WADDINGTON — Another first for Canadian Chris Johnston.
The Peterborough, Ont., native clinched the Elite Series overall title Saturday, becoming the first Canadian to win angler-of-the-year honours. And he did so emphatically, registering the day's heaviest five-fish bag to qualify for the final round of the circuit's season-ending event.
In 2020, Johnston became the first Canadian to win an Elite Series title, doing so on the St. Lawrence River, the same body of water as the season-ending event.
On Saturday, Johnston moved from fourth in the overall standings into first with 758 points, 24 ahead of American Trey McKinney and 26 in front of his brother, Cory Johnston.
Chris Johnston's five-fish limit of 29 pounds five ounces moved him from No. 31 to fourth with 73 pounds two ounces. Included was the heaviest fish of the day at six pounds seven ounces.
Cory Johnston, of Cavan, Ont., also qualified for Sunday's final round. Johnston's five fish Saturday weighed 24 pounds 14 ounces, moving him into second with 77 pounds five ounces.
American Robert Gee leads with 78 pounds two ounces.
It certainly has been a roller-coaster week for Chris Johnston. On Monday, he had to settle for an agonizing second at the Elite Series event on Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y., finishing just one ounce behind winner Ed Loughran III of the U.S.
Johnston then had to drive north for the first day of practice Tuesday. After standing 16th after the opening day, Johnston fell to 31st on Friday, which dropped him from second to fourth in the angler-of-the-year standings.
"You have no idea how much stress I was under the last couple of days," Johnston said. "Everything that could have gone wrong did.
"A couple of nights I didn’t get to sleep until like one in the morning. I got a lot of grey hairs these last three days. I think when I started this year I didn’t have one. But they’re coming in thick now."
Johnston said settling down mentally was key to his Saturday limit.
"I got spun out the last couple of days," he said. "I had too much going through my mind, thinking about where I needed to go to catch the 27 or 28 pounds that lives out here.
"Today, I just said, 'You know what? It’s too rough on the lake, and I know two spots in the river that have the potential to get the 25 or 30 pounds that I need.'"
The Johnston brothers will both be chasing history Sunday. If either wins the tournament, they'd become the first Canadian to capture two Elite Series events.
But Cory Johnston would also become the first Canadian to win two Elite Series titles in the same year. He earned his first circuit victory April 21 on Florida's St. Johns River.
Jeff Gustafson, of Kenora, Ont., also concluded a productive tournament Saturday. Gustafson finished 15th with 66 pounds one ounce after bringing in a five-fish limit weighing 20 pounds five ounces.
Gustafson also moved into 39th in the overall standings with 514 points, which is important considering the top-40 qualify for the 2025 US$1-million Bassmaster Classic, pro bass fishing's premier event.
In 2023, Gustafson became the first Canadian to win the Classic on the Tennessee River, where he also won his first Elite Series tournament in 2021.
Cooper Gallant, of Bowmanville, Ont., was the other Canadian in the field. Gallant finished 84th with 10 fish weighing 34 pounds 14 ounces but had already cemented his berth in the Classic (17th in overall standings with 607 points).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 17, 2024.
The Canadian Press
