On the last day of July, a group of anglers started congregating at the Chain of Lake’s boat launch during the twilight hours on the morning. Seventeen teams in all that have their sights set on the giant smallmouth that this fishery has to offer. Once the rules meeting was held and chips were drawn, the group of anglers split off east and west from the launch in their hunt for giant smallmouth.

As boats started to congregate back for weigh in, anglers success sounded all over the board; from some having a great day of fishing to others struggling to fill their limit. This fishery can be tough for some but to those who figure it out, they are always rewarded. This tournament was no different and those that dialed in a pattern came in on top. In first place was Team Blomberg with a commanding 12.54 pounds limit, which is the third biggest limit in bandits’ history, and a 1.5-pound lead over second! In second place was the dynamic trio from Minot; Drew Morgan, Ty Gray, and Felipe Ferreira who hauled in a 11.06-pound bag with a 4.56-pound kicker which won them big bass honors for the tournament. And in third place, nipping right at their tails was team Keepers (Mike & Angela Messall) with a 10.69-pound bag, these two have been fishing hard this year and their success keeps improving every tournament!

As the group spilled the beans, most of the leaderboard shared a similar story. Smallmouth were located on deeper weed edges and were not overly aggressive. The use of technology like live scope were shared to play a role in locating fish and finding a presentation that would get them to bite. Our next tournament is August 28th on Lake Audubon at the Cabin Sites ramp, we hope to see you all there!