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Open: St. Lawrence River practice photos

Posted on
Captions by
Shaye Baker
Alabama
The St. Croix Bassmaster Open series visits the St. Lawrence River for stop No. 2 of Division 3. This is the sixth Open in the nine-event Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifier schedule. The anglers have been out practicing the last few days, so we took a look around social media and sent out some texts to put together a gallery for you guys.
Opens pro Destin DeMarion is fine, but his practice got off to a rocky start when he collided with a deer. The damage wasn’t all that bad to the boat trailer…
… but only because the truck took the brunt of the blow.
A frustrating start for DeMarion, but thankfully he’s fine.
A more scenic shot from Brad Leuthner.
Time for the anglers to launch their rigs, as Greg Bohannan cuts his loose.
Bohannan’s travel buddy Bill McDonald with a big one, but a wrong one. Massive drum are regular heartbreakers on the St. Lawrence.
Kyle Patrick tangled with a demoralizing drum as well.
Another of the wrong variety for Bronk McDaniel. He wasn’t sure of the exact species, but it had plenty of teeth.
Matt Henry with a nice one. The St. Lawrence River is full of giant smallmouth, and this is what the Opens anglers are here for.
Henry with another 5-plus smallmouth. Henry is one of the 175 Opens EQ anglers who signed up for all nine Opens in an effort to qualify for the 2024 Elite Series. He sits sixth in the EQ standings after the midway point, right on track.
Three of a kind for Henry. He appears to be figuring the fish out again this week.
Luethner with a nice smallmouth.
Trey McKinney is another angler in pursuit of an Elite Series berth, currently sitting in second in the points race, only five points back of leader John Garrett.
McKinney appears to be dialed in as well.
A nice smallmouth for Clark Reehm.
Patrick finding the right kind as well. There are thousands of 3-pound smallmouth in the St Lawrence, thousands more 4-pounders. A mixed limit of these is worth about 17 pounds. When the Elites were here this time last year, Jake Whittaker was sitting in 83rd place after Day 1 with 17 pounds, 2 ounces, out of 90 boats— unreal.
Joey Nania with a chunk. This place is loaded with giant smallmouth. Jay Przekurat put together better than a 5-pound average here in the Elite last year to amass 102 pounds, 9 ounces, winning the event and setting the all-time heavyweight record for an Elite win with all smallmouth.
Nania with another.
The bass are beautiful and the water is clear here, as illustrated by Joey Nania.
Jack Dice with a nice one too.
Bobby Lane shows the tools he used to put this nice smallmouth in the boat. There will be lots of drop shots tied on lots of spinning reels this week.
Kyle Austin with a stud.
A nice release sequence from Garrett Paquette.
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Blake Smith appears to have had a good practice, but looks can be deceiving. “It’s been a feast or famine practice. I’ve caught them from 6 inches deep on a Yamamoto Senko to 25 feet deep with a drop shot and Ned rig.”
“I’ve used just about everything and rotated in the new 2.5 Yamatanuki on a Ned and a few of the older colored Yamamoto Shad Shape Worms. I feel like these fish have seen about everything, and they’re in a weird summer funk that has me thinking they’re just aiming to hit those deeper water summer spots.”
“The weather has been a huge player in practice and trying to get the drift right with the wind coming out of multiple directions can be right out exhausting. Overall it’s looking like it’s setting up to be a slugfest.” Hugh Cosculluela with a nice one.
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Tom Frink putting the rare kicker largemouth in the boat, in the middle of smallmouth country.
Frink with one of the brown ones too.
Trevor McKinney with a nice largemouth as well.
And proof that McKinney is also on a mixed bag.
We leave you with Miles Burghoff and yet another huge smallmouth. The river is roaring and ready to do. The sixth stop of the 2023 Opens season starts tomorrow. Tune in to Bassmaster.com for all the action.

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