By B.A.S.S. Communications
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Lake Champlain has hosted many national level bass tournaments over the years, all carrying various levels of significance.
This week, however, career trajectories hang in the balance at the lake often referred to as the sixth Great Lake.
The Bassmaster Elite Qualifier Series gets started Thursday with a 106-boat field, some of whom are chasing a ticket to the 2026 Elite Series field while others are seeking to maintain their spot on the Elite Series roster. Still others are gunning for a berth in the 2026 Bassmaster Classic.
How'd They Get Here
The top 50 finishers in both divisions of the Bassmaster Opens will be joined by a handful of current Elite Series pros and the top 3 finishers from the 2024 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship as the three-event series gets under way this week. Divisional points are zeroed and the Top 10 in EQ points will receive invitations to fish the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series.
The winner of each EQ event will also clinch a spot in the 2026 Classic next March in Knoxville, Tenn.
The Venue
“Champlain can be overwhelming, because it is a gigantic body of water,” said Elite Series pro Kyle Patrick. “It’s hard because these (anglers) have to swing for the fence in order to make (or requalify for) the Elites.”
Indeed, the 435-square-mile natural lake straddling the New York/Vermont border offers boundless opportunity for smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing, with tremendous habitat diversity. Patrick believes the entire lake could be in play, but the seasonal focus will be clear.
“Fall feed baby!” he said of the event’s expected theme. “We’ve had some really cool nights, so it’s fall here in Upstate New York.”
As Patrick pointed out, the region’s drought conditions have pulled Champlain out from its usual shorelines. A week and a half before the tournament, Champlain stood a little more than 3 feet below its average annual level of 96.5 feet. (The record low was 92.4 feet in 1908.)
ANGLER LIST BELOW
