2012 Classic Champions Report: How Garnier and Lafleur Won it. PART 2

This is the continuation of the 2012 CSFL Classic.

Rob Lafleur and Pete Garnier proudly display their Day 3 catch!

Day 2

Horrific wind, rain and lighting greeted the anglers at dawn. After weather delayed the launch, Rob and Pete bee lined it to their best spot.  Surprisingly the bait remained locked on the spot and no competition boats from Friday pestered them. Immediately, Rob connected with smallmouth in the 3 pound class.

Being a team tournament, the focus is to do what’s best for the team. Pete explained how they worked co-operatively to hammer out their best day of the Classic.

Pete explains, “The wind was up a bit but nothing to be too concerned about so I positioned the boat to allow Rob to pick apart the area. Rob went to town on them. I allowed the boat to slip in to try and get in on the action but the wind had picked up as the rain was intensifying. We chose to keep Rob in a position where he could fish comfortable rather than risk blowing(the boat)  in on it and spooking the baitfish. Rob locked up with another good fish which tipped the scales at 5.35, and after a short fist bump and mini-celebration we knew we had a shot at a good bag.”

Working together was essential. With winds close to 50kms throughout the morning and early afternoon; Rob and Pete worked a tag team approach that was critical to their success.  

“The swirling winds and gusts made reading the GPS difficult. Because I was controlling the boat it was easier for me to keep track of the sweet spots were and I help guide Rob by telling him which side of the boat to focus on.” Explains Garnier.

2012 Classic Champions Report: How Garnier and Lafleur Won it.

2012 CSFL Classic Champs!
Pete Garnier, Andy from CSFL and Rob LaFleur

The 2012 CSFL Classic is in the books. Pete Garnier and Rob Lefleur caught 53.35 pounds of smallmouth on famed Rice Lake to claim the championship. Battling for three days of competition is a culmination of a strong practice, team work, good decision making and maybe a little bit of luck. IBASSIN tracked down Pete and Rob to obtain the full story of their impressive win.

Well first of all, congratulations on the terrific win! Having been fishing for decades, a win of this calibre must be rewarding. “It’s a great feeling! Certainly something I am proud of and one I won’t soon forget. The onslaught of texts, emails, and phone calls has been really been humbling.” Reflects Pete. “Makes you feel like the years of hard work and determination have all been worthwhile for sure.”

Working through the entire week leading up to the tournament, Pete and Rob put in hours of pre-fishing. Rob had to miss the first few days but Pete spent it hunting for largemouth. The mindset was to wait for Rob to arrive before they targeted smallmouth.

“If you look back over the years, smallmouth bass have always played a significant role on Rice, maybe even more so in the last 10-years. In our minds, it is easier to catch four to six pound smallies on Rice than it is to largemouth.” Declares Rob and Pete.

Practice

Having a clear practice game plan, Pete focused his efforts on largemouths. “Typically at this time of year, Rice lake produces a phenomenal algae bloom which forms a thick 4” to 6” layer of “green-pea” looking slick on the surface. When this occurs largemouth and smallmouth can be had on fast moving horizontal baits like spinnerbaits and shallow running crankbaits. I totally anticipated to find these conditions and looked forward to that style of fishing and was shocked that the lake had not setup like that when I arrived on the Sunday prior to the tournament for my first day of practice.” Explains Garnier.