The elites took their final regular season stop to the lovely town of Waddington, New York. Where exactly is Waddington you might ask? This quaint little town is on the border of Canada in upstate New York, sharing the St. Lawrence River as its dividing line. Wonderful sunsets over the river, green wooded areas, and fantastic fishing is found in this northern town. And not only is the fishing something to brag about, but the hospitality of this population 972 community makes anyone feel right at home.
The location the Bassmaster Elite pros reside at varies per event. Some stay in campers, hotels, houses, or even in the bed of their truck when necessary. But not in Waddington. At this event, several families make the elites feel extra special by hosting them in their very own homes. On top of that, they might even cook meals for the anglers after they have a long day on the water. The elites love this event just as much as the community does in Waddington, bringing a total of 36,200 people during the event which was a record crowd for the Bassmaster Elite Series.
Unfortunately, the hospitality was the best part of this final event for Pipkens. A tough first day, had him playing catch up on day 2. Luckily, the family Pipkens was staying with knew the trick to catching a few big bass — cookies! Over the past couple of years, Pipkens has stayed with the same family in Waddington, who have baked these delicious, soft chocolate chip cookies filled with love and a lot of luck. They have even sent these delicious “lucky cookies” to other events for extra support and well wishes while he is on the road. This video shows just how well the cookies can work, as Pipkens caches a four pounder during his consumption of these very “lucky cookies.”