Whitney Stephen Wins the 2015 Bass Pro Shop BASS Northern Open on Lake Erie!

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By Craig Lamb

bass press release 

SANDUSKY, Ohio — Whitney Stephens’ tournament winning edge came not from a secret lure but a widely used electronic gadget rigged on the front deck of his boat. Knowing how to use it well paid at the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open presented by Allstate. 

A win & Classic bound!
(Photo: BASS)

Stephens, of Waverly, Ohio, won after three days with a final weight of 65 pounds, 1 ounce. He fished consistently all week, beginning in fifth place and moving to third on Friday. Jeff Lugar of Virginia took second place with 64-8, followed by third-place finisher Jason Root with 64-7. 

Stephens relied on his bow-mounted fish finder to pinpoint the location of smallmouth bass holding on isolated rockpiles. Those ranged in depth from the bottom at 28 to 23 feet on the peaks of underwater ridges. The rocks created a buffer of calm water for the bass until baitfish swept by in the current. 

“I found the baitfish first and the bass were nearby,” he said. “It would have been nearly impossible to find them without the fish finder.”

The electronics proved invaluable due to constantly shifting winds. The direction and velocity shifted each day, causing the bass to relocate their precise position on the rocks.  

“It was like starting over every day because the wind made the current shift and reposition the bass," he added.