2017 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open No. 1 on Oneida Lake Day 2: Steve York Leads with 36-12lbs!

Morning bite key to smallmouth 

By Andrew Canulette

BASS PRESS RELEASE

The 198 anglers competing in the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open No. 1 hammered the smallmouth bass on Thursday.

Steve York rode that bite into 19th place on Day 1, but he wanted more on Day 2.

York jumps into lead with 19lb limit. (Photo: BASS)

York caught three hefty smallmouths Friday on Oneida Lake, and he added a pair of kicker largemouth bass that filled his limit. The mixed-bag weighed 19 pounds, 11 ounces and was the heaviest creel so far in the tournament. The haul propelled the Bronson, Michigan pro to the top of the leaderboard with a two-day total of 36-12.

Now York will try to hold off the remaining 11 anglers who are hot on his heels for the tournament championship. The winner will collect a boat/motor package valued at nearly $50,000, as well as a berth in next year's GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK'S Sporting Goods provided he fishes the final two Northern Open events in 2017.

York fished with purpose on Friday. After a slow start, his primary area finally turned on and he boated three keeper bass in short order. York swung out of the spot and returned later to find the area still producing. He's hoping it continues to do so on Saturday when he hits the water and heads for the same honey hole.

Cory Johnston Wins 2016 Costa FLW Oneida Lake and Angler of the Year!

King of the North!

by Jody White

FLW PRESS RELEASE

One of only three pros to bring limits to the stage on the final day of the Costa FLW Series presented by Ranger Boats on Oneida Lake, Cory Johnston earned the win by more than 4 pounds. In total, the Cavan, Ontario, pro toted 14 pounds, 1 ounce to the scale on the final day for a 50-4 total that earned him $32,778 and a new Ranger Z518. In addition to winning the tournament, Johnston also finished off his third Northern Division Strike King Angler of the Year title, earning a Strike King tackle pack and the deposits in the division of his choice for 2017.

Cory is " King of the North" in New York!
(Photo: FLW)

“We’ve never been here before and its fun to go out and learn a new lake,” says Cory Johnston of his and Chris’s first time on Oneida. “When you’re somewhere you haven’t been before you’re not going into the lake with a preconceived notion of what the fish were doing last time here. You can really figure it out and zone in on them real good.”

Zone in they did. Combined, the brothers rustled exactly 95 pounds of Oneida bass over three days of fishing with Cory taking the win and Chris settling for fourth place.

All week, Johnston followed a strict shallow game plan that separated him from other pros grouped up on shoals or slinging umbrella rigs on points and flats.

“The whole thing that I was fishing was isolated rock piles off the shore,” says Johnston. “When it was calm and clear like in practice you should see all these rock piles and that’s how I found all my fish. The first two days when I got here I put my trolling motor on 100 and just went looking for stuff and right away I caught a 4-pounder and a 3-pounder on topwater so I knew the big fish would be shallow and I could key in on what they were on.”

Wil Hardy II wins 2016 BASS Northern Open #1 on Oneida Lake with 53-13lbs!

Hardy Claims 1^st Open Win!

By John Neporadny Jr.

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Milking one spot for three straight days made a winner of Wil Hardy II at the Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #1 on Oneida Lake.

New to smallmouth but not fishing, Hardy focused on smallies for the win.
(BASS Photo) 

The Harlem, Ga., angler caught his second consecutive 18-pound limit (18 pounds, 4 ounces) of smallmouth bass to win the pro division and the grand prize of a $45,000 Nitro Z20/Mercury 225 Pro XS  rig and $8,491 in cash.  The 26-year-old Hardy finished with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 53-13 to win his first B.A.S.S. tournament and claim a 2017 Bassmaster Classic berth if he fishes the remaining two Northern Opens.

2011 Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #3 Oneida Lake Day 3: Ish Monroe Wins with Frog.

Monroe goes wire-to-wire

By David Hunter Jones

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Sep 24, 2011

He rode a hot frog bite all three days and backed it up with a prototype flipping bait to sack 51-2, more than two pounds ahead of runner-up Michael Simonton.
“I tell you what, this feels awesome. I’ve won on all the (B.A.S.S.) levels; an Elite Series event, Federation-level event and now that I’ve won an Open it feels really good,” he said as he clutched his trophy.

Won with the frog!
(Photos: James Overstreet BASS)

For his win, Monroe earned a brand new bass boat and motor as well as a handsome paycheck of more than $9,000. The total package is worth north of $54,000. He’s not concerned about not picking up the 2012 Bassmaster Classic berth because he qualified through the Bassmaster Elite Series. He would have double qualified if he had fished all three events, the prerequisite for earning the Opens berth. He was fishing Oneida for pride and most importantly, fun.
“The thing that carried me through this week ­ and the whole season — has been the fact that I’ve had fun,” he said. “That’s been my focus throughout the Elites and into these Opens, and it’s worked out really well. I’m having a blast!”
Monroe relied on two baits and several areas. He threw a Snag Proof Ish’s Phat Frog (three different models: white, black and clear) across the top of matted grass along the bank, and when the wind blew, he punched through the grass with a heavy weight and a black and blue flipping bait. The key with the flipping bait was the River2Sea specialty flipping weight. It sports a matte black finish. Monroe reasons that lighter-colored weights give off too much flash under the dark mats and spook fish.

2011 Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #3 Oneida Lake Day 3: Ish Wins!

Ish Monroe wins with a Day 3 bag of 15-04lbs. Co-angler winner is local fisherman Kevin Haley!

(Photo: Rob Russow BASS)

More details coming up!

2011 Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #3 Oneida Lake Day 2: Ish Leads with 35-14lbs!

Monroe ups the ante!

Elite pro takes lead of almost four pounds into final day

By David Hunter Jones

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Sep 23, 2011

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — With east wind wreaking havoc on his frog and 167 other boats seeking protected water, Ish Monroe had a trying Day Two of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open.

Still King in New York!
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

But the Elite Series pro not only landed a limit weighing 16 pounds even, he extended his lead over the field with a total of 35-14, nearly four pounds ahead of the pack.
Though Oneida Lake is full of substantial smallmouth bass, Monroe is sticking to the shallows and targeting largemouth with a topwater frog.
“My day started slow and I had to bounce around a bit; the wind kind of hurt me,” he said. “If the wind blows north or south, I can pick a bank and fish the area, but that east wind killed me because it rolls across the entire lake.”
Monroe said that his frog — a Snag Proof Ish’s Phat Frog — doesn’t work too well in the wind, so he resorted to flipping creature baits into shallow grass.

2011 Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #3 Oneida Lake Day 2: Ish is still on Top!

Day 2's Top 5 anglers. Very windy and rainy for much of the day. Many anglers did terrible. Not many double digit limits brought in today. Most of the anglers tried to find a balance with smallmouth and largemouth but found they couldn't find a rhythm.

Top 5
1 Ishama Monroe  10 35-14
2 Michael Simonton  10 32- 3
3 John Pelletier  10 31-10
4 Pat Golden  10 31- 9
5 Fletcher Shryock  10 30- 9

2011 Bass Pro Shops Northern Open #3 Oneida Lake Day 1: Ish is on Top!

Ish Monroe leads after Day 1 with 19-14!
Sep 22, 2011
BASS PRESS RELEASE

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Anglers had no problem filling out limits on Day One of the third and final Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open on Oneida Lake in central New York.

Ish is in control after Day One
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

The trick, however, was finding better-than-average fish to bring to the scales. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Ish Monroe of Hughson, Calif., found the five best of the 138-boat field, amassing 19 pounds, 14 ounces to take the lead on the first day of competition.
Monroe’s mantra throughout the Bassmaster Elite Series season and Bassmaster Opens has been “just have fun.” Monroe played his cards close to his vest and was reluctant to share any information on his techniques, but he did allow that his bite was an early one.
“This lake is awesome, just awesome,” he said. “I had everything that I weighed in by 8:30 this morning. It was pretty interesting. It was partly my spot, partly me and partly just having fun. I feel like I can catch ’em like this every single day.”