BU Emcee Bill Decoteau gives a sneak peak of the upcoming St. Lawrence River Elite Series!
Having an inside connection with Don Messier “FISHCAP” Ambassador for the St. Lawrence River. I arranged for a sneak preview of the St. Lawrence’s fishery framed with an actual on-the-water fishing experience! (www.FishCap.com)
It wasn’t long before I received a phone call from Mohawk Trails Guide Service owner William ‘Will’ Clute. Will had everything in order for my travel arrangements, including my flight times on Cape Air out of Albany, NY to Massena, NY. My instructions were quite simple, bring your cameras, rain gear, zero tackle and don’t forget your muscles!
An early morning pick-up at the Massena Quality Inn (Host Hotel for B.A.S.S.) by Don Messier, allowed Don to update me on the extraordinary efforts being set forth by the Waddington Chamber of Commerce in preparation for the August Elite Series St Lawrence River Rumble. I was amassed to all the wonderful events pre-planned for the entire week. Activities set forth for the Elite anglers their families and fans alike should indeed satisfy everyone attending?
As Don and I drove up to the launch area, I recognized our Mohawk Trails Guide Will Clute. But, inquired as to whom the individual was taking all the rods and tackle out of his vehicle. With a bass-eating grin Don replied, “That is Mark Kulik, one of Canada’s top anglers and lure designers.” I was elated to say the least, Mark and I had talked on the phone several times, but I never had the pleasure to meet Mark in person. (www.Xzonelures.com)
Idling out of the launch on the St. Regis River, Captain Clute explained our game plan. “I have invited Mark to join us. Mark is an expert on all the outstanding techniques the Bassmaster Elite Anglers can expect to utilize when pursuing both largemouths and smallmouths within the St. Lawrence region. With that Mark has also volunteered to supply our baits and tackle.”
“There are a variety of techniques that produce very well on the St. Lawrence. And, certainly the Bassmaster Elite Anglers will most likely unveil other outstanding techniques before their departure,” surmised Ambassador Don Messier. “Obviously weather conditions will play a major role as to which presentations will be most desirable. However, considering our forage base, the summer transition activity of our largemouths and smallmouth population, it should be a slug-feast! Anglers will discover productive techniques from top-water explosive surface action, to dragging Carolina Rigs and flipping vegetation for double digit largemouths,” revealed our Mohawk Trails Guide. (www.MohawkTrailsGuideService.com)
Guide Will Clute handed me two pre-rigged rods, one spinning outfit with a drop-shot Slammer, and the other a baitcaster with a Swammer impaled on a 3/8 oz. football head. “Our goal is to target smallmouth bass with the Swammer as a reaction bait and then work the Slammers with finesse presentations,” instructed Canadian pro angler, guide and Xzone Slammer lure designer Mark Kulik.
Seaguar 30 lb. Kanzen braided line was spooled to the spinning reel, while an 8 lb. Seaguar TATSU Fluorocarbon leader worked its way to a Zero Twist Drop-Shot hook, and then continued to a cylinder drop-shot weight. My baitcaster outfit was spooled with 10 lb. Seaguar Invizx Fluorocarbon line.
Making long cast along a tapering hump with scattered wood cover Kulik suggested I simply swim my football rigged Swammer slowly keeping contact with the bottom. Following my newly met mentors advise it wasn’t long before a Bronze-Back Smallmouth thrashed its way to the surface. For the next thirty minutes Mark Kulik and I made back-to-back cast as our Mohawk Trails Guide Service instructor pointed out specific pieces of cover to target. Fish Caps Ambassador Don Messier, worked the deeper outside contour lines from the bow, catching his share of quality smallmouth bass as well!
After traveling to three different areas with rocky bottoms and scattered patches of vegetation, our horizontal swimming Swammer technique seemed to taper off. Guide Clute suggested Mark switch to the drop-shot Slammer rig and work the scatter patches of vegetation with a slow dragging retrieve.
Don Messier continued to cast his foothead rigged Swammer, but alter his presentation by allowing his bait to hit bottom then lifting it upwards sharply and letting it fall back to the bottom. “This is more of a vertical presentation called stroking. Be prepared for some vicious strikes, these smallmouths will literally rip the rod from your hands,” replied Kulik.
As for me I changed to an Xzone Smoke/Purple/Silver Hologram Shiver Shad impaled to a ¼ oz. Scrounger oscillating jig head. According to the local ‘Dock-Talk’, “This set-up has been a well kept secret for awhile?” What’s so wonderful about the Scrounger jig is it’s impossible to fish it wrong. Work it like crankbait or crawl it along the bottom like swimming a jig. Due to it’s inherent design it is extremely weedless! (Available @ Tackle Warehouse
Mark Kulik demonstrated his expertise as he landed several smallmouth bass over five pounds, dragging his bait over the hump and then letting it fall into deeper water. While, Ambassador Messier, landed twelve smallmouth bass on twelve consecutive casts!
Heading to a lily pad invested back cove a variety of vegetation could be seen just under the surface. “This is largemouth country! The water depth varies with the deepest water between eight-ten feet. Both rocks and wood will be found in the open areas of the emergent grass and lily pads,” echoed the words from the helm.
Kulik smiled and handed me one of his Swammer baits. “This is our 5.5 inch Mega Swammer, rig it on your Scrounger head. Remember while swimming it to hit the cover, pause and then pick up your retrieve again......Ah” Kulik switched his drop-shot Slammer to his 4 inch Fat Slammer in a proto-type color. Don Messier re-tied a Mega Swammer rigged weightless working every bit of heavy cover possible waking it on the surface.
Fish Cap’s Don Messier was the first to hook-up as a three-pound category largemouth inhaled his Road Kill colored Mega Swammer. I managed to entice several largemouths on back-to-back casts, each averaging under two-pounds. Pitching his drop-shot rig into openings within the vegetation Mark Kulik once again demonstrated his expertise angling ability. “All I did was shorten my leader length, change my hook and Texas rig my Slammer!”
Unlike many soft plastic drop-shot baits or swimbaits that rip or tear-off easily Xzone’s molded plastic baits were pliable and extremely durable. Xzone’s Slammer has a series of lined ribs length-wise these in turn allow the Slammer a natural flowing motion with minimal movement.
Reminding me his Xzone Slammer was specifically designed for drop-shot presentations, Mark Kulik explained the drop-shot technique paired with his Slammers. “A slight twitching action with your rod tip on slack to semi-slack line is more than adequate to impart natural forage activity. The flat side of the Slammer, will allow the Slammer to glide as you lower the rod tip, while lifting the rod tip up simulates a hopping-gliding crayfish action.”
Lying on the bottom incorporating a dead-sticking technique Kulik’s Xzone Slammer design imitates perfectly the natural activities of a bottom dwelling goby. “Gobies have fat heads with tapering slender bodies. The Slammer mirrors the goby silhouette, while the rib sections impart life-like undulating movements, bass find irresistible,” states the Canadian lure designer.
Speaking of gobies, Mark Kulik took his tournament winning Slammer design one step further by adding a swimming tail and bulking up the Slammers profile. “I named my new swimming Slammer the Swammer,” chuckles Kulik. With a wide tail distributing pulsating vibrations, the Xzone Swammer was an immediate success. Available in two sizes 3.25, 4.0 and 5.5 inches, both the Slammer and Swammer color selection meets every anglers needs.
At the end of the day Guide Will Clute informed us together Kulik, Messier and I caught over one hundred-twenty bass ranging from two to five pounds. Kulik claimed the Hog of the day, while I managed the “DOD”....Dink-of-the-Day!
A Special Thank-You to William Clute Professional Guide and owner of Mohawk Trails Guide Service, Mark Kulik of Xzone Lures and of course Don Messier Ambassador for The Fish Cap of the World!
God Bless and Best Bass’n
Bill "Hawkeye" Decoteau
Side Note: all of the products mentioned within this article may be purchased by clicking here!
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