Tim Horton found a goldmine in Lake Champlain. Actually it was a pile of rocks, but to a pro angler competing for a $100,000 first prize and Angler of the Year points, a rockpile that’s loaded with quality bass is as good as gold.
Horton methodically worked his goldmine for four days and ran away with first place in the Champion’s Choice, part of the Bassmaster Elite Series. Horton’s No. 1 tool throughout the four-day tournament was a BOOYAH Football Jig rigged with a YUM Craw Papi trailer; however, his winning arsenal also included a Bomber Fat Free Shad Jr. and a YUM Vibra King Tube.
Horton, whose 83-pound, 10-ounce four-day weight eclipsed that of his nearest competitor by nearly 13 pounds, sealed the deal early with a big limit on the final competition morning, and he actually began his long run 
back to the docks after only an hour of fishing. Confident that his morning catch would make his total weight untouchable, Horton dared not risk any boating troubles in the open and sometimes-nasty waters of Lake Champlain.
A four-time BASS winner and former BASS Angler of the year, Horton excels at locating concentrations of quality fish. Whether over offshore structure or under mats of vegetation, Horton knows how to find fish that give him the opportunity to win and then manage his catch properly to make the most out of what he has found.
"Fish management" decisions were important at Champlain. Horton caught quality bags from his key spot early on all four days and then left the fish alone, using the remainder of the first three days to search for back-up spots while trying to cull by flipping the Vibra King Tube. On Day 4, the Fat Free Shad Jr. accounted for most of Horton's fish.
With this week’s win, Horton moved to fifth place in the BASS Angler-of-the-Year Standings. A qualifier for eight consecutive Bassmaster Classics, he appears well on his way to number nine.
Photos courtesy of ESPN Outdoors.