PSC Boats Crack Top-10 at NCBA Chateaugay Lake
Merrill, NY ~ On Sunday, September 21st the Paul Smith's College bass fishing team competed on Chateaugay Lake in the final regular season event of the North Country Bass Anglers (NCBA) schedule. With limited lake experience and a short practice the Bobcats took to the water ready to beat the odds.
Overnight temperatures in the 30s caused a foggy morning that ultimately resulted in a two-hour fog delay - a precaution that ensured conditions were safe for high-speed boat travel at the start of the event. Instead of a 7am start, 24 teams took off at 9am to battle it out across both Upper and Lower Chateaugay Lakes.
Cold front conditions and crowded premium fishing areas proved to be the greatest challenges of the event. Fishing slow and locking down on key pieces of structure proved to be the most effective strategy for the Bobcat boats.
Landon Frasier (Northville, NY) and Hunter Boudreau (Beverly, MA) came in 17th place, followed by Kirk Smith (Henderson, NY) and Mike Liskowacki (Milton, VT) in 13th, Mitch Wallace (Grantham, NH) and Collin Trapiss (Macedon, NY) in 12th, Clayton LeBlanc (Brunswick, NY) and Jessica Hickey (Tewksbury, MA) in tenth, and head coach Brett Wimsatt and Elijah Gonzalez (Tupper Lake, NY) in fifth. Weights were extremely tight in this event, with only 0.41lb separated 1st and 5th.
The Bobcats will next be fishing in the NCBA championship weekened October 4th and 5th. This is a two-day tournament where the weights of both days are combined together for a final champion on Day Two. Day One, Saturday, will be held on the Saranac Lake Chain of Lakes launching out of Lake Flower in Saranac Lake. Day Two, Sunday, will be on Lake Champlain launching out of the Chazy River launch on the northwest end of the lake.
You can follow the bass team on Instagram at @pscbass or check out the general athletics account at @smitty_nation for scores, schedules, highlights, photos, and much more!
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At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. As the only four-year institution of higher education located in the Adirondack Park in upstate New York, Paul Smith's provides real-world, hands-on learning in fields such as business and hospitality, culinary management, forestry, environmental sciences, and natural resources. We can draw on industries and resources available in our backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. Our community of resourceful, enterprising, supportive, and adventurous individuals collectively provides experiential education, student support in the classroom and beyond, and meaningful opportunities for our alumni. We pride ourselves on research and advocacy on issues that improve our planet and the lives of the people who inhabit it. Learn more at www.paulsmiths.edu.