PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (June 27, 2019) – Pro Tyler Stewart of West Monroe, Louisiana, caught a five-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 3 ounces to sit atop the leaderboard after day one of the FLW Tour at Lake Champlain. Tied for second place with 20-7 are pros John Voyles of Petersburg, Indiana, and Tom Redington of Royse City, Texas. The full field of 163 anglers, who are casting for a top award of up to $125,000, will continue competition Friday on day two, with just the top 30 fishing Saturday and the final 10 competing Sunday.
“On the first day of practice, I spent the whole day [focusing] on largemouth. On day two, I tried smallmouth, but just really couldn’t anything going,” said Stewart, a second-year FLW Tour pro. “On the third day of practice I focused on largemouth again and got a little something going, and that’s kind of what I ran with today.
“It started happening pretty quick [this morning]. I caught my weight by like 10:30 [a.m.],” continued Stewart. “I had a 2-pounder in my livewell, and at 11, I caught a 4-pounder that culled, then I left. I’m keeping a flipping stick in my hand all day. I only have a couple of small areas and that’s basically what I’m doing – flipping them up in pretty shallow water.”
Stewart said he caught around 10 keepers throughout his day. He did weigh one smallmouth, a fish he caught after leaving his primary areas.
“I ended up making a quarter-pound cull, which could be pretty crucial,” said Stewart.
The top 10 boaters after day one on Lake Champlain are:
1st: Tyler Stewart, West Monroe, La., five bass, 22-3
2nd: John Voyles, Petersburg, Ind., 20-7
2nd: Tom Redington, Royse City, Texas, five bass, 20-7
4th: Casey Scanlon, Lake Ozark, Mo., five bass, 20-0
5th: Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., five bass, 19-15
6th: Hensley Powell, Whitwell, Tenn., five bass, 19-14
7th: Daryl Biron, South Windsor, Conn., five bass, 19-12
8th: Jeff Dobson, Bartlesville, Okla., five bass, 19-9
9th: Tommy Dickerson, Orange, Texas, five bass, 19-8
10th: Kurt Dove, Del Rio, Texas, five bass, 19-5
Ryan Salzman of Huntsville, Alabama, earned Thursday’s $500 Big Bass award after bringing a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass to the scale – the largest fish of the day.
Overall there were 804 bass weighing 2,494 pounds, 3 ounces, caught by 163 pros Thursday. The catch included 157 five-bass limits.