Kennesaw, GA – Bryan Schmitt added another memorable chapter to his long history at Lake Champlain, claiming his third Bassmaster Elite Series victory with a four-day total of 81 pounds, 7 ounces at the SPRO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain. The veteran angler from Deale, Maryland, has enjoyed tremendous success on the sprawling fishery that spans New York and Vermont. After first discovering Lake Champlain nearly a decade ago, Schmitt quickly developed a connection with the lake, one that has now produced multiple major victories.
“I got blessed the first time I went here and luckily caught some big fish, and that just made me fall in love with it,” Schmitt said. “I stumbled into two special spots and I learned right away what to look for. The success happened quick and it made me fall in love.”
Schmitt opened the tournament with 19 pounds, 11 ounces before adding 19-7 on Day 2. A massive 23-8 limit on Semifinal Saturday moved him into second place, setting up a dramatic Championship Sunday. Schmitt brought 18-13 to the scales in the final round to finish one pound ahead of Chris Johnston and earn the $100,000 top prize. Throughout the event, Schmitt adapted to constantly changing conditions and relied on a mix of largemouth and smallmouth patterns. After fishing different areas and depths throughout the week, Schmitt focused on a variety of natural and manmade hard-bottom areas during the final round, including isolated rubble, rock veins, boulders and rock and grass transitions.
One of the key tools in his winning rotation was the SPRO Rock Crawler Crankbait, which helped Schmitt target bass relating to rocky structure and changing conditions. Schmitt paired the Rock Crawler with a SPRO Jason Christie Elite MG Baitcasting Reel and a SPRO McStick 6’10” Medium Heavy rod. “All week, it was different spots every day,” Schmitt said. “Nothing worked the same from day to day. I think these are isolated fish and the spots are not replenishing.”
Schmitt also caught key fish on a drop shot featuring a Missile Baits Magic Worm. For that presentation, he relied on a SPRO Jason Christie Elite MG Spinning Reel paired with a Nories Road Runner Structure NXS 6’10” Medium Light rod. In addition to his crankbait and drop-shot setups, Schmitt caught several important fish during the week on a HIDEUP Coike FULLCAST. He fished the Coike on a SPRO Jason Christie Elite MG Baitcasting Reel paired with a HIDEUP MACCA 7’1″ Heavy rod, giving him the power and control needed for the unique presentation.
Schmitt supplemented those presentations with a Neko-rigged Missile Baits Quiver Worm. His final-day limit included four largemouth and one key smallmouth caught from 2 to 25 feet of water, with the majority of his fish coming from deeper areas. The victory marks Schmitt’s third Bassmaster Elite Series title and further solidifies his remarkable history at Lake Champlain, where he previously earned victories in the 2016 Northern Open and a previous Bassmaster Elite Series event. “It was incredibly special to see Bryan win the SPRO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain, especially with SPRO serving as the title sponsor of the event,” said Syd Rives, SPRO National Sales Manager. “Bryan is one of the best anglers on Lake Champlain, and to watch him put together another incredible performance, including catching key fish on the SPRO Rock Crawler, made the victory even more meaningful for everyone at SPRO. We were proud to be part of such a great event and to see the SPRO name associated with another memorable Elite Series win.”
For SPRO, the win was a fitting conclusion to an exciting week at Lake Champlain. From serving as the title sponsor of the event to seeing one of the brand’s key products and reels play a role in Schmitt’s winning performance, the tournament delivered a memorable finish for SPRO and one of professional bass fishing’s most accomplished anglers.
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