Great Lakes Finesse Drop Minnow Provides Winning Edge at Thousand Island Open

The GLF Drop Minnow was critical to success for the winning team at one of Canada’s most important bass tournaments on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River.

The big smallmouth bass were scattered and fussy throughout the 2024 Thousand Island Open July 25-27, making flawless presentations of likewise flawless baits critical for catching winning fish. Evan Kung and Ryan Clark, who won the three-day event and its $15,000 first place check, caught more than half the fish they weighed on a Great Lakes Finesse 2.75-inch Drop Minnow in Green Pumpkin.

Kung and Clark caught fish on several Great Lakes smallmouth bass staples such as spy baits and marabou jigs, but the small size and subtle action of the Drop Minnow fished on a dropshot rig was critical for coaxing strikes from the biggest fish.

Competing against many of the top smallmouth anglers on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, Kung and Clark were the only team to bring in 20-pound-plus bags (4 fish limit) all three days. Their total winning weight was 64.28 pounds (12 fish).

Kung and Clark noted that the fish were notably more scattered than in recent years. There were big schools of 4- to 4 1/2-pound bass in middle depths of 15 to 25 feet, but finding the largest fish and getting them to bite was difficult.

Practicing in two boats turned out to be important for having enough of the right kinds of spots. Over the course of the event, they caught fish from 6 feet to 40 feet. Most were around rockpiles and boulders, but a few came from sand flats.

Each day played out differently because of changing conditions, other anglers and the positioning of the fish, and fish Kung and Clark ended up bringing to the scales came from several locations. Common denominators included significant kicker fish caught late each day and the importance of the GLF Drop Minnow!

GLF Drop Minnow

The Great Lakes Finesse Drop Minnow, now available in 2.75- and 3.25-inch sizes and 14 Matte colors, offers a slender minnow-suggesting shape and has a spear tail with a narrow base for ultra-subtle action. Shallow ribs create unique vibration. True neutral buoyancy allows for a natural posture in the water

Although designed primarily for dropshotting and excelling in that role, the Drop Minnow also works wonderfully as an ultra-finesse jighead minnow bait and for fishing on a GLF Sneaky Underspin.