It's been a solid start to the Elite Series season for Canadian pro bass fisher Cooper Gallant.
The 26-year-old Bowmanville, Ont., native has posted consecutive top-10 finishes in the first two events. After taking eighth in the opener at Toledo Bend Reservoir in Many, La., on Feb. 25, the second-year pro was 10th at Lake Fork in Yantis, Texas, on Sunday, cracking the 100-pound plateau for the first time.
"No, I wouldn't have thought I'd start with two top-10s, especially after the practices I had for both tournaments," Gallant said Tuesday. "I was getting big bites in practice but so few of them that I was worried if I'd be able to get five a day during the tournaments.
"You always want to win no matter where the tournament is but there are times when you just need to survive and get good points. Honestly, that was my mindset."
Sunday's finish was impressive considering Gallant landed 17 largemouth bass over the four-day event — three short of a limit. However, they combined to weigh 100 pounds, seven ounces, anchored by a nine-pound, 15-ounce fish caught Friday.
But not all came easily.
On Saturday, Gallant landed a seven-pound, seven-ounce largemouth with six minutes remaining on the day that ultimately pushed him into Sunday's final. It came from the same area where Gallant caught his 9-15 bass but had lost another that morning that he estimated was between eight and nine pounds.
Fortunately for Gallant, the 7-7 fish bit beneath his boat, allowing him to land it quickly. That's good because he reached the weigh-in station with roughly 40 seconds to spare.
"That took the pressure off," Gallant said. "Losing that earlier one was really weighing on me."
Gallant began Sunday's round needing 12 pounds to crack 100 but was still five pounds short with 30 minutes remaining. He then hooked a decent fish but his line snapped.
After composing himself, Gallant had another solid hit, this time boating a five-pound, seven-ounce largemouth that put him over 100 pounds. And when Gallant landed the fish, he found his previous bait in its throat.
"When that fish snapped my line, I thought, 'Are you kidding me?'" Gallant said. "Then to land the fish to make the century club and see the bait I snapped off in its throat was crazy because that (fish biting twice) doesn't happen often.
"When 2 p.m. rolled around and I had like seven pounds in the boat, I started thinking, 'If I have this opportunity (at 100 pounds) and I blow it and can't catch 12 pounds on Lake Fork, I'll be so upset with myself.'"
Sunday's result marked just second time in Elite Series history — and first since '08 — that all tournament finalists weighed in 100-plus pounds. Lake Fork has also produced 19 Century Club members, the most in Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.) history.
Gallant is one of four Canadians on the Elite Series, along with Jeff Gustafson of Kenora, Ont., Cory Johnston of Cavan, Ont., and his younger brother, Chris, of Peterborough, Ont. Chris Johnston was seventh at Toledo Bend and 38th last weekend while Cory Johnston was 13th and 38th, respectively, and Gustafson had finishes of 24th and 38th.
Up next for the Canadians is the US$1-million Bassmaster Classic — pro bass fishing's premier event — March 22-24 at Grand Lake O The Cherokees in Tulsa, Okla. Gustafson is the defending champion.
Last year, Gustafson became the first Canadian winner, going wire-to-wire for the victory on the Tennessee River. It's also where he won his first Elite Series competition in 2021.
Gallant participated in his first Classic last year, finishing 52nd. Cory Johnston was 11th while Chris Johnston took 31st.
"Having a good start is so important to me, momentum is a lot in fishing tournaments," Gallant said. "It keeps the confidence up, keeps me motivated and makes me even hungrier to keep wanting to do well.
"With the Classic right around the corner, I hope I can keep the momentum rolling."
Gallant spent time on Grand Lake O The Cherokees in December but didn't fish.
"I didn't even have a rod in the boat," he said. "I know how the lake sets up but with that being said, I don't have any experience there.
"I'll just try to figure something out when we put the boat in there in about two weeks."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2024.
Dan Ralph, The Canadian Press
