Watching Ouachita
Anglers wait to see if river will surrender hefty weights given up on day one
MONROE, La. – Yesterday on the Ouachita River, spectators watched as angler after angler hauled in impressive five-bass limits, a feat that defied almost all pretournament predictions. With the river high and muddy, not many FLW Tour anglers thought they would see a stringer like the one brought in by Matt Herren Wednesday that weighed 24 pounds, 14 ounces.
Tennessee pro Wesley Strader thought he had it made when he reached the 10-pound mark, only to find that his 10-5 limit was only good for 50th. He believes that yesterday’s surprising weights will fall off today now that the cold front is on its way out.
“I think it’s going to fall off,” he said. “A lot of guys caught them yesterday, but today we’re on the back side of that front. I don’t see how (the big weights) can hold up.”
Indeed, yesterday’s schizophrenic weather – one minute it was raining, the next it was sunny – will yield to today’s sunny, warm conditions, with temperatures rising at least 5 degrees over the course of the day.
California pro Ishama Monroe said he thinks the Ouachita crowd will see a few more healthy stringers brought in today despite the change in weather. “I think it’s going to be about the same,” he said. “It’s going to be good. The water’s stable, and any time the water’s stable, the fish get in a comfort zone. When they get in a comfort zone, they bite.”
Monroe caught a respectable 13 pounds, 3 ounces to land in the 22nd spot heading into day two.
On day one, most competitors made the lengthy run through the locks up to the Arkansas sections of the Ouachita, while a few competitors stayed closer and scouted for bass on the Louisiana side. It seemed that the heavier stringers were coming from those willing to make the trip to Arkansas.
With a 4-pound, 15-ounce lead over his nearest competitor, Herren should feel no pressure to produce his day-one numbers again today. Today’s results will determine the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers to advance to Friday’s competition, when weights will be cleared back to zero. Co-angler competition concludes Friday, and the top 10 pros continue Saturday, with the winner determined by the heaviest two-day weight.
The winning pro at this week’s $900,000 event will take home a top prize of $100,000 cash. The winning co-angler will earn $20,000 cash.
Thursday’s weigh-in will take place at Forsythe Park, located at 2401 Sycamore St. in Monroe, beginning at 3 p.m. CST.
Here at FLWOutdoors.com, weigh-in coverage on FLW Live begins at 3 p.m. Central time.
Thursday’s conditions:
Sunrise: 6:25 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 38 degrees
Expected high temperature: 63 degrees
Water temperature: 55 to 60 degrees
Wind: from the southwest at 11 mph
Maximum humidity: 54 percent
Day’s outlook: plentiful sunshine