Aussie Angler Carl Jocumsen Surprises Everyone with Big Largemouth on Day One at Lake Champlain

The Big News: An Unexpected Winner Emerges

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. — When the 2026 SPRO Bassmaster Elite tournament started at Lake Champlain, most experts expected the smallmouth bass (the "brown ones") to rule the week. They usually do here. But Carl Jocumsen — a pro angler from Toowoomba, Australia — had other plans.

He hauled in a five-fish limit of largemouth bass (the "green ones") weighing 23 pounds, 2 ounces. That puts him 1 pound, 6 ounces ahead of second-place Drew Cook.

"That was pretty fun, but it didn’t come easy," Jocumsen said with a grin. "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, oi, oi, oi!"

Why This Is a Surprise: Know Your Bass

Lake Champlain is famous for having both kinds of bass, but they behave very differently:

For years, smallmouth have won here because the lake is huge and they have endless room to roam. Largemouth are easier to find (they don’t move much), but there are fewer of them.

The Game-Changer: No High-Tech Sonar Allowed

Here’s the twist: This tournament banned "forward-facing sonar" — a fancy fish-finder that lets anglers see fish swimming in real-time, even far away from the boat.

• A coin flip earlier in the year picked 5 events with sonar and 4 without.
• Lake Champlain landed in the "no sonar" group.
• Without sonar, chasing roaming smallmouth gets much harder.
• Jocumsen realized this and switched his plan to target largemouth instead.

Important Point: Jocumsen didn’t come here planning to fish largemouth all week. But when his smallmouth spots didn’t produce, he adapted fast — and it paid off big time.

Jocumsen’s Winning Recipe: The "Ti" Run

Where He Went

• Made a 90-minute run south to Ticonderoga (locals call it "Ti").
• This area has the thickest, best largemouth habitat on the lake — mostly submerged grass (vegetation).
• Only about six other boats fished there. Low pressure = happy fish.

How He Fished

1. Deep for largemouth: Fished 7–8 feet down (deeper than most).
2. Outside edges: Worked the outer edges of grass beds, not the thick middle where everyone else casts.
3. Slow presentations: Used patient, slow-moving baits.
4. Timing: Knew the bite wouldn’t start until later in the morning — so he didn’t panic early.

The Secret Sauce

"There are little nuances, little spots, little areas that just switch on," Jocumsen explained. "There are bite periods too… I have to just put my head down and fish really methodically and just hope it happens again."

His heaviest fish: 5 pounds, 4 ounces — a true trophy.

The Chase Pack: Cook and Zaldain

Drew Cook (2nd Place — 21 lbs, 12 oz)

• Strategy: "Smallmouth first, largemouth later."
• Caught 4 smallmouth on crankbaits and bladed jigs (fast-moving lures).
• Needed 17 lbs of smallmouth before switching to largemouth.
• Found one giant largemouth (5 lbs, 13 oz — Big Bass of the day!) on a wacky-rigged SPRO Wacky Snack in a milfoil bed.
• From Cairo, Georgia. 2019 Rookie of the Year.

Chris Zaldain (3rd Place — 21 lbs, 10 oz)

• Strategy: All largemouth, upper end of the lake.
• Fished near other boats but used a totally different presentation ("somewhat off-the-wall").
• Relies on natural wind current to position fish.
• Believes his pattern can hold up for all four days.
• From Fort Worth, Texas.

The Bigger Picture: Season-Long Races

This tournament isn’t just about this week — it shapes the championship races:

Angler of the Year (AOY) Standings

Rookie of the Year

What’s Next: Day Two Schedule

How to Watch Live

• Friday (Day 2): Bassmaster.com — 8:00 AM ET
• Saturday (Day 3): FS1 — 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM ET, then Bassmaster.com
• Sunday (Championship): FS1 — 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM ET, then Bassmaster.com

Hosts: Discover Plattsburgh & the Adirondack Coast.

Summary: What We Learned Today

• Carl Jocumsen (Australia) leads Day 1 with 23-02 — all largemouth.
• He ran south to Ticonderoga, fished deep grass edges slowly, and avoided the crowds.
• No forward-facing sonar forced anglers to adjust — Jocumsen adapted best.
• Drew Cook sits 2nd with a mixed bag and the biggest bass (5-13).
• Chris Zaldain is 3rd with a unique largemouth pattern he thinks will last.
• Trey McKinney still leads the Angler of the Year race, but Cook is close.
• Day 2 starts Friday at 7 AM — same marina, same stakes.

Bottom line: On a lake where smallmouth usually rule, an Aussie proved the green ones can still win — if you’re willing to run far, fish deep, and think different.

FAQ: Your Questions Answered

What’s the difference between largemouth and smallmouth bass?

Largemouth have bigger mouths (upper jaw extends past the eye), are greener, and love hiding in weeds, wood, and docks. Smallmouth have smaller mouths (jaw stops at the eye), are browner/bronze, and prefer rocky areas and open water where they chase baitfish.

What is "forward-facing sonar" and why does it matter?

It’s a high-tech fish finder that shows live video of fish swimming around your boat — even 100 feet away. It’s a game-changer for finding roaming smallmouth. This tournament banned it, leveling the playing field for old-school skills.

Why did Jocumsen run 90 minutes south to Ticonderoga?

The south end ("Ti") has the thickest grass beds — prime largemouth habitat. Most anglers stayed north near takeoff. Jocumsen bet on less pressure + better habitat = bigger fish. He was right.

What’s a "wacky rig" that Cook used for his big bass?

A wacky rig is a simple setup: a soft plastic stick worm (like the SPRO Wacky Snack) hooked right through the middle. When cast, it flutters down slowly — irresistible to bass hiding in weeds.

Can Jocumsen keep this up for three more days?

He thinks so — but says he must "fish really methodically" and hit the short bite windows. Largemouth don’t move, but they only eat at certain times. Consistency is the challenge.

Article based on official Bassmaster coverage of the 2026 SPRO Bassmaster Elite at Lake Champlain, Day 1.