If you ask Japanese fisherman Takumi “Taku” Ito to name his favorite place to go bass fishing in the United States, he usually recites a long list of lakes and river systems. That’s because he loves to fish, and wherever he has caught a lot of bass will be on that list.
The Yamaha Pro truly has caught a lot of bass in a lot of different places, too, during his five seasons as a Bassmaster® Elite Series competitor. He has two Elite Series wins, qualified for five consecutive Bassmaster Classics®, and he’s earned a paycheck in 46 of the 55 total American events he’s fished so far. His resume is one any bass pro would like to have.
“When I was very young, about age six, my father would take me bank fishing at a small lake near our home,” remembers Ito, now 37, “and that is where I caught my first bass. From there, my interest continued to grow, and when I was 10, I learned
about the bass fishing tournaments in America.
“I read everything about American bass fishing I could find, and decided that’s where I wanted to go. As I grew a little older, I began fishing tournaments, and in 2011 I won a trip to America to fish with American pro bass fisherman Brent Ehrler. That was very special and really encouraged me to keep fishing.”
He did, and by 2019, Ito was ready to fish the Bassmaster Opens in order to qualify for the Elite Series, which he did easily with three top 10 finishes in his first five tournaments. The following year, in just his third Elite tournament, he finished sixth at the St. Lawrence River, and the next year, 2021, he won the St. Lawrence event.
“Yes, definitely, I like the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario,” the Yamaha Pro laughs. “Lots of big smallmouth. We do not have many lakes in Japan with smallmouth bass, so it is very much fun for me to catch so many.”
In winning there, Ito fished a drop shot 20 to 25 feet deep in Lake Ontario and boated an even 90 pounds. He finished fourth on the St. Lawrence last season with 101 pounds to earn his first Bassmaster Century Belt award.
“I always make the long run into Lake Ontario at least one day,” says Ito, “but I am always worried about the wind. The wind was bad last year, and the waves were very big. I have not had that much experience with them.”
.jpg "Yamaha_FishinVol17no8TakuItoimage3-(1).jpg")
The 2024 Elite season concluded last month on the St. Lawrence River, and true to form, Ito led after the first day with 26-pounds, 2-ounces, but it wasn’t easy because the larger smallmouth were scattered. He dropped to 4th the next day despite adding 24-4, but with Lake Ontario turning extremely rough the third day, Ito caught only 11-1 and finished in 36th. Ito’s second Elite victory came this season at Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama. He won with 58 pounds, after bringing in the tournament’s biggest fish, a five-pound, 8-ounce spotted bass the final day. That fish anchored his 16-9 catch, the heaviest of the tournament.
Ito, like many Japanese anglers who grow up fishing highly-pressured lakes, has mastered the technique of finesse fishing, normally done with small lures and lighter lines. At Smith Lake, however, the Yamaha Pro finessed with an over-sized lure, after he noticed how the spotted bass were feeding on larger bluegills.
“In Japan, we always try to match the forage as closely as possible in action, color, and size,” he explains. “That is why finesse fishing is so much about using small lures, but here in America, the bass have larger forage available, so that’s why I tried a larger lure.
“When that fish hit, I thought at first it might be a striped bass because it was so strong. When I saw it, I was so careful not to lose it. It is the fish that won the tournament for me.”
That’s why Smith Lake also ranks right up there with the St. Lawrence River as one of Ito’s favorite places in America to fish.
Back to Blue Life
The Yamaha Pro truly has caught a lot of bass in a lot of different places, too, during his five seasons as a Bassmaster® Elite Series competitor. He has two Elite Series wins, qualified for five consecutive Bassmaster Classics®, and he’s earned a paycheck in 46 of the 55 total American events he’s fished so far. His resume is one any bass pro would like to have.
“When I was very young, about age six, my father would take me bank fishing at a small lake near our home,” remembers Ito, now 37, “and that is where I caught my first bass. From there, my interest continued to grow, and when I was 10, I learned
about the bass fishing tournaments in America.
“I read everything about American bass fishing I could find, and decided that’s where I wanted to go. As I grew a little older, I began fishing tournaments, and in 2011 I won a trip to America to fish with American pro bass fisherman Brent Ehrler. That was very special and really encouraged me to keep fishing.”
He did, and by 2019, Ito was ready to fish the Bassmaster Opens in order to qualify for the Elite Series, which he did easily with three top 10 finishes in his first five tournaments. The following year, in just his third Elite tournament, he finished sixth at the St. Lawrence River, and the next year, 2021, he won the St. Lawrence event.
“Yes, definitely, I like the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario,” the Yamaha Pro laughs. “Lots of big smallmouth. We do not have many lakes in Japan with smallmouth bass, so it is very much fun for me to catch so many.”
In winning there, Ito fished a drop shot 20 to 25 feet deep in Lake Ontario and boated an even 90 pounds. He finished fourth on the St. Lawrence last season with 101 pounds to earn his first Bassmaster Century Belt award.
“I always make the long run into Lake Ontario at least one day,” says Ito, “but I am always worried about the wind. The wind was bad last year, and the waves were very big. I have not had that much experience with them.”
The 2024 Elite season concluded last month on the St. Lawrence River, and true to form, Ito led after the first day with 26-pounds, 2-ounces, but it wasn’t easy because the larger smallmouth were scattered. He dropped to 4th the next day despite adding 24-4, but with Lake Ontario turning extremely rough the third day, Ito caught only 11-1 and finished in 36th. Ito’s second Elite victory came this season at Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama. He won with 58 pounds, after bringing in the tournament’s biggest fish, a five-pound, 8-ounce spotted bass the final day. That fish anchored his 16-9 catch, the heaviest of the tournament.
Ito, like many Japanese anglers who grow up fishing highly-pressured lakes, has mastered the technique of finesse fishing, normally done with small lures and lighter lines. At Smith Lake, however, the Yamaha Pro finessed with an over-sized lure, after he noticed how the spotted bass were feeding on larger bluegills.
“In Japan, we always try to match the forage as closely as possible in action, color, and size,” he explains. “That is why finesse fishing is so much about using small lures, but here in America, the bass have larger forage available, so that’s why I tried a larger lure.
“When that fish hit, I thought at first it might be a striped bass because it was so strong. When I saw it, I was so careful not to lose it. It is the fish that won the tournament for me.”
That’s why Smith Lake also ranks right up there with the St. Lawrence River as one of Ito’s favorite places in America to fish.
Back to Blue Life
