A different day dawns

Clear skies, cooler temperatures and gusty winds grace Okeechobee on day three

CLEWISTON, Fla. – After two days of heavy morning fog, high humidity and warm temperatures, FLW Series BP Eastern Division anglers got a little surprise when they awoke this morning to temperatures in the 50’s and a stiff north wind of 15 to 20 mph.

“I’m shipwrecked,” said current tournament leader BP pro JT Kenney just before takeoff this morning. “This wind is bad – very bad. I’m sure it’s muddied everything up where I’m fishing. I’m still going back to where I caught them yesterday to try it for a few hours anyway. Sometimes they’ll still bite right at day break for an hour or so even if the water is muddy.”

“Look at how much the water has come up in here from the wind,” said Prilosec pro Chad Grigsby, pointing to the rocks in the rim canal.

The small bank where Kenney and Grigsby had beached their boats before takeoff on days one and two was submerged in 18 inches of new water.

“At least I’ll be able to run out there (into the main lake) without worrying about hitting anything,” added Grigsby, who is currently in third place.

Grigsby, too, is planning on giving his main lake hotspot where he caught 22 pounds, 8 ounces yesterday a go this morning as well.

Both anglers have back up water in the rim canal, but it’s an option that they would rather not entertain.

“The rim ditch has been beat up by anglers for two days,” Grigsby said. “Plus, with this wind, there will be even more in there today. After catching 22 pounds out on the lake yesterday, returning to the rim canal is not something you particularly look forward to.”

Grigsby also indicated that those anglers fishing way up in the Kissimmee River might make a big rebound today.

“Anytime the wind blows hard out of the north like this, the current in the river starts trucking and it really turns those fish on,” he added.

The rapid change in conditions could cause a rapid reshuffling of the leader board this afternoon. The day three weigh-in begins Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. at Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina & Resort located at 920 E. Del Monte Ave. in Clewiston.

Friday’s conditions

Sunrise: 7:12 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 58 degrees

Expected high temperature: 69 degrees

Water temperature: 60’s

Wind: NNE 15 to 25 mph

Day’s outlook: windy and cooler