No secrets here
Final day of Stren Series competition comes down to execution
FORT MADISON, Iowa – After three days of pounding, plodding and poking around, there simply aren’t any secrets left when it comes to bass fishing on Pool 19 of the Mississippi River. With the field cut to the top-10 pros and top-10 co-anglers, day four of the Stren Series Midwest Division event in Fort Madison is all about execution.
At least seven or eight of the final 10 boats will run south to the city of Montrose, Iowa. After six miles of travel, they will flip and throw topwater baits around lily pads and eel grass looking exclusively for largemouth bass. While this has been a productive pattern, its success relies chiefly on execution.
These largemouth anglers are only averaging six to 10 bites per day, so there is little room for error.
“In the more scattered stuff, I’ll throw the Horny Toad,” said pro leader William Davis. “In the thicker stuff I’ll use the frog. The worm is in case one shows itself but won’t come up.”
Davis recalled that Thursday was the one day that he really caught them good. For whatever reason, the fish were blasting his spinnerbait when it rained.
Second-place pro Mark Rose is wetting his line about 14 miles south of the Montrose area. It takes him roughly an hour and 15 minutes each morning to get to his spot. But once he’s there, the action is fast.
“I’ve been averaging about 20 bites per day,” said the Marion, Ark., pro. “I think the clearer water is definitely helping my area.”
The bite improved considerably on day three. Each of the pro finalists caught limits, meaning anyone could get a big bite or two and vault up the leaderboard. While Davis leads with 14-6, 10th-place pro Wesley Strader has 10-11, and there eight other pros squeezed in between them.
Both the pro and co-angler winners will be determined today by the heaviest two-day combined weight.
Saturday’s weigh-in, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled to take place at 4 p.m. Central time at the Wal-Mart store located at 324 West Agency Road in West Burlington, Iowa.
On the Web
For fishing fans who can’t watch the action in person, FLWOutdoors.com provides FLW Live, a free, real-time viewing application that is the next best thing to being there.
The stakes
The pros are competing for a top award worth as much as $64,500, including a 519VX Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor, Lowrance electronics and EverStart batteries plus $10,000 cash. Pros have the chance to earn an additional $10,000 bonus from Ranger if contingency guidelines are met. Ranger awards another $3,000 to the winner if he or she is a participant in the Ranger Cup program, or $1,500 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant. Yamaha will match 50 percent of Ranger Cup earnings if the participant meets “Powered by Yamaha” guidelines.
Co-angler competitors are fishing for a top award worth as much as $35,000, including a 519VX Ranger boat and trailer if contingency guidelines are met.
Saturday’s conditions
Sunrise: 6:13 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 62 degrees
Expected high temperature: 84 degrees
Water temperature: 79-86 degrees
Wind: ESE at 7 mph
Maximum humidity: 63 percent
Day’s outlook: mostly sunny