Late-Day Bonus Helps Hartman Take Lead At Bassmaster Elite On Lake Champlain

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July 30, 2020

Late-Day Bonus Helps Hartman Take Lead At Bassmaster Elite On Lake Champlain

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PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — An afternoon decision paid off big for Jamie Hartman of Russellville, Ark., who nabbed a day-ending bonus that helped him claim the Day 1 lead of the Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain with 22 pounds, 1 ounce.

At the day’s conclusion, Hartman’s name appeared next to three of the Top 10 Big Bass — a 5-pounder, a 4-14 and a 4-4. He also added a 4-0 just 10 minutes before the weigh-ins opened at 3 p.m.

“I upgraded in the last few minutes on the way in; I was pretty much done and I just hit something on the way in, made three casts and caught a 4-pound smallmouth,” said Hartman, a native New Yorker. “That spot was just a steep drop with some grass on top of it.

“I’ve fished it in the past and I’ve never caught a big fish off of it, but I’ve caught some decent fish. I was basically scouting for tomorrow, so after catching a 4-pound smallmouth, I think they’re there.”

Hartman’s late-day bonus spot exemplified the type of habitat he eventually settled into. Finishing his day with a mixed bag of three smallmouth and two largemouth, Hartman actually got off to a slow start but eventually turned his day around by adjusting his location.

“I went up north and the water was so calm that it was tough for me to get bit at all,” he said. “I ground it out for a while, got a couple of bites and made one move. When I finally made the move to go fish what I wanted to fish, it all came together. I bounced around to several different spots within the same area, making decisions on what to fish.”

Hartman generally described his area as a mix of rock and grassbeds in 12 to 15 feet. The key, he said, was targeting the right type of grass, specifically taller patches of milfoil.

“I was watching my electronics and making sure I was around patches of grass,” he said. “I was making sure I was in the high enough grass.”

Hartman caught his bass on a mix of soft-plastic presentations. Although he tried to get the fish interested in reaction baits early, a Carolina rig proved most productive.

“I tried to catch them on a swimbait like I did in practice. But there was no wind, so they wouldn’t eat it,” he said.

With the grassy shallows of the Ticonderoga area at Champlain’s lower end presenting the tempting potential for big largemouth, Hartman admitted he considered making the 70-mile run.

“When I had a slow start, I thought I had made the wrong decision by not running to Ti, but I slowly started to put it together,” he said. “I just kept reminding myself: pick off one at a time. They’re good ones, so we’ll keep going.”

Buddy Gross of Chickamauga, Ga., is in second place with 21-2. Noting that Champlain’s smallmouth have often confounded him in the past, Gross mainly focused on largemouth Thursday. But with the lake about 4 feet below normal, he caught them in places where he has targeted smallmouth.

“I had spent a lot of time looking for structure for smallmouth, but the largemouth took over some of my spots and it’s really helping a lot,” Gross said. “As low as the water is, it’s pulling the largemouth out to the first places on the drops, and it’s making them a little easier for me to find them.”

Fishing the lake’s north end, Gross caught his fish on a prototype bullethead jig from Nichols Lures with a Zoom Chunk trailer and a Z-Man Jack Hammer ChatterBait with a Zoom Z-Craw trailer. The latter, he said, proved most strategic in finding his bites.

“I used moving baits to cover a lot of water,” he said. “I haven’t been getting a ton of bites, but when I do, it has been quality. So, I’m having to run a whole lot of water.”

Micah Frazier of Newnan, Ga., is in third place with 20-8. Targeting solely smallmouth, he committed to the lake’s north end where he targeted offshore humps, shoals and boulders in 15 to 40 feet.

“I caught my fish on a drop shot with a Yum Warning Shot and a 3/8-ounce weight,” Frazier said. “I had a midmorning flurry, and then I caught a couple of bigger ones later once the sun came out.”

Bryan Schmitt of Deale, Md., is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-2 largemouth.

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. CT at Plattsburgh City Marina. The weigh-in will be held back at the marina at 3 p.m.

Live coverage of the event will be available starting at 8 a.m. on Bassmaster LIVE at Bassmaster.com with simulcasts on ESPN2 and ESPN3. Check local listings for ESPN2 times.

The tournament is being hosted by the Adirondack Coast Visitors Bureau, City of Plattsburgh and Clinton County.

2020 Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain 7/30-8/2
Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh  NY.
(PROFESSIONAL) Standings Day 1
 Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Jamie Hartman          Newport, NY              5  22-01  100
Day 1: 5   22-01
2.  Buddy Gross            Chickamauga, GA          5  21-02   99
Day 1: 5   21-02
3.  Micah Frazier          Newnan, GA               5  20-08   98
Day 1: 5   20-08
4.  Seth Feider            New Market, MN           5  20-01   97
Day 1: 5   20-01
5.  Brock Mosley           Collinsville, MS         5  19-13   96
Day 1: 5   19-13
5.  David Mullins          Mt Carmel, TN            5  19-13   96
Day 1: 5   19-13
7.  Stetson Blaylock       Benton, AR               5  19-12   94
Day 1: 5   19-12
8.  Brandon Palaniuk       Rathdrum, ID             5  19-12   93
Day 1: 5   19-12
9.  Chris Johnston         Peterborough Ontario CA  5  19-06   92
Day 1: 5   19-06
9.  Paul Mueller           Naugatuck, CT            5  19-06   92
Day 1: 5   19-06
9.  Bryan Schmitt          Deale, MD                5  19-06   92   $1,000.00
Day 1: 5   19-06
12. Ed Loughran III        Richmond, VA             5  19-04   89
Day 1: 5   19-04
13. Scott Canterbury       Odenville, AL            5  19-03   88
Day 1: 5   19-03
14. Todd Auten             Lake Wylie, SC           5  18-12   87
Day 1: 5   18-12
15. Wes Logan              Springville, AL          5  18-10   86
Day 1: 5   18-10
16. Luke Palmer            Coalgate, OK             5  18-09   85
Day 1: 5   18-09
17. Taku Ito               Chiba JAPAN              5  18-08   84
Day 1: 5   18-08
17. Tyler Rivet            Raceland, LA             5  18-08   84
Day 1: 5   18-08
19. Kyle Monti             Okeechobee, FL           5  18-07   82
Day 1: 5   18-07
20. Rob Digh               Denver, NC               5  18-06   81
Day 1: 5   18-06
21. Gary Clouse            Winchester, TN           5  18-05   80
Day 1: 5   18-05
21. Ray Hanselman Jr       Del Rio, TX              5  18-05   80
Day 1: 5   18-05
23. Rick Morris            Lake Gaston, VA          5  18-04   78
Day 1: 5   18-04
23. Jason Williamson       Wagener, SC              5  18-04   78
Day 1: 5   18-04
25. Chad Pipkens           Dewitt, MI               5  18-03   76
Day 1: 5   18-03
26. Koby Kreiger           Alva, FL                 5  18-01   75
Day 1: 5   18-01
27. Matt Arey              Shelby, NC               5  18-00   74
Day 1: 5   18-00
27. Brandon Cobb           Greenwood, SC            5  18-00   74
Day 1: 5   18-00
27. Bernie Schultz         Gainesville, FL          5  18-00   74
Day 1: 5   18-00
30. Shane Lineberger       Lincolnton, NC           5  17-12   71
Day 1: 5   17-12
31. Brandon Lester         Fayetteville, TN         5  17-10   70
Day 1: 5   17-10
32. Matt Herren            Ashville, AL             5  17-09   69
Day 1: 5   17-09
33. Garrett Paquette       Canton, MI               5  17-07   68
Day 1: 5   17-07
34. Kyle Welcher           Opelika, AL              5  17-05   67
Day 1: 5   17-05
35. Brett Preuett          Monroe, LA               5  17-04   66
Day 1: 5   17-04
36. Jeff Gustafson         Keewatin Ontario CANADA  5  17-03   65
Day 1: 5   17-03
36. Harvey Horne           Bella Vista, AR          5  17-03   65
Day 1: 5   17-03
36. Carl Jocumsen          Queensland TN AUSTRALIA  5  17-03   65
Day 1: 5   17-03
36. Cory Johnston          Cavan CANADA             5  17-03   65
Day 1: 5   17-03
40. Clifford Pirch         Payson, AZ               5  17-02   61
Day 1: 5   17-02
41. Chad Morgenthaler      Reeds Spring, MO         5  17-01   60
Day 1: 5   17-01
42. Hunter Shryock         Newcomerstown, OH        5  17-00   59
Day 1: 5   17-00
43. Greg DiPalma           Millville, NJ            5  16-15   58
Day 1: 5   16-15
44. Skylar Hamilton        Dandridge, TN            5  16-13   57
Day 1: 5   16-13
45. Drew Cook              Midway, FL               5  16-12   56
Day 1: 5   16-12
46. Derek Hudnall          Denham Springs, LA       5  16-11   55
Day 1: 5   16-11
47. David Fritts           Lexington, NC            5  16-10   54
Day 1: 5   16-10
48. Chris Zaldain          Fort Worth, TX           5  16-09   53
Day 1: 5   16-09
49. Steve Kennedy          Auburn, AL               5  16-08   52
Day 1: 5   16-08
50. Gerald Swindle         Guntersville, AL         5  16-07   51
Day 1: 5   16-07
51. Caleb Kuphall          Mukwonago, WI            5  16-06   50
Day 1: 5   16-06
52. Hank Cherry Jr         Lincolnton, NC           5  16-05   49
Day 1: 5   16-05
53. Cody Hollen            Beaverton, OR            5  16-05   48
Day 1: 5   16-05
54. Randy Pierson          Oakdale, CA              5  16-04   47
Day 1: 5   16-04
55. Keith Combs            Huntington, TX           5  16-03   46
Day 1: 5   16-03
55. Clark Wendlandt        Leander, TX              5  16-03   46
Day 1: 5   16-03
57. Drew Benton            Blakely, GA              5  16-01   44
Day 1: 5   16-01
57. Frank Talley           Temple, TX               5  16-01   44
Day 1: 5   16-01
57. Patrick Walters        Summerville, SC          5  16-01   44
Day 1: 5   16-01
60. Austin Felix           Eden Prairie, MN         5  16-00   41
Day 1: 5   16-00
61. Rick Clunn             Ava, MO                  5  15-14   40
Day 1: 5   15-14
61. Clent Davis            Montevallo, AL           5  15-14   40
Day 1: 5   15-14
63. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              5  15-13   38
Day 1: 5   15-13
64. Destin DeMarion        Grove City, PA           5  15-09   37
Day 1: 5   15-09
65. Shane LeHew            Catawba, NC              5  15-05   36
Day 1: 5   15-05
66. Brandon Card           Salisbury, NC            5  15-04   35
Day 1: 5   15-04
67. John Cox               Debary, FL               5  15-01   34
Day 1: 5   15-01
68. Mike Huff              Corbin, KY               5  15-00   33
Day 1: 5   15-00
68. Caleb Sumrall          New Iberia, LA           5  15-00   33
Day 1: 5   15-00
68. Jay Yelas              Lincoln City, OR         5  15-00   33
Day 1: 5   15-00
71. Randy Sullivan         Breckenridge, TX         5  14-14   30
Day 1: 5   14-14
72. Lee Livesay            Longview, TX             5  14-09   29
Day 1: 5   14-09
73. Dale Hightower         Mannford, OK             5  14-06   28
Day 1: 5   14-06
74. Bill Weidler           Helena, AL               5  14-02   27
Day 1: 5   14-02
75. Bob Downey             Hudson, WI               5  14-00   26
Day 1: 5   14-00
75. Jake Whitaker          Fairview, NC             5  14-00   26
Day 1: 5   14-00
77. Brian Snowden          Reeds Spring, MO         5  13-13   24
Day 1: 5   13-13
78. Jesse Tacoronte        Kissimmee, FL            5  13-10   23
Day 1: 5   13-10
79. Quentin Cappo          Prairieville, LA         5  13-10   22
Day 1: 5   13-10
80. Bill Lowen             Brookville, IN           5  12-15   21
Day 1: 5   12-15
80. Brad Whatley           Bivins, TX               5  12-15   21
Day 1: 5   12-15
82. Chris Groh             Spring Grove, IL         5  12-14   19
Day 1: 5   12-14
83. Tyler Carriere         Youngsville, LA          5  11-11   18
Day 1: 5   11-11
84. John Crews Jr          Salem, VA                5  11-08   17
Day 1: 5   11-08
85. Robbie Latuso          Gonzales, LA             5  10-00   16
Day 1: 5   10-00
———————————————————————–

PHOENIX BOATS BIG BASS
Day
1   Bryan Schmitt            Deale, MD           06-02      $1,000.00

———————————————————————–
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
1        85       425      1425-04
———————————-
85       425      1425-04