Land of giants: Stalking summer studs

Even though he'd never caught smallmouth prior to 2020, earning three Top 10s during the Northern Swing proved Ito's wheelhouse holds the tools to tempt whopper bronzebacks. The key for him was tapping into the dynamic yet patient mindset needed to fool heavily pressured largemouth in his Chiba, Japan, home waters of the Tone River and Lake Kameyama.