OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – EverStart anglers shoved off into a much warmer dawn this morning on the second day of the Eastern Division tournament on Lake Okeechobee. Nighttime lows only dropped to 45 degrees, and the expected highs today will be near 75.

Local anglers are wanting the colder temperatures to stay around. Tougher conditions tend to play favorites for the locals while keeping the out-of-towners at bay.

“The worse it gets, the better it would be for me,” said local angler Doug Vest of Okeechobee, Fla., who is in second place.

Castrol pro David Dudley of Manteo, N.C., is in 14th place with 16 pounds, 1 ounce. He is one of those out-of-towners that would like to see the weather warm up to turn the tables in his favor.

“As long as it stays cold, those Florida boys will just keep moving up in the standings,” he said. “Florida, Florida, Florida is all you will see. If it warms up, the rest of us might have a chance.”

The top-20 weight cuts yesterday were 13 pounds, 3 ounces on the pro side and 7 pounds even on the co-angler side. Now many anglers are thinking that the day-two cut will be in the 24- to 25-pound range on the pro side.

The weigh-in resumes today at 3 p.m. at Okee-Tantie Recreation Area located at 10430 Highway 78 W. in Okeechobee.

Vital statistics

Sunrise: 7:15 a.m.
Temperature: 45 degrees
Expected high: 73 degrees
Water temperature: 57 degrees
Forecasted wind: 10-15 mph from the west-southwest
Relative humidity: 100 percent
Day’s outlook: very sunny

Links:

Pairings
Day-two photos