Lake Champlain Open

Dave Writes...

I had to go to Champlain this time around without the family, so since I'd already reserved a cabin at Marine Village (in Plattsburgh) I invited Tom and Gwen Rizzo to stay with me. Tom has practiced with me all season during the FLW Tour Opens and Bass Opens, so it was convenient staying together at this event. It was also a great bonus to have his wife along for the trip, Chef Gwen kept us extremely well fed throughout the week.

I took the Suburban and left Anne with the Dually for the week, she complained a little but she can't fool me...she loves driving the big HD around home, lol. I packed more stuff into the Suburban than I thought was possible, I took out the back seats and filled it to the top with tackle. I can never go light to Champlain because its so big and there are so many ways to fish there. It seems I never do the same thing twice there, but once I get dialed into something I could actually take a single zip-lock bag in the boat and be happy. But I still need everything I own just in case, lol.

I finished 19th in the end, a good finish, but you know me, I was disappointed. I was on some very large smallmouth up north, but a severe cold front killed it. I caught the fire out of them the first day, but that was it. I caught enought to make the top 20 cut on day three, but needed another big bag to make the top 10 cut on Sunday. I now sit in 5th place in the FLW Tour Open AOY Standings with only one event remaining. The top 5 in the standings qualify for next years Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Lanier, GA, so I'll need a top 30 or so at Guntersville, AL in a couple weeks to secure that 2012 Cup birth.

Hopefully I'll have a good report after Guntersville!

Anne Writes... 


We are so sad not to on the road with Dave at Lake Champlain. We had to stay home this time around because my Mom broke her leg. The kids are missing him alot. He has another tournament right after Champlain, so this will be the longest he has been away from Mitchell and Macy since they were born.

We are riding around in the big Dually while Daddy has the Suburban. It is fun driving the diesel, I really like it, and the kids love it because it's so high. It has a sunroof and the DVD player just like the Suburban and the cab area is so big.

We've been really busy with the sale of our house and traveling back and forth to Meadville, where my Mom is in rehab. Not really that much exciting going on. Can't wait to see Daddy and hopefully we'll be able to go with him to the last tournament of the year on Guntersville next month.

I'll talk to you later,

Anne