Campbell takes over lead at Stren Series on Detroit River

Co-angler Hensley stumbles, lands in top spot

TRENTON, Mich. – The top trio remained just that, but theirs was a juggled order for day two of the Stren Series event on the Detroit River. First-day pro leader Joe Balog slipped to third place, while A.C. Campbell and Chip Harrison – second and third on day one – improved to first and second, respectively.

Day two’s forecast of windy conditions never arose. Instead, anglers fished under mostly sunny skies Thursday with moderate breezes and calm water. Hailing from Mineral Springs, Pa., Campbell returned to Lake St. Clair and again targeted drop-offs and bottom undulations in areas of 7 to 9 feet and 12 to 14 feet of water. His pattern yielded 19 pounds, 2 ounces for a two-day total of 40-4.

“The key is to find the weeds with rocks,” Campbell explained. “Right now, there’s baitfish over that rocky bottom, and the weeds just add another element of structure.

“When you see balls of baitfish on your bottom machine, you know there’s smallmouth around there. It’s a three-step process – rock, vegetation and baitfish. If you see that, you know to slow down and work the area.”

Campbell fished green-pumpkin and watermelon-green tubes, along with drop-shot rigs fitted with Berkley Gulp Gobies. Noting a tougher bite on day two, he also incorporated finesse tactics by downsizing his drop-shot bait to a 4-inch worm.

Campbell said he intends to resume the same patterns in the same areas on day three. Boat traffic and competition for spots will likely increase, but the top pro said he’ll try to get the job done quickly – if he can’t convince his fellow anglers to fish elsewhere.

“I’m trying to bribe a couple of guys not to go (to my area) tomorrow,” Campbell joked. “I’m planning on going back to the same starting hole and trying to pull a good stringer early. So far – luckily – most of my quality fish are coming early, so I’ve only had to upgrade a couple of times.”

Harrison climbs to second

Harrison improved his score to 39 pounds, 10 ounces on day two. Since day one, he has been fishing sandy bottom with moss patches in 8 to 9 feet of water in Lake St. Clair. He described his area as an expansion of what he had found during the Wal-Mart FLW Tour event in July. During practice for the Stren Series, he identified the area that he’s currently fishing.

“I was working a small rock pile, and as I was leaving the area, I noticed those moss patches,” he said. “The area I’m fishing is not usually known for producing fish this time of year. But there’s a lot of baitfish and perch in there, so there’s smallmouth in there.

“The only problem is that there’s nothing particular holding them, so I have to look around for the fish every day. I didn’t have my first keeper fish until 9:30 this morning.”

Using crankbaits and swimbaits, Harrison found the fish less active than he did a day earlier. “I only had eight keeper bites all day, and I caught six of them. It wasn’t like yesterday, when I probably went through 25 keepers.”

Rest of the best

As mentioned earlier, day-one leader Balog fell to third place Thursday with a two-day total of 39 pounds, 5 ounces. Mike Trombly of Perrysburg, Ohio, improved from ninth to fourth with 39 pounds, 3 ounces, while Toledo, Ohio, angler David Hasty rocketed up from 24th to fifth on the strength of his 38-5 total.

Rounding out the top 10 pro leaders at the Stren Series Detroit River event:

6th: Tony DeFilippo of Cedar, Mich., 37-15

7th: David R. Hayward of Sylvania, Ohio, 37-15

8th: Brian Hensley of Edwardsburg, Mich., 37-11

9th: Craig Powers of Rockwood, Tenn., 37-5

10th: Terry Baksay of Easton, Conn., 37-4

Todd Steele of Port Huron, Mich., again took Snickers Big Bass honors with his 6-pound, 2-ounce smallmouth. Steele, who weighed a 5-pound, 9-ounce fish on day one, placed 24th on day two with a total of 34-2.

Sore foot didn’t stop Hensley’s co-angler quest

She was rushing to net her boater’s fish when an awkward step sent Renee Hensley stumbling. The Edwardsburg, Mich., competitor came up with an aching foot, but she persevered and fished her way to the co-angler lead. Using tubes and drop-shot rigs, she boosted her day-one weight of 17 pounds, 11 ounces with 18-12 for a two-day total of 36-7.

Hensley’s injury gave her a noticeable limp, but fortunately, her professional know-how will help keep her in the game. “At first, I thought it was my ankle, but I think it’s something in the top of my foot – maybe torn ligaments. I’m a physical therapist, so I’ll do my own treatment.”

Rest of the best

Robert Case of Point, Texas, moved up from fifth to second with a 35-pound total, while Kane, Pennsylvania’s Doug Caldwell – 40th on day one – climbed to third place with 34-6. Jeffery Cox of Saline, Mich., finished fourth with 33-10, and Paul Mueller of Southbury, Conn., was fifth with 33-2.

Rounding out the top 10 co-angler leaders at the Stren Series Detroit River event:

6th: Melvin McNeal of Circleville, Ohio, 32-12

7th: Kenneth Adams Jr. of Gaines, Mich., 32-10

8th: Dennis Helka of Dearborn, Mich., 32-1

9th: Richard Conrad of Hudson, Wis., 31-7

10th: Matt Greenblatt of Oldsmar, Fla., 31-2

John Shultz of Trucksville, Pa., caught the biggest bass among co-anglers – a 6-pound, 5-ounce smallmouth.

Day three of Stren Series action on the Detroit River continues at Friday’s takeoff, scheduled to take place at 6:30 a.m. EDT at Elizabeth Park Marina, located at 202 Grosse Isle Parkway in Trenton, Mich.