker largemouth, but I’ve been filling my limit with 3 1/2- to 4-pound smallmouth.
“I’ve been sight-fishing those big smallmouth. The only way I can catch those big ones, for the most part, is to visually see them. Today, I got lucky and got one to eat by just blind fishing, but if it slicks off and gets sunny, that’s my best chance to catch those big ones.”
Many of Champlain’s bigger smallmouth roam deep open water, but it’s nearly impossible to consistently target those fish without forward facing sonar. Shortly after B.A.S.S. announced the 2026 schedule, a coin flip selection identified five events that would allow forward facing sonar and four that would not. The Champlain event does not allow this live sonar technology.
After two mostly calm days offered favorable sight-fishing conditions, Johnston was able to cover broad areas of grass and rock, pick out his targets and then make precise casts with a finesse bait.
“If it’s ripply, I can’t see the smallmouth,” Johnston said. “I have to cover a mile to maybe see three or four fish (in calm conditions). There are not many, but there are some decent ones, if I can find them.”
Today, Johnston caught a 4-pound smallmouth and one about 3 in his shallow zone by blind casting a 3/8-ounce green pumpkin SPRO Cover Jumper bladed jig. During a sunny period with a little less wind, he was able to sight fish another 4-pound-class smallie with a wacky rig.
Johnston bolstered his bag with a couple of big largemouth he caught on a large soft bait. He kept his details guarded, but noted that the front made the fish less aggressive, so taunting them with a sizable offering was necessary.
“Each day, I need to catch a couple big largemouth, but I don’t know where they’re gonna come from,” Johnston said. “I’m just hitting spots I’ve learned over the years. Most of them are hard cover, something different in the water.
“I’ll hit 10 to 15 largemouth spots and if there’s one there, it’s usually a big one. But if you don’t get those bites, it makes for a tough day.”
Johnston, the defending Progressive Bassmaster Elite Angler of the Year for 2024 and 2025, became the first Canadian to win a Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series trophy with his 2020 win at the St. Lawrence River. He collected his second blue trophy three months ago in the Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes.
Johnston said he’s confident he can catch smallmouth in the final round, but he knows that earning another Elite title depends on catching big green ones.
“I need to catch three big largemouth to have a chance at winning,” he said. “There’s not a lot of fish in these areas, so I’m hoping a couple of my spots reload a little bit and I can catch two or three largemouth off them tomorrow.”
Bryan Schmitt of Deale, Md., is in second place with 62-10. His first two days yielded bags of 19-11 and 19-7. Schmitt earned his final-round berth by turning in his best effort of the week, a limit of 23-8.
Schmitt has won twice at Lake Champlain, with victories in the 2016 Northern Open and the 2021 Bassmaster Elite. His history on this fishery served him well this week when he realized his vision was not coming to fruition.
“I don’t know how to explain this week; the big Plan A didn’t work,” he said. “This one big largemouth spot I was banking on did not work. When that big of a plan that you have that much history on doesn’t work, it hurts a little bit.
“I got some very lucky stops when I would pull up on some old-school stuff. On Day 2, I stopped right out in front of (the tournament site), with a minute until I had to check in, threw out here aimlessly and caught a big smallmouth.”
Describing his third day as “magical,” Schmitt said he fished a spot that he visited toward the end of Day 2 and enjoyed an unexpected largemouth abundance.
“I only caught seven bass today, but my first five were big,” Schmitt said. “I’m super crazy nervous and excited for tomorrow.”
Caleb Sumrall of New Iberia, La., is in third place with 61-8. His daily weights were 15-6, 24-4 and 21-14.
Sumrall has spent his tournament glued to the ruins of the old railroad that once connected Rouse’s Point, N.Y. to Alburgh, Vt. Working the west end of the skeletal remains, Sumrall said this scenario has allowed him to play a familiar game.
“I’m doing what I love to do, I’m flipping wood, cracking ’em on big line and boat flipping every one,” Sumrall said. “It’ll be a hard feat tomorrow, but the opportunity is there for big ones.
“It’s current related. It has everything the fish need. The edges have grass and rocks. It just has all the ingredients. Tomorrow I won’t leave it all day long and I’ll try to catch a giant bag.”
Fishing in 6 to 12 feet, Sumrall has caught his fish on a Missile Baits jig with a Missile Baits Mini D-Bomb trailer.
Sumrall holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead with a 6-10.
Cory Johnston of Otonabee, Canada leads the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year race with 636 points. Trey McKinney of Carbondale, Ill., is in second place with 635, followed by 2019 Rookie of the Year Drew Cook of Cairo, Ga., with 629, Bob Downey of Detroit Lakes, Minn., with 570, and Brandon Cobb of Greenwood, S.C., with 561.
Caleb Hudson of Lincolnton, Ga., leads the Pro-Guide Batteries Bassmaster Elite Series Rookie of the Year standings with 538 points.
Sunday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET at Plattsburgh City Marina. The weigh-in will be held at the marina at 3 p.m.
Live coverage of the 2026 SPRO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain can be found on FS1 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and conclude on Bassmaster.com.
Discover Plattsburgh and the Adirondack Coast are hosting this event.
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
2026 Bassmaster Elite Series
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