By Luigi De Rose
 |
Gerard Cocks and Jarrod Dean hope to add another
Classic Win to their name.
(Photo: Lures and Tours) |
Rice Lake, Bewdley, Ontario, will be host to the
Top Bass Classic. Seventy-five of the best will fight on September 7 and 8
to claim the Classic crown. This year, Top Bass was the hottest ticket in
town and had larger than average fields. Culling through so many anglers, only
the top will be able to fish for cash and prizes this weekend.
Rice Lake holds historical significance with
so many tournament circuits and anglers. Part of the famed Trent Severn
system, Rice Lake has a bounty of structure and cover appealing to all anglers.
Home to potbellied smallmouth and largemouth, this lake allows anglers to play
to their strengths. September can be fickle. Cool nights mixed with hot,
humid afternoons can be tricky for anglers to juggle.
With heaps of trophies and several Classic wins to
their name, the team of Gerard Cocks and Jarrod Dean make IBASSIN's
list as a potential Classic winners. Currently, they dominated as
Team of the Year with an approximate 37-pound lead but Rice Lake has
not been overly kind to them in 2013. Regardless, this
team knows Rice Lake intimately.
IBASSIN: How has your practice been going?
Cocks: It has been OK. I'm worried about
the cold front that came through on Thursday. We have a lot more
fishing to do before we can make any serious decisions.
Dean: This year we have not done well. No big bags
for us!
IBASSIN: What is your biggest
tournament bag here?
Dean: My best was 24.90lb but that was some time
ago.
IBASSIN: So, will smallmouth or largemouth
be the key?
Dean: Definitely, smallmouth will win this
Classic. Time of year and the lack of weed in large sections of the lake make
it difficult to dominate with largemouth. Gerard is unconvinced that
largemouth will not play a key role in victory. He feels a few key largemouth will
vault them to victory.
IBASSIN: Will the rivers play any part in
producing a winning creel?
Dean: I doubt it. The rivers have not done much
for us in years. The main lake is where we will focus our efforts.
IBASSIN: Winning baits?
Dean: Tube, jerkbait and jigs. The jerkbait
has not been great for me this year but it works. A lot of good bass will come
on it.
 |
Spiro is after two titles this year
AOY & the Classic |
Spiro Agouros, Peterborough, Ontario, is another
heavy hitter. With over 20 years
experience plus several years as a co-angler on the FLW circuit in the States,
Spiro is well groomed. The 2011 Top Bass Angler of the Year will be fishing
with Peter Worosz and hoping to capture another Angler of the Year Title plus the Classic.
IBASSIN: How will the cold front affect the bass?
Agouros: The weather is going to be a big factor.
Water temp was 76 F last weekend and I figure it will fall to about 67 F by
Sunday. This might kill the shallow water largemouth bite. But, it is not cold
enough to group up the smallmouth.
There has been some good largemouth deep if you
can find the correct weed. The guys who are good dunkers (off-shore pitching)
will do well like they always do.
IBASSIN: Smallmouth or largemouth?
Agouros: I think it will be a mixed bag. A few good largemouth
will be caught on Saturday but then taper off by Sunday. Smallmouth should do well and be more
consistent.
IBASSIN: Winning Weight?
Agouros: 38lb or 39lbs. This is lower than past years but the
whole year (weather wise) has been this way. The weather patterns don’t last
more than a few days and the fishing has been up and down. Some one will have a
20lb bag and then follow up with a day 2 catch of 18 or 19lbs.
 |
| The Goo Bug from Trigger-X should be Spiro's ace. |
IBASSIN: Will the rivers play a role?
Agouros: Yeah, the rivers will be good. I find
there are more smallmouth in the river than usual. It isn’t cold enough for
schools of smallmouth to pack up but there are a lot of scattered bass out
there. If the river current is moving, the smallmouth bite should get better.
One thing I noticed this year is that the largemouth size is smaller than past
years. Not as many big largemouth in the river this year or even last year as in
the past.
IBASSIN: 3 Top Lures
Agouros: The three best should be:
Jerkbaits
Flipping Jig
Texas Rig soft plastic like a Trigger X Goo Bug.
There you have it from three-esteemed anglers who
know Rice Lake well enough to be hoisting the Classic Crown over their heads Sunday
afternoon.
Come back for daily reports and the Classic
Champion interview.
