What a difference from day one

Falling temps, rain prevail on Falcon Lake

ZAPATA, Texas – All but a handful of the competitors in the Walmart FLW Series East-West Fishoff would opt not to change anything from day one as they head out on day two.

For most, day one was a struggle with a tough bite and lost fish. On Falcon Lake, which has legendary status among tournament bass anglers, a lost fish can mean a reduction of 10 pounds or more from the daily bag.

Those who longed for change got it Friday. Gone were the sunshine and blue skies that prevailed Thursday. In their place were a leaden gray sky, gusty winds and slanting rain that made for miserable conditions at takeoff. If the forecast for 55 degrees and 10- to 20-mph northwest winds prevails, it could mean a much different scenario at weigh-in.

Heading out in first place on the pro side is David Fritts, whose day-one weight of 37 pounds, 2 ounces gives him a 5-ounce lead over second-place Terry Bolton. Leading the co-angler field is Ron Fabiszak, whose day-one weight of 28 pounds, 2 ounces gives him an almost 3-pound lead over Robert Wood.

Fritts’ catch was the heaviest one-day weight brought to the scales in an FLW tournament, which might explain his confidence as he prepared for day two.

“There are a lot of fish in this lake, and they’re going to bite,” said Fritts through a hole in his buttoned-up rainsuit. “The key will be to get to where you were fishing. I feel pretty good about it. And if it’s tougher for me, it will be tougher for everybody.”

Fritts’ best presentation Thursday was a DT-14 crankbait. From the looks of what anglers were rigging before takeoff Friday, crankbaits will be the go-to bait for many, including Bolton, who, unlike Fritts, was decidedly more guarded in estimating his chances for another big weight on Friday.

“The way this lake is fishing right now,” Bolton said, “it would be easy not to catch anything. I got 12 to 13 bites yesterday. If I don’t get one today, I won’t forget yesterday for the rest of my life.”

Bolton said he used a lot of different baits Thursday, including DT-20 crankbaits, a variety of spinnerbaits and plastic worms. But returning to his best spot is not a sure thing, he said, due to its exposure to the wind.

“I may not even get to make a cast there,” Bolton said. “I may have to do more running around. If I can’t fish there, I’ll go somewhere and try to get a limit.”

Another pro whose best spot is vulnerable to the wind is third-place Mark Rose, who led the morning prayer before Friday’s takeoff. Though he didn’t include it in his invocation, Rose no doubt is praying for a bag that would equal his day-one weight of 30 pounds, 1 ounce.

“I like it like this,” Rose said of the nasty weather. “The fish aren’t worried about the rain. It affects the fishermen more than the fish.”

Logistics

Pros and co-anglers are fishing from the same boat, but in the East-West Fishoff the pros compete head to head against another pro, while the winning co-angler will be decided by the heaviest weight for three days.

Takeoff is 7 a.m. each day at Zapata County Park, where weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. The top 30 from the pro and co-angler ranks will advance to the 2009 Forrest Wood Cup.

Friday’s conditions

Sunrise: 7:02 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 45 degrees

Forecast: rain showers early will become intermittent by afternoon. High of 55 degrees. Wind northwest at 10-20 mph. Chance of rain is 40 percent.