Reigning Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year Chris Johnston wants to add one more trophy to his collection back home in Canada: the Bassmaster Classic trophy. This year's tournament on Lake Ray Roberts in Texas should be a good one, and Johnston should be considered a favorite, although he lives thousands of miles away and in another country. The last time the tournament was here in 2021, Johnston finished in 8th place. He had a solid tournament there and is preparing for another shot at the title this month.
Ready for Ray Roberts
The last Bassmaster Classic in Fort Worth was held in June due to the pandemic, and this tournament in March should offer much better fishing. Johnston was a fan of the lake and can't wait to return after a Top 10 there four years ago.
"I had a good finish there, and I liked how the lake sets up," said Johnston. "That was June, and we had high water, and the fish were all on the bank in the bushes. We had a lot of wood in the water, and it was great for shallow-water power-fishing and beating the bank, which is how I like to fish."
Unsure of the water levels this time, Johnston still thinks some fish will be shallow. "They're going to be close to the spawn, so I think it's going to be a shallow deal again," he said. "The lake sets up great for that style fishing with a lot of wood and flipping, plus you always have the potential to catch an eight or 9-pounder any flip, which is kind of cool."
'Scoping a Classic
Forward-facing sonar technology has taken over bass fishing, and Johnston believes it will be a factor. It was still relatively new in the 2021 edition of the tournament, and that event didn't set up perfectly for it, with high water conditions and bass in shallow wood.
"The lake was flooded then, plus the technology has come a long way in just four years," he said. In this one, you'll see anglers figure out how to catch those giant pre-spawn females with it. I wouldn't be surprised to see this won with an average weight of around 25 pounds a day."
For his forward-facing sonar approach, Johnston believes a jerkbait will be a player. He plans to rig multiple baits up with different diving depths and sizes.
"A jerkbait with LiveScope is going to be a factor," he said. "For my normal 110-sized baits, I like the 7-foot, medium light Randy Howell Daiwa Tatula Elite rod; it's short and easy to maneuver. I like the Patrick Walters 7-foot, 6-inch cranking rod in the Tatula Elite line for bigger baits and those with a larger bill. It's got a little more backbone, and I'll also upsize my hooks and add some suspend strips to my baits so you can pull them a little more and get them down deeper."
He's a fan of an 8.1:1 Daiwa Tatula SV reel for both. "I'll use the same reel but will go between 12 and 15-pound fluorocarbon depending on the bait," he added.
Flipping and Pitching
With so much cover in the water, Johnston is anticipating some shallow pitching and flipping. This was part of his program in 2021, and the lake is perfect for this style of fishing.
"I'm hoping to get on a good flipping bite with a ½-ounce or ¾-ounce jig, depending on how thick and heavy the cover is," he said. "I'll also flip a creature bait in there if it's too thick for a jig."
For both styles of baits, he likes a rod designed by his brother Cory, a 7-foot, 5-inch heavy. "It's a lighter flipping stick and not too heavy where it will create a big hole in the mouth of the fish; it's got some give to it still," he said. "That allows you to land more of those fish that get you wrapped around a piece of cover. I'll pair that rod with a Daiwa Tatula Flip and Pitch reel and between 22 and 25-pound fluorocarbon."
Johnston plans a mix of shallow and deep to succeed in this year's Classic. "I think it's going to be a one-two punch of beating the banks and catching those fish that are spawning or close to it and going out a little deeper for the pre-spawn fish," he said. "I'm hoping the water is high enough that those bushes are in play."
Since joining, Chris Johnston and his brother Cory have more than proven themselves at the Bassmaster Elite Series level. This could be the year that one of them wins, and Chris is banking on a mixed approach of shallow and deep fishing as he looks to take home one of the biggest prizes in bass fishing.
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