Emil Wagner Tops Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Lake Champlain

 

Fenwick pro Emil Wagner captured his first Bassmaster victory at the Bassmaster Elite Qualifier on Lake Champlain, September 18–20, hauling in a record setting three-day total weight of 69 pounds, 2 ounces—the heaviest three-day winning total in B.A.S.S. history at Champlain. Wagner pocketed a $58,049 prize and proudly hoisted the first Bassmaster Elite Qualifier trophy.

Already qualified for next year’s Bassmaster Elite Series, Wagner came to Champlain not for points, but to enjoy one of his favorite waters. After a 20-plus hour drive from Georgia, he spent his time fishing the lake’s nomadic smallmouth patterns to build confidence and momentum for next season’s Elite Series events—one of which is also on Champlain. Having fished the lake three times, he anticipated low water and cooler fall weather pushing smallmouth shallow, similar to topwater fishing back home on Lake Lanier. After a few unproductive practice days, it became clear that focusing offshore would be key.

“I absolutely love this lake,” Wagner said. “I wanted to come up and fish for smallmouth, making the long drive from Georgia. It reminds me a little of fishing for spotted bass on Lake Lanier—suspending over deep breaks and figuring out presentations for pressured fish. Champlain has that same challenge, and that’s what makes it so fun, especially in the fall. I knew I needed to get away from the Inland Sea area where much of the pressure typically is, and I focused on finding spots with less pressure, settling into areas that allowed me to locate and catch quality fish.”

Starting the event with 22-2 on Day One, Wagner climbed the leaderboard with a 23-9 Day Two limit and sealed the deal on Championship Saturday with 23-7, finishing ahead of second place by 13 ounces. After catching more than 25 bass over four pounds on Friday and over 50 fish each of the first two days, he had to make a key adjustment on Saturday to locate new fish and maintain his lead.

“I found a couple areas with some fish, and one place had hundreds of smallmouth,” Wagner said. “I focused on deep humps and ledges, targeting areas away from normal pressure. I caught fish on a few different baits—mostly a Berkley MaxScent Flatnose Jerk Shad, but also a 4” Berkley MaxScent General and a couple topwaters.”

His main setup included a 7’1” Fenwick World Class medium-action spinning rod paired with a size 30 Abu Garcia Revo Rocket spinning reel, using slightly heavier Berkley X5 braid and a Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon leader for strength and efficiency while boat-flipping bigger fish, allowing him more time to cast at roaming smallmouth.

“That final day, it was a ghost town,” Wagner said. “The wind had blown in grass everywhere, and the bait and fish were gone. One of the most memorable moments was deciding to move, finding fish at the end of the day, and on my last cast catching a big one I culled before heading straight to the weigh-in.”

Marc Kempter, VP, Marketing Communications added, “We’re incredibly proud of Emil for pushing hard late in the season and continuing to refine his craft. His focus, adaptability, and performance on Lake Champlain demonstrates not only his talent, but also his dedication to mastering every water he fishes. Emil represents everything Fenwick stands for—precision, innovation, and professionalism—and we’re confident the brand is in excellent hands with him on the pro team. We’re excited to see him grow as an angler.”

Congrats also to Abu Garcia and Berkley pro Matt Messer, finishing second with a total weight of 68-5 fishing a Berkley MaxScent Flatnose Jerk Shad rigged on a 3/16-ounce Berkley Fusion 19 jighead with a 3/0 hook, and Fenwick and Abu Garcia pro Cody Stahl for finishing in fourth place with 64-14, catching key largemouth on a Berley MaxScent Creature Hawg.

To learn more about Fenwick, visit Fenwickfishing.com. 
To learn more about Abu Garcia, visit Abugarcia.com. 
To learn more about Berkley, visit Berkley-fishing.com.