CLEWISTON, Fla. – Light rain sprinkled anglers’ faces this morning as the 2006 Wal-Mart FLW Tour season got under way on Lake Okeechobee. The wet weather, with its accompanying winds and cooler temperatures, only further aggravates the already tough conditions on the Big O this week.
Lake Okeechobee and the surrounding area suffered extensive damage in 2005 from Hurricane Wilma, and the resulting high-water churn muddied up much of what was left of Lake Okeechobee’s clear-water fishing holes. Clear water is what the pros are looking for this week, and if you thought last year’s tournament was crowded, well, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
“Last year we had three areas with quality water,” said Tennessee pro Wesley Strader. “This year we have one.”
Pro Carl Svebek concurs. “No doubt it’s fishing small,” he said. “There’s a limited amount of clear, quality water.”
That one quality spot, according to pro Tracy Adams, is the area known as Moonshine Bay. “Everybody’s fishing that area,” he said. “It’s going to be pretty crowded.”
This week’s weather certainly isn’t helping matters, either.
“All the wind we’ve had the last few days makes it smaller and smaller,” Adams said.
Says Strader, “This is the time of year when the wind kicks up and keeps everything churned up. The wind doesn’t let it settle.”
Indeed, wind whipped the palm trees into a frenzy yesterday, no doubt making the behemoth Big O a rough place to navigate. Unseasonably cool weather will also roll into the area today, as current forecasts call for high temperatures in the mid-60s, compared to yesterday’s highs in the lower 80s.
Nevertheless, the magic of Lake Okeechobee is that even in tougher times, the rewards are great. As Svebek pointed out, the lake is still full of its famous monster bass, and with 200 pros and 200 co-anglers looking for them, somebody will hit the mother lode. And with the 2006 season wide open before them, little can crush the competitive spirit harbored by the pros.
“We’re always excited no matter where we are or how tough it is,” said Adams, adding that he expects it to take more than 20 pounds to take the lead. “I expect there will be a lot of limits caught – small limits.”
“If you can catch 13 pounds a day, you’re in excellent shape,” Strader said.
Logistics
The full field competes in the two-day opening round for one of 10 slots in Friday’s competition based on their two-day accumulated weight. Weights are cleared for day three, and co-angler competition concludes following Friday’s weigh-in. The top 10 pros continue competition Saturday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.
Hosted by Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina and Resort, the tournament features 400 anglers from 38 states, Japan and Canada, with 200 of the world’s best bass pros fishing for a top award of $100,000 cash. Two hundred co-anglers will compete for a top award of $20,000 cash.
Anglers will take off each morning from Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina and Resort at 7 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 1005 W. Sugarland Highway in Clewiston beginning at 4 p.m.
Wednesday’s conditions:
Sunrise: 7:14 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 60 degrees
Expected high temperature: 65 degrees
Wind: from the north-northwest at 16 mph
Maximum humidity: 59 percent
Day’s outlook: showers