Canadian Miller sacks 27lbs to grab lead!
 |
| Gary Miller raised the bar with 19-11 on Day 1 and 27-11 on Day 2. Photo by Charles Waldorf |
By Jody White
Major League Fishing
MASSENA, N.Y. – Much of the Top 10 has been characterized by consistency thus far, with the best anglers sacking up bags in the low 20s on back-to-back days to stay in the hunt at the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats event at the St. Lawrence River. For the leaders, that hasn’t been the case. Travis Manson sacked 25 pounds, 2 ounces on Day 1 and then backed it up with 15-4 to fall to 15th on Day 2. Friday, Canadian pro Gary Miller followed up 19-11 with 27-11 to move into the lead with a two-day total of 47-6. Behind Miller, Brett Carnright, Spencer Shuffield and Brent Anderson have all managed better than 44 pounds to round out a stout top four.
As expected, the western end of the river is playing big, with a bunch of the Top 10 making a long run. Also as expected, the deep bite is strong, but Miller is looking to prove it isn’t unbeatable.
Miller playing a different game
While many of the other pros are drifting, dragging and ‘Scoping deep, Miller busted the biggest bag of the tournament how he likes to fish. Staying true to his Canadian colors, he’s hunting fish shallow.
On Day 1, Miller was close to glory, weighing 19-11 himself but watching Strike King co-angler Taylor Wisniewski land more than 23 pounds of smallmouth.
“My co had a great day yesterday [with] 23-6,” Miller said. “I’m on big fish, but it was the light conditions. Yesterday it was cloudy; I’d chase the fish, I’d lose ‘em, and the next thing I knew they were on the end of his line. They’d go behind the boat. I’d never had that happen before. I really struggled with that. I guess I’m spoiled.”
Sunny conditions on Day 2 let Miller cook.
“With the light conditions today I could target them better,” he said. “I love stalking the giants; that’s my game. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t work. In the Open I was trying to get a bag like this and ended up with 8 pounds. It’s a high-risk, high-reward type fishing.”
Making the long run, Miller is stalking fish, but not doing it solely with his eyes.
“We got fish deep and shallow,” he said. “I’m learning with the LiveScope how to chase them the way I chase them shallow. I’m learning now, and that’s changed things quite a bit. When I’m deep, I’m more in that 15 to 20 range. There’s a lot of fish in that range that I didn’t realize.”
TOP 10 BELOW
