Pros may not be able to count on the nomadic smallmouth bass they found in practice staying put at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite on massive Lake Champlain, but when you’re in the Northeastern United States, you can always count on great food.
Caleb Sumrall has already secured a great plate of beef tips from 99 Restaurants, and Mark Menendez’s local buddy supplied him some awesome lobster mac and cheese. Now the two consummate pros just have to figure out how to catch bass well above the three-pound mark.
Q: What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing this week?
Sumrall: There’s a ton of fish in this lake, but catching 4-pounders is the big challenge. And that’s the size you’ll need to separate yourself from the pack.
Menendez: I think the biggest challenge is managing your run distance – not getting mentally spun out on whether to make the long run south to Ticonderoga, or for example, Rouses Point way up north.
Q: What do you like most about Champlain?
Sumrall: The simple fact there are so many bass in this lake.
Menendez: I’ll be really honest, I’ve been fishing professionally for 30 years, and this lake and I have never really gotten along well. So, I’m just trying to do well enough this week to persevere my chances of making the 2022 Bassmaster Classic.
Q: What percentage of the fish weighed-in the next four days will be smallmouth versus largemouth?
Sumrall: I’ll say 75% smallmouth, and 25% largemouth.
Menendez: 70% smallmouth, 30% largemouth.
Q: What three lures can fans expect to see the pros throw a lot this week?
Sumrall: Drop shot, Topwater, and a small swimbait.
Menendez: Jerkbait, Dropshot, and a Ned rig.