Twice as nice
Bowen claims first-place finish for second consecutive day; top-20 cut announced
OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – After landing a 14-pound, 9-ounce catch on the first day of competition, Billy Bowen Jr., could have easily taken the day off and still made the semifinal cut. However, there was something gnawing at him. What if Lake Okeechobee suddenly lived up to its reputation and permitted myriad anglers to haul in 15-pound stringers?
Not willing to leave anything to chance, Bowen went out and fished hard, netting another three fish weighing 7 pounds. In the end, Bowen need not have worried. Not only did he survive the top-20 cut, but he also found himself back in first place. For the soft-spoken Bowen, it was just another day at the office – albeit, a very unique office.
“I was happy with what I had yesterday. But I decided that I needed to catch another two fish today, just to be safe,” said Bowen, a native of Ocala, Fla. “After I caught my two fish, I started to get worried. The weather was warming up and I started imagining a bunch of guys catching lots of fish. So, I decided to try and catch one more. Once I did that, I felt pretty good.”
After “messing around” for the rest of the day in an attempt to locate some more prime fishing spots, Bowen returned to Okee-Tantie Marina as the frontrunner. However, Bowen admitted that there is still a long way to go before a champion is crowned.
“Overall, I feel pretty good,” said Bowen. “But to tell you the truth, I’m a nervous wreck. It’s tough fishing out there. But in a tournament like this, you have to make a decision and stick with it.”
According to Bowen, the key to winning the tournament is patience – and a few good locations.
“The fish aren’t aggressive at all. You really have to slow down and fish each spot carefully,” said Bowen. “But I’m pretty confident I can do well. I have one spot I’m been saving specifically for tomorrow and Saturday. If it holds up, I should catch some nice fish.”
Quinn hauls in huge catch to take over second place
Jason Quinn of Lake Wylie, S.C., used an impressive 14-pound, 1-ounce catch to leapfrog from 12th place to second overall in the Pro Division.
“The water really warmed up today and I fished a little bit better spot. Obviously, that helped me a lot,” said Quinn, who turned in a two-day catch weighing 21-pounds, 4-ounces. “I really feels good to be where I’m at right now. But then again, it always feels good when you catch them.”
While Quinn said he was confident heading into the semifinals, he also knows that Lake Okeechobee is always poised to produce hefty sacks of fish on any given day.
“If the conditions are right, it’s nothing to go out there and have a 20-pound day,” said Quinn, who caught a limit by 2:30 p.m., primarily on spinnerbaits and rattletraps. “The fish are definitely out there. And if the water keeps warming up, I think you’re going to see some huge stringers of fish in the next two days. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.”
The best of the rest
Russ Bringger of Pompano Beach, Fla., finished in third place with a two-day catch of 16-pounds, 6-ounces, while Pat Fisher of Stone Mountain, Ga., grabbed hold of fourth place with a total catch of 16 pounds, 5 ounces.
However, perhaps the day’s most amazing story came when James Crabtree of Elizabethtown, Ky., weighed in his catch. After landing only 15 ounces on the first day of competition, Crabtree looked like he would be going home after today’s weigh-in. However, after registering a whopping 15 pounds of fish in today’s contest, Crabtree climbed all the way up to fifth place in the standings, claiming a berth in the semifinal round. But what made the accomplishment even more astounding was the fact that Crabtree only weighed in three fish.
“It feels great,” said Crabtree, who registered one fish weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces, and another weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces. “I thought I might be able to catch another fish or two, but I was running late and I was running out of gas. Hopefully, I can catch another big sack tomorrow.”
The day’s Big Bass award in the Pro Division went to Kenneth Strickland of Oak Ridge, N.C. Strickland landed a monster 8-pound, 3-ounce largemouth to capture the $750 prize.
Bowersock duplicates day-two performance as well
Co-angler David Bowersock of Lake Worth, Fla., clearly didn’t want to relinquish his grasp of first place. Bowersock followed up an impressive 6-pound, 13-ounce catch on day one with an equally gritty 3-pound, 13-ounce performance during today’s competition. However, Bowersock admitted that it wasn’t easy, despite his in-depth knowledge of the lake.
“I live here, this is my lake,” said Bowersock. “But I’ve never seen it this tough before.”
Despite the rough conditions, the Florida native acknowledged that he’s having more than his fair share of fun.
“It really feels good,” he said. “I feel great. It’s always nice heading into the top 20 in first place.”
Best of the rest
Ed Sankowski of Riverview, Fla., finished the day in second place with a two-day catch of 9 pounds, 13 ounces while Al Reed of Tequesta, Fla., took third place with a total catch of 9 pounds, 4 ounces.
Rounding out the top five were Mike Calloway of Titusville, Fla., with a catch of 8 pounds, 1 ounces and Ralph Mulleins of Cumberland, Va., with a catch of 7 pounds, 6 ounces.
Jamey Way of McLeansville, N.C. won the Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division with a 7-pound, 1-ounce largemouth. Way picked up a check for $250 for his efforts.
Semifinal action commences at 7 a.m. at the Okee-Tantie marina located at 10430 Highway 78 West in Okeechobee.
Related links: