A needle in the haystack

Stren Series anglers search for Seminole’s pot of gold

BAINBRIDGE, Ga. – Somewhere on Lake Seminole there swims a small cluster of giant bass – a clique of large, pre-spawn female bass huddled together waiting for the days to get just a little longer and the water to get about 10 degrees warmer.

When one of the 374 anglers fishing the Stren Series Southeastern event on Seminole this week finds that small group of bass, they’re going to catch well over 20 pounds in a short amount of time.

Snickers pro Greg Pugh did it last year at the Seminole Stren when he caught 26 pounds, 10 ounces of bass in less than an hour from under a single mat.

But finding that tiny concentration of giants in Seminole’s mass of flooded timber, vast grass flats and miles of backwater is like finding the veritable needle in a haystack.

In addition to Pugh, other pros subject to find such a wad of bass in the next couple of days include flipping experts Billy Bowen, Glenn Browne, JT Kenney or deepwater Spring Creek aces Jerry Kelley or Jerry Simmons.

Bowen has won several BFL level events on Seminole with the big stick. Yesterday he caught just two bass, but they weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces. A few more of those type bites would move him up the leaderboard fast.

“This is one of those rare lakes where you can literally zero two of the three days, hit the gold mine on day three for a 28-pound limit and make the top-10 cut,” Bowen said. “One of these four days, someone is going to tap the right bunch of fish and put on a show here.”

Mother Nature is not exactly cooperating with Stren Series anglers this week, though. What Seminole needs is several days of sunshine to warm the waters and get the big girls moving. Yesterday’s sunshine was a help, but this morning’s heavy overcast and drizzle is not conducive to helping things warm up.

If no one hits the Seminole jackpot, this tournament could turn into one of grinding out 8 to 10 pounds per day for the cumulative four-day victory.

The day-two weigh-in of the Stren Series event on Lake Seminole will begin Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. at the Earl May Boat Basin in Bainbridge, Ga.

Thursday’s conditions

Sunrise: 7:31 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 48 degrees

Expected high temperature: 64 degrees

Water temperature: 48 to 53 degrees

Wind: E 10 to 20 mph

Day’s outlook: cloudy, drizzly