Cory Johnston Wins the 2021 Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open on the St. Lawrence River!

Cory Johnston sack 15 mega smallmouth for 78lbs!
(Photo: BASS)

By David A. Brown, BASS Press Release

CLAYTON, N.Y. — Saving the best for last, Bassmaster Elite Series angler Cory Johnston turned in his biggest bag of the week, 27 pounds, 6 ounces, and won the Basspro.com Bassmaster Northern Open at the St. Lawrence River/1000 Islands with a three-day total of 78-0.

Edging Day 1 leader Cal Climpson by 13 ounces, Johnston won the top prize of $43,433. Hailing from Cavan, Ontario, Canada, he said local knowledge proved invaluable.

“It was a great week and I had a lot of fun,” Johnston said. “I have a lot of spots out on Lake Ontario. I only pre-fished for about two days out here; I just know this place so well, but it’s burnt me so many times.

“I caught a ton of fish and I caught a lot of big fish. It just goes to show you what an incredible fishery we have here, so we have to look after this place.”

The first two days, Johnston kept himself in the hunt with limits of 25-7 and 25-3 that put him in fifth and second place. His final-round limit was the event’s second-heaviest, behind Climpson’s Day 1 bag of 27-7.

Johnston’s win provided a much-needed dose of redemption, after what looked to be a run at the victory ended with a fourth-place finish at mid-July’s Farmers Insurance Bassmaster Elite at the St. Lawrence River.

Bryan Schmitt Wins 2016 BASS Northern Open on Lake Champlain!

Crayfish key to win. 

John Neporadny Jr.

BASS PRESS RELEASE

Bryan Schmitt fed Lake Champlain bass a steady diet of a crayfish imitator this week to win the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open finale.

Crayfish bodies in live well helps Bryan key on baits.
(Photo: BASS)

Fishing in only his fourth Bassmaster Open, Schmitt won the pro division title and took home the top prize of a Triton 19 TrX/Mercury 200 Pro XS rig worth $45,000 and $6,528 in cash.  He finished with a winning total of 15 bass weighing 59 pounds, 13 ounces.

Schmitt admitted to losing one “giant” fish Friday but boated everything else to finish the day with an 18-14 limit.  The Deale, Md., angler caught a heavyweight limit of smallmouth Thursday but the rain and clouds slowed down his smallmouth bite Friday.  He still concentrated on smallmouth but his limit included a mixture of two green and three brown bass. “I had to adjust a little bit,” he said. “I fished one spot Friday that had largemouth and smallmouth.”