When Elite Kayak Fishing announced the 2024 schedule, one event stood above the rest. That was the famed St. Lawrence River. This 100 mile stretch from Lake Ontario to the Canadian Border routinely ranks No. 1 on the Bassmaster list of the Top 100 Lakes for Tournaments. Single day events can take upwards of 28-lbs to win, and over four days, the winners are now topping 100-lbs regularly. I have fished up north here before, but I have only experienced the deep smallmouth out on Lake Ontario in the Henderson and Chaumont Bay areas. This is where the bulk of the major tournaments are won. The 2024 EKF event however was going to take place out of Massena, about 95-miles east of where all my experience is. To add more twists, this event was going to coincide with the Bassmaster Elites who were launching just up the road in Waddington.
In the weeks leading up to the event, I poured over maps of the area. The boundaries for the tournament were quite vast. The Canadian border to the east, Ogdensburg to the west, plus long stretches of the Grasse and Raquette rivers. Given that the Elites would be on the river, I decided that I should avoid those waters. The last thing I wanted was to roll into an area and end up ruining some professionals shot at a check. That left me with either on the main river below the damn, or on one of the smaller rivers.
I finally made the decision that I would work on my skinny water fishing skills and would tackle either the Raquette or Grasse. After looking over sections of the river river I would be able to access with my kayak, the Grasse was my spot. Two weeks before the event I loaded up my gear and made a day trip up to scout and learn all I could about how that river sets up, and the water I would potentially be fishing.
I spent a full 8 hours fishing out of Madrid upstream of the damn. I ran over 3 miles upriver against a strong current until I hit some rapids that I could not get past. I learned a lot that day. The most important was that while that entire stretch was filled with duck weed, cheese, pads, and eelgrass, there are not any largemouth in that part of the river. But there are pike. Lots and lots of pike. There are also walleye, as I landed one that exceeded my 26” Ketch board and was just shy of 7-lb on my scales. Luckily for her, she’s quite a bit bigger than what I normally like to keep.
I also caught a bunch of smallmouth. Nothing big, mostly 10-14”. I was finding them shallow in the current seams and it was a lot of fun fighting those strong river smallies. One thing was clear by the time I got back to the ramp, this was not a location that would produce a winning bag when the St. Lawrence River was in play.
Over the next two weeks, I continued to study the maps and watch the weather. I had no clue what I wanted to do for the event. Should I swing for the fences and hit the main river for deep smallmouth? Do I find some bays and island areas full of grass and target largemouth? Do I go back to the same spot I scouted and try to learn more about it?
Ultimately, I made the decision to stay on the Grasse, but fishing a section further down river closer to Massena, my hotel, and the awards. I want to say this was a tough decision to make, but honestly, it was pretty easy. The main river would be busy! Barges, pleasure boats, rec anglers, the Elite series anglers, jet skis, and obviously other kayakers would be putting pressure on everything. Even the other section of the Grasse I had fished contained a few ramps and private boat docks so there were other fishing boats and I was buzzed by jet-skis a few times when prefishing. The section of river I chose didn’t have any of that. There was just a hand launch by a bridge, then 2-miles of undeveloped river upstream to a set of rapids. It was perfectly wild, remote, peaceful, quiet, and untapped. I fully expected this section to max out at about 80-inches. Not near enough to cash a check, but there was always the slim chance I could stumble into something good out there.
My predictions turned out to be spot on.
I pulled into the boat ramp about 5:15 in the morning after a quick stop at Stewarts for coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Launch was at 5:30, but since I would be starting to fish almost immediately after launching there was no reason to rush out onto the water as “Lines In” wasn’t until 6. I took my time hauling my gear down the launch area and getting all rigged up. It was about 5:50 by the time I finally pushed off into the current.
At 6:00, I grabbed a topwater walking bait and started throwing it around rocks and overtop any eelgrass I was seeing. I continued this pattern as I worked my way upstream. My 24V Terrova handled the current like a champ. The using the heading control, I was able to set a target path, and just let the motor go knowing regardless of how the current or wind twisted or turned, the motor would keep my going in the same direction paralleling the bank I was on.
After about 30 minutes of throwing the topwater, I wasn’t getting bit so I decided it was time to break out the spinnerbait that had been my weapon of choice when prefishing. It only took a few casts and I got my first bite. A couple casts later, and I hooked a nice smallie. A 15 or 16 incher. I got it all the way up to the kayak when it jumped and threw the hook. It was a blow considering I didn’t have anything on the board yet, but I regrouped and kept going.
I was on fish consistently after that. It started with a bunch of shorts, and while I was worried that was going to be my whole day, I finally put my first keeper in the kayak just after 8:00. A 12.25” squeaker, but I officially didn’t skunk. Less than 10 minutes later and I landed a 16”.
I was starting to see a pattern. The shallow rocks in current were holding the random fish, but it was the deeper holes where I would get multiple bites (albeit being mostly shorts). I started to pay more attention to my Mega Live screen. You would see the shallow rock start to drop off, but then the bottom return would disappear indicating that it was a steep break. That was a crucial realization and I began hunting those holes.
About 25 minutes later and I pulled up on another such hole. I cast the spinnerbait out over the deep and watched a bass scream up and smoke it, but it failed to get the hook. The next cast put a 12.25” in the boat. Two casts later a 15.75” smoked it and I was up to 4 fish.
It was now about 9:00, three hours in, I had only made it about a mile upriver picking my way along. I had caught over a dozen fish, lost multiple more, but I had 4 on the board. The rain was coming and going, but I was loving every second of it. I knew I wasn’t going to win. If I had more than 75” at the end, it would be lucky, but I didn’t regret my decision in the slightest. The scenery was great, the fish were biting, and I couldn’t ask for more.
Just after 9:30 I filled out my limit with a 13.75” fish. I was sitting in 2nd place, but I knew that would never hold. I decided to switch it up and I tossed a ned rig down into the hole I just pulled the 13.75” from. My first cull came just a couple casts in with the ned. My big fish of the day, a 16.75” which represented a 4.5” cull. I sat in that spot for an extra little bit and switched back and forth between the ned and the spinnerbait.
My second cast after going back to the spinnerbait was on the outside edge of the hole away from the bank when my spinnerbait was CRUSHED. I pulled into it, and when it dug deep and into the current, followed by a couple big sweeping head shakes I knew it was not a bass. My suspicions were confirmed when I got eyes on a 22” walleye. I scooped it into the net. This was a bonus, and meant regardless of how the tourney went, I was coming home with dinner. I bled it out, pulled my lunch from the cooler, and in went the walleye. I was actually starting to think maybe something crazy couple happen. I just needed to stumble into a deep hole holding a 20” bass and everything would change.
That wouldn’t happen however. I culled my other 12.25” with a 14.50” at 10:10, then at 10:35 I culled my 13.75” with a 14.75”. My final cull came just before 11:00 with a 15.25” culling out the 14.5”. I caught a bunch of fish the rest of the day, but nothing over 14”. Late in the day I had a fish smoke the spinnerbait, but when I pulled into it, the line went slack. I immediately thought that a pike had bit me off, but a few seconds later I watched a 16”ish smallmouth jump with my spinnerbait hanging from it’s mouth. That would have been a cull, but ultimately wouldn’t have mattered much in the standings.
When the day ended, I finished with 78.50” my biggest only going 16.75” and my smallest coming in at 14.75”. It was good enough for 6th place, just 0.25” from 5th but 4.75” away from a check. Still, to me the day was a success. Rivers have never been a strength of mine. To spend a day on skinny water. catching fish consistently, occasionally calling my shot on a rock or deep hole, was a win. The walleye was eaten for dinner on Monday (well half of it) and was delicious. It has me looking forward to the next EKF event on the Kennebec River. Maybe this time, I might prioritize finding the bigs over enjoying my day. On the other hand, maybe I wont and I’ll just appreciate another fun day on the water.
A Sweet Fishing Life 