Empty beds
Temperatures drop for final day of FLW Tour opening round
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Day one of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour event on the Fort Loudoun-Tellico lakes was easy pickings for the majority of the 200-boat field. With nearly everyone lurking the banks for bedding bass, the best fish might have already been caught, leaving slim pickings for today’s competition.
While BFGoodrich Tires pro Chad Grigsby of Maple Grove, Minn., leads the event with just under 20 pounds, another Twin Cities angler struggled to find the right fish. BP pro Jim Moynagh caught just three bass that weighed 6 pounds, putting him 127th. While Moynagh expects weights to fall significantly today, he doesn’t believe the sight-fishing bite has run its course.
“I think we’re at a stage in the spawn where new fish will be coming up,” said the Carver, Minn., pro. “Plus, the cloud cover should help the catch. Even with the cloud cover, you can still see the shallower beds.”
Moynagh’s plan today is to fish tight and cruise the bank, targeting any fishable objects he sees. In particular, he plans to run upriver in search of new or untouched pockets. His main baits are plastics, anything from a finesse worm to a tube to a creature bait.
“The one thing about fishing spawners: It may take a half-dozen or more different types of lures to get them to bite. But this time of year, you can pull up into a fresh pocket and completely alter the outcome of your tournament. My goal is simply to stay with my plan of attacking these shallow fish. If I do that, hopefully I’ll pull into the right places.”
Temperatures this morning were 10 degrees lower than yesterday’s takeoff. Still, with highs expected near 70 degrees, another perfect day of springtime fishing awaits.
Logistics
The two-day, opening-round cut will be made following Friday’s action. The full field competes in the opening round for one of 10 slots in Saturday’s competition based on their two-day accumulated weight. Look for the pro cut weight to hover around 28 to 30 pounds and the co-angler cut weight to settle in around 11 to 13 pounds.
Weights are cleared for day three, and co-angler competition concludes following Saturday’s weigh-in. The top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.
On the Web
For those who can’t catch the weigh-in action in person, FLWOutdoors.com offers FLW Live, an online application that brings fans real-time weigh-in results, streaming video and audio. Just go to the FLW Live home page and follow the simple instructions.
Friday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:26 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 58 degrees
Expected high temperature: 74 degrees
Water temperature: 66-71 degrees
Wind: S at 7 mph
Maximum humidity: 68 percent
Day’s outlook: mostly cloudy