Champions Tour PRO/AM Preview | Transition Time on Gull Lake Sets the Stage for a Wide-Open Battle
The Champions Tour PRO/AM, presented by Vocelka Fishing & Customs and the Reel LiveWell, returns to the Brainerd Lakes Area on Tuesday, June 23rd, where professional and amateur anglers will team up on one of Minnesota's premier bass fisheries: Gull Lake. Known for its crystal-clear water, sprawling shoreline development, an incredibly healthy population of largemouth bass, and a growing population of smallmouth bass, Gull Lake has become one of the state's most diverse tournament fisheries. And this year's event may be one of the most unpredictable yet.
The annual PRO/AM has become a fan favorite on the Champions Tour schedule, giving amateur anglers the opportunity to fish alongside some of the Midwest's best bass anglers while competing in the innovative Catch, Weigh, Release format powered by the Reel LiveWell App. With summer finally arriving in central Minnesota, anglers will be faced with a fishery that is in the midst of a major seasonal transition.
No one understands those transitions better than Champions Tour Pro and Brainerd Lakes Area resident Evan Blakley, who has spent countless days on Gull Lake and its surrounding waters.
"Fish are definitely on the move right now, moving from the shallow spawning patterns to more of their deep summer patterns," said Blakley. "They're in transition."
That transition is creating plenty of intrigue entering tournament day. While Gull Lake is known for producing quality bass throughout its system, Blakley believes competitors will need to keep an open mind and may find some of their best opportunities away from the main basin.
"I do think the small lakes are going to play big," Blakley explained. "They're a little further along and more into the summer pattern. They're more recovered from the spawn, and the fish are setting set up nicely. There's just limited spots and a lot of boats."
The Gull Lake chain offers competitors several options, but each comes with its own set of challenges. According to Blakley, the main lake has yet to fully develop into its typical summer form.
"Mid-main lake is basically a barren wasteland right now in terms of weeds," he said. "Some of the really deep coontail stuff is growing because it never really dies, but other than that, weed growth seems behind normal this year on the main lake."
While vegetation may be sparse on portions of Gull, other areas of the system are thriving.
"The upper lakes have a ton of grass," said Blakley. "Steamboat and Wilson are loaded as well."
That variability could create a fascinating chess match for competitors. Some anglers may choose to target shallow largemouth around vegetation, while others will chase schools of increasingly abundant smallmouth bass.
And according to Blakley, the brown fish continue to make their presence felt.
"Every year there's more smallmouth, and every year they're getting bigger," he said. "This year there appears to be a lot of 3 1/2 to 4 pound smallmouth."
But anglers shouldn't overlook Gull's green fish population either, as it’s won just about every single tournament that’s been had on this venue in it’s history.
"There's a lot of big largemouth now too, and they're starting to really feed up," Blakley added.
With both species in play, versatility could prove to be the deciding factor on Tuesday.
"I would anticipate some pretty good weight," Blakley said. "The weather coming in will be the X-Factor no one can really prepare for. It can be won with green or brown, but I'm thinking a mixed bag is probably going to win it."
If Blakley's prediction holds true, fans could be treated to an exciting finish. For the eight-fish format used in the Champions Tour PRO/AM, he believes the winning total will likely land in the low 30-pound range on the Reel LiveWell App.
"I think 30 pounds is probably the floor," said Blakley. "With the weather coming in, I'd anticipate somewhere around 32 pounds to win it."
That type of weight would require anglers to maximize every opportunity in a fishery filled with quality bass. Gull Lake has changed dramatically over the years, with shoreline development now stretching around much of the lake, but one thing remains constant, it's absolutely full of bass.
The clean water, abundant offshore vegetation, extremely healthy largemouth bass population, and growing smallmouth population have transformed Gull into one of the most exciting tournament lakes in the state. And with conditions changing daily, Tuesday's Champions Tour PRO/AM promises to reward the anglers who can adjust the quickest.
Fans can follow all of the action live throughout the day on the Reel LiveWell App as competitors chase bragging rights, trophies, and a $15,000 payday. If you'd like to attend the awards ceremony, anglers will be arriving back to the docks at Ernie's on Gull Lake around 3:30 PM.
Pundit Picks
This is going to be a really interesting event on Gull Lake. Since this event is open to the public, it’s not only Champions Tour Pro’s in this field, there’s 70 of the best anglers in the Upper Midwest taking to Gull Lake and I think we’re going to see some pretty big surprises on Tuesday, especially on the weight side of things. Gull Lake is extremely healthy right now, and I think what we’re about to see is going to surprise a lot of people. With such a big field this year, it seems we need to give you 5 anglers to watch for on Tournament Day, rather than the usual 3. Expect to see these names in contention at some point on Tuesday
Hunter Wendt: Hunter has been one of the biggest rising stars on the Champions Tour for the past several years. He’s got 3 Wins to his name now, with a PRO/AM win on Lake Mille Lacs a couple years back. Hunter is a local to the Brainerd Lakes Area and spends a ton of time on the Gull Lake chain. He often says it’s his homewater, and favorite place to fish in the state. And every time we’ve come here over the years Hunter has found himself somewhere in contention. I’d expect Hunter to play a part in this tournament after a tough start to the year on Big Stone Lake.
Evan Blakley: We interviewed him earlier in the article, he’s a local, and the dude straight up catches them EVERYWHERE the Champions Tour goes. Evan is an extremely versatile angler, and his one Champions Tour win was at the PRO/AM event just down the road on the Whitefish Chain a few years back. Since that win Blakley has stacked Top-10 finishes like it’s going out of style, and an Angler of the Year trophy as well. He seems pretty due for a win at this point in time, after so many finishes in the Top-5. This could be another Blakley show when it’s all said and done.
Harrison Nelson: Champions Tour Rookie Harrison Nelson had a wild start to his Champions Tour career on Big Stone. He had a terrible 1st Period, on his way into halftime slung a prop ear, got it repaired to fish a shortened 2nd Half, was in the 40’s with about an hour left and suddenly shot up into the Top-6 after running into an actively feeding school on Big Stone Lake. Now that he's got his feet under him a bit, I think Gull Lake sets up incredible for Nelson. He’s shown he can catch largemouth when needed, and like we discussed in the Season Preview, Harrison is one of the best FFS Fishermen on the Champions Tour. He also is one of the only anglers who has experience with the Gull Lake smallmouth. A few years ago Nelson almost won a MNBN Team Trail event with all brown ones. I’d expect him to be very capable of weighing in a very impressive mixed bag at this one.
Adam Rasmussen: Ras is back! After fishing the Champions Tour for several years and setting the initial weight record up on Pelican Lake in Orr. Ras decided to go chase the Bassmaster Opens to try to qualify for the Elite Series. With success in the south and almost winning a Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake, Rasmussen has proven he can catch them anywhere in the country. I’d expect Ras to use his national experience to break down Gull Lake extremely quickly. He also happens to be a guide on one of the best smallmouth fisheries in the world, in Sturgeon Bay. I’d expect him to be able to lean on his Smallmouth prowess to bring in a large mixed bag when it’s all said and done.
Jim Severson: You can’t have a big tournament on Gull Lake without talking about Jim Severson. There’s probably not a man in Minnesota who’s won more money, and broken more hearts on this chain of lakes than Jim Severson over the years. The Minnesota Legend is always a handful to deal with in the Brainerd Lakes Area, and I’d expect the same thing at this event. Jim is an incredible offshore grass fisherman, especially with a jig in his hands. What also plays in favor for Jim is that he’s an extremely experienced local, and probably has more experience with the Gull Lake smallmouth bass than anyone. He’s pretty widely regarded as the best shallow site fisherman in Minnesota, whether they’re on a bed, guarding fry, and simply just cruising around. Jim is an expert at catching them. I’d be very surprised if Severson isn’t in contention as this one comes to a close on Tuesday.