Upstate New York and the Messena area is probably one of my favorite places to fish in the country. This was the second time I competed on the St. Lawrence River in New York. We are allowed to practice for the event for three days and I chose to spend all that time from Morristown to Alexandria Bay area. Basically that consists of around twenty miles of river. During practice I spent very little time looking shallow and concentrated all my efforts into the 25’-45’ zones. In these areas I was primarily fishing the main river and looking for current break type areas. The St. Lawrence River has incredibly clear water with visibility over twenty feet with current that moves your boat very quickly. Drop shotting small worms in green pumpkin and white were the best ways for me to get bites. The first day of the event I caught four fish for 12-9, and the second day I was able to land seven fish for 22-15. This had a two day total of 35-8 for me, and placed me in 39th for my group. The second day of the event I was able to land a 5-6 smallmouth and caught my personal best in practice weighing in at 6-5. This area of the country has some of the largest smallmouth available, and I can’t wait to get the opportunity to fish there again.