Clouds roll in on Lake Michigan
Cloudier, windier conditions likely to help some, hurt others
ESCANABA, Mich. – The air was slightly warmer, the sky was slightly cloudier and the wind was slightly heavier as anglers took off on day two of the EverStart Series Northern Division event on Lake Michigan. For some, the overcast skies and steady breeze means a more active bite today, but others would have liked a repeat of day one’s sunny, calmer conditions.
Many anglers caught them yesterday, while some struggled for a bite, though the general consensus is that Escanaba’s Bay de Noc and Little Bay de Noc are teeming with fish. The trick, of course, is getting them to bite. Several competitors reported seeing multitudes of bass yesterday that would only follow their bait and not take a bite.
“Conditions today are going to be totally opposite from yesterday,” said Texas pro Jim Tutt, who caught 7 pounds, 7 ounces yesterday to end day one in 53rd. “We’re going to have cloudy conditions, and the wind is going to be blowing most of the day.”
Tutt, who said he thought he would catch better fish yesterday, is looking forward to the prospect of fishing Lake Michigan under a different set of conditions.
“I think the spinnerbait bite will be a little better today, and I think the fishing should be better,” he said. “Conditions should be better for catching them, and guys have nailed down the pattern.”
Some anglers worry that intense fishing pressure during practice and the first day of competition could slow down the bite today, and for some, that very well may be the case. But according to Tutt, it’s all in the mind.
“It’s obvious that the fish are in smaller areas,” Tutt said. “I saw guys catching fish, and there were boats all around them. (The pressure) will mess with the fishermen more than the fish.”
Tutt is currently 24th in the Northern Division points standings and competes in this division with his co-angler father, Sid, who was 115th in co-angler points heading into this week’s event. However, the elder Tutt fared well yesterday, coming in 16th to help his goal of making the EverStart Series Championship.
“I’m really hoping he does well to make the cut,” Jim Tutt said. “He’s trying to qualify for the championship as a co-angler, and I hope we both make the championship.”
The Tutts and the rest of the 134-boat field will weigh in their catches today beginning at 3 p.m. at Escanaba Harbor, located in Ludington Park in downtown Escanaba. Following today’s weigh-in, the field will be cut to the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers who will compete in Friday and Saturday’s final rounds.
Thursday’s conditions:
Sunrise: 7:01 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 50 degrees
Expected high temperature: 77 degrees
Wind: S at 13 mph
Maximum humidity: 69 percent
Day’s outlook: partly cloudy