Ron Nelson Wins 2017 Costa FLW Series Northern on Lake Champlain Day!

Chris Johnston 4th & Neil Farlow 7th.

By Jody White

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Weighing 18 pounds, 9 ounces on the final day, Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Mich., totaled up 54-9 for the win in the Costa FLW Series event presented by Power-Pole on Lake Champlain. The win is Nelson’s second at the FLW Series level, and he triumphed over a Northern Division record field of 195 boats.

Nelson mixes largemouth with smallies for win.
(Photo: FLW)

Smallmouths dominated the leaderboard throughout the event, but on the final day four of the 10 remaining pros attempted to gun for the win with some green fish. Nelson, who weighed some largemouths each day of the event, was the most successful, and in perfect position as the smallmouth sight-fishermen tapped their last reserves.

Fishing entirely north of Plattsburgh, Nelson caught spawning smallmouths, like everyone else, and also mixed in some spawning and postspawn largemouths.

“I ran the lake looking for opportunities. When you’re sight-fishing you have to keep running new water,” says Nelson. “I’m usually pretty good about making decisions on when to stay and when to go. It was kind of gutsy today, and I guess every day, to break the norm and not catch all smallmouth. I was blessed to get one of those anchor fish each day, and two today.”