Canadians Cory Johnston 18th, Chris Johnston 26th, Gallant 56th & Gustafson 70th
Cody Huff of Ava, Mo., is leading after Day 1 of the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain with 23 pounds, 3 ounces. (Photo Seigo Saito/BASS)
BASS PRESS RELEASE
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — Cody Huff knew he had options, but the second-year pro from Ava, Mo., stuck with his strength and sacked up 23 pounds, 3 ounces to lead Day 1 of the Dakota Lithium Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain.
Anchoring his bag with a 5-pound smallmouth, Huff leveraged his renowned forward-facing sonar skills to hunt down sizable bass in Champlain’s Inland Sea region.
“I would rather go out and use my electronics and spend my whole day throwing at fish, instead of just running the bank and casting,” Huff said. “I had an awesome day, but I didn’t expect that. I knew I was on some good ones, but whenever I got around, they got to biting.
“It’s kinda crazy here because there are so many fish, you don’t know if you’re going to catch a 3-pounder or a 5-pounder. They’re just all mixed together, but it’s a heck of a lot of fun.”
Huff said he worked an area of approximately one square mile with depths of 20 to 50 feet. The key, he said, was covering water and continuously hunting fish that were following bait schools.
“They’re really just moving a lot. They’re never on a waypoint,” Huff said. “They’re in an area swimming.”
Huff said his action started early and he was able to put himself in a good position within an hour of takeoff.
“I had 20 pounds by 8 o’clock and then I just picked off a few big ones throughout the day,” he said. “I caught a lot of bass and had a lot of fun.
