Gluszek in the groove

Despite adverse weather, New Jersey pro can do no wrong on Champlain

PLATTSBURG, N.Y. – There are reasons why the best bass pros in the world are the best bass pros in the world, and one of those reasons is their ability to catch bass in the worst of conditions.

Looking across the wind-whipped rollers of Lake Champlain today, one could only wonder how these anglers navigate such water, much less catch a bass.

Despite the raw conditions of rain, wind and white-capped rollers, all the pros and co-anglers not only made it back in safely on day three of the FLW Series event, but many of them hauled in nice limits of bass to boot.

It’s been said that the worse the weather gets on Lake Champlain, the better the fish bite. Well, today was proof of that.

Plenty of solid limits rolled across the stage on day three. In fact, two 20-pound plus stringers belonging to Chevy pro Luke Clausen and Boyd Duckett from Demopolis, Ala., allowed those two pros to sneak into the top 10 in 9th and 10th, respectively.

BP pro Jim Moynagh and Kellogg’s pro Jim Tutt both sacked 19 plus pounds to put pressure on the leader.

And speaking of the leader, Pete Gluszek of Mt. Laurel, N.J., proved that he is unflappable on Lake Champlain. Indeed, Gluszek is in the groove.

No matter what weather conditions come his way, Gluszek adapts hourly and keeps catching fish. When his best water got trashed by wind today, he went to new water and caught the biggest bass in the Pro Division – a 6-pound, 13-ounce largemouth – to anchor a 16-pound, 15-ounce limit, which kept him in the lead with a three-day total of 56 pounds, 10 ounces.

“That’s the cool thing about this lake,” Gluszek said. “There are so many fish here that there are usually five or six patterns going on at any time. Knowing that gives me the confidence to start over at any given minute and find a new pattern. And that’s what I’ve done each day of the tournament.”

On the first two calmer days, Gluszek focused on wood and rock cover for largemouths. Yesterday, when fishing pressure on the wood had taken its toll, Gluszek starting flipping milfoil and bagged over 18 pounds.

Today, his best milfoil beds were obliterated by the wind, so he picked up a crankbait and started running and gunning calmer areas that featured rock and grass and once again caught four largemouths and one smallmouth to defend his lead.

“I love fall fishing because the fish are focused on one thing: eating,” Gluszek said. “There’s not a spawn going on to distract them or anything like that. They just want to eat, and that’s what they are doing here now, especially with weather like this.”

As for the final day, Gluszek said he feels great about his chances of going wire-to-wire for the win.

“I’m fishing really well right now and it feels good,” Gluszek added. “It just seems like when one door closes another one opens – that’s the best way to describe my week so far. I just hope those doors keep opening tomorrow.”

Moynagh second

Despite Gluszek’s fantastic fishing, Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minn., is applying the pressure from the second place spot with a three-day total of 55 pounds, 7 ounces.

Moynagh’s catch of 19 pounds, 7 ounces today kept him in Gluszek’s rear view mirror by just over a pound.

Moynagh struggled with indecision this morning (see day three morning story) but eventually decided to go to his largemouth area despite the wind.

“It took me about an hour to get there,” Moynagh said. “But I caught three decent largemouths off the spot, so it was worth it.”

From there, Moynagh went to another largemouth spot and finished his limit.

“Now I’m back to not knowing what to do tomorrow,” he said. “I just don’t know how many quality fish are still down there in my best largemouth water.”

Powroznik third

Jacob Powroznik of Prince George, Va., is in third place with a three-day total of 54 pounds, 13 ounces.

Powroznik is the highest on the leader board who is targeting all smallmouths. Today, he weighed in a limit of brown fish for 18 pounds, 7 ounces.

His main best area is a long vein of rock that divides a grass bed.

“The actual rock line running through the grass is only about 2 feet wide so drifting down it with a Carolina rig is the best way to fish it to keep the lure in the strike zone,” he said.

Also, Powroznik revealed that he is using a little bit different bait on his rig.

“In practice I was using a little 3-inch craw, but every fish I caught was spitting up giant perch,” he explained. “So I put an 8-inch lizard on my Carolina rig and that’s what I’ve caught most of my fish on. I don’t get many bites on that big bait, but when I do it’s a 3 or 4 pounder.”

Tutt fourth

Kellogg’s pro Jim Tutt of Longview, Texas, is also targeting smallmouth with a Carolina rig.

He added 19 pounds, 4 ounces to his total today for a three-day total of 54 pounds, 10 ounces.

Tutt is opting for a Carolina rig over a drop-shot because he feels it allows him to cover more water faster, especially when drifting.

“I’m not targeting specific fish, which is where a drop-shot excels,” he said. “I covering long ridges in 16 to 19 feet of water and the most efficient way to do it is to make long casts with a ¾-ounce Carolina rig.”

“The trick is to get one fish in the school along those ridges to bite,” he explained. “Because once one fish bites, it gets the whole school fired up and then you can catch them one after another for a while – then it’s really awesome.”

Walker fifth

BP pro David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn., is in fifth place with 53 pounds, 12 ounces.

Walker has been mixing it up this week with largemouths and smallmouths.

He’s been getting his day started on a smallmouth spot to get a few quick keepers and then committing to largemouths to finish his limit and cull up.

“That plan did not work so well today,” Walker said. “Mainly because my smallmouth spot didn’t produce and I had to go to my largemouth spot with one little smallie in the well. I wasn’t too optimistic about the situation because I knew that wind was going to be blowing in on my best largemouth area.”

But Walker beat the wind to the largemouth hole.

“I got there just before the wind really starting blowing hard and was able to catch four largemouths and three of them were 4 pounders.”

He then later culled his two smallest fish on a shaky head and a spinnerbait.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top-10 pros in the FLW Series event on Lake Champlain after day three:

6th: Shinichi Fukae of Mineola, Texas, three-day total of 53-10

7th: Takahiro Omori of Emory, Texas, three-day total of 53-7

8th: Chip Harrison of Bremen, Ind., three-day total of 52-7

9th: Luke Clausen of Spokane, Wash., three-day total of 52-0

10th: Boyd Duckett of Demopolis, Ala., three-day total of 51-5

The fourth and final day of the FLW Series on Lake Champlain will begin Saturday at 6:30 a.m. at Dock Street Landing located at 5 Dock St., in Plattsburgh.