Huntersville's Louis Monetti fell 11 ounces short of a national bass fishing title Saturday, Aug. 1, finishing second at the Major League Fishing Toyota Series Northern Division tournament on New York's St. Lawrence River.

Monetti, 26, weighed in 64 pounds, 2 ounces over three days of competition in Massena, N.Y. Jesse Spellicy of Gouverneur, N.Y., overtook him on the final day with a 23-pound, 6-ounce bag to win with 64-13 and collect a $73,689 paycheck, according to North Country Now.

The result caps a remarkable run for a young angler still building his resume. Saturday's event was only Monetti's sixth MLF tournament as a boater. He already has three top-10 finishes and $18,645 in career winnings, according to his MLF profile. He previously competed in a Bassmaster Classic.

Monetti grew up in New Jersey but has fished the St. Lawrence 15 to 20 times over the years. He led the 148-boat field after Day 1 with 23 pounds, 1 ounce, filling his livewell with 20 pounds before 8 a.m. A four-hour fog delay shortened Day 2, and he slipped to second behind Jimmy Washam with a two-day total of 43-9.

After Day 2, Monetti told MLF reporters he had no intention of playing it safe heading into the final round: "I'm fishing to win the tournament, so I'm going to stay where the big ones are at."

The spot held personal significance. Monetti fished the same stretch of river during the 2021 Bassmaster National Championship for college, where he lost roughly 23 to 24 pounds of fish on Day 1 before rebounding with 20 pounds on Day 2.

Anglers were confined to a 27-mile stretch between Massena and Waddington after the Iroquois Dam remained closed due to high water on Lake Ontario, putting the popular Thousand Islands area off-limits. The field included Bassmaster Classic champion Carter Nutt, MLF Champion Banks Shaw and actor Lucas Black.

Spellicy's win earned him an automatic berth in the 2026 Toyota Series Championship in November. It was Monetti's sixth career MLF event and his third top-10 finish.