Submitted
CHRIS ADAMS
Shrewsbury’s Adams claims Champlain Bass Series Angler of the Year title
SHREWSBURY – Vermont tournament bass angler Chris Adams from Shrewsbury, Vt. finished in fourth place at the Champlain Bass Series Fall Finale held out of Ticonderoga, N.Y., on Oct. 4, wrapping up the series’ Angler of the Year title for 2015.
Adams earned $1,250 for his fourth place finish in the tournament, and $2,500 for the overall Angler of the Year championship.
“It’s been an incredible year on an amazing lake,” said Adams. “I grew up learning how to fish from my dad on Champlain, and hoped that one day I might be able to compete with the best anglers on the lake. I’ve had some great tournament days so far in my young fishing career, but…this one was by far the most special.”
In the Fall Finale, Adams fished a half-dozen areas throughout Lake Champlain holding both largemouth and smallmouth bass, though he ended up weighing in all smallmouths for his five-fish limit. His catch, which weighed 16.38 pounds, was topped off by a 4.6 pound smallmouth.
Adams finished the 2015 Champlain Bass Series season with two wins, a fourth place finish and a ninth place finish, never landing outside of the top 10. He won the opening event, the Malletts Bay Melee in June, and in August won the third stop of the series, the Empire Challenge. He ended the year with a total of 99 points in the Angler of the Year standings, eight points ahead of the next closest competitor.
Adams, who finished second overall in the series’ 2014 Angler of the Year standings on the strength of multiple top finishes, including a win at the 2014 South Bay Shootout, earned nearly $14,000 for his efforts in 2015.
“To be able to win two tournaments of this caliber and an Angler of the Year title in one season is pretty neat,” said Adams. “I had some tough luck in 2014, and had plenty of fire heading into this season in terms of finally achieving the Angler of the Year title. The other anglers are so good that you can’t slip up at all, and you can’t rely on a lucky day or two to finish on top. You need to be steady from June through October,” he said.
What’s next for Adams? “I may return to the Champlain Bass Series, or look to fish a national-level circuit in 2016 if I’m able to. What I do know is that I’m going to enjoy this win for a little while…” he said.
Adams, 29, is a second-generation bass angler, following in the footsteps of his father Don, currently a U.S. Coast Guard-certified fishing guide based in Rutland. Adams’ tournament record includes dozens of wins and top finishes in tournaments at the local, regional and national levels.
