Second season opener on Okeechobee

Stren Series Southeast Division begins in Florida

CLEWISTON, Fla. – Three weeks ago the Walmart FLW Series BP Eastern Division kicked off its season on Lake Okeechobee. This week the famed Florida lake will serve as host to the Stren Series Southeast Division opener as well.

FLW Series pros hit the Big O at just the right time at the end of January. A prolonged warmup lured throngs of Okeechobee bass to the shallows to bed. Winner Jimmy McMillan of nearby Belle Glade, Fla., and a host of other top-10 finalists were able to pluck “easy” fish off a multitude of beds and employ buzzing type topwaters such as Horny Toads and Skinny Dippers for their top catches.

Those same techniques will still work this week for the Stren Series, but as several of the Stren Series pros pointed out at the day-one launch Thursday morning, much of the low-hanging fruit has been picked off and has not grown back.

“There will be a lot of fish caught again this week, but I think we’ll see an overall reduction in size and weight,” BP pro J.T. Kenney said. “There is still a bunch of 1- to 2-pounders on beds, but another wave of big fish has yet to move in. In years past, waves of big bass would replenish the same bedding areas every two to three weeks, and at least for me, I have not found that happening this year.”

In addition, the water has fallen some 8 to 10 inches on Okeechobee since the FLW Series, making fish not only harder to get to, but harder to catch.

“They get a lot spookier when the water is low,” said sight-fishing expert Koby Kreiger, who finished second in the FLW Series event. “Last time there was 2 or 3 feet of water on top of the fish, making them feel comfortable down in the middle of those nests. What’s more, you could maneuver your boat around a lot easier in the bedding areas because you were floating up over the grass. Now the fish are more wary, and it’s harder to be quiet in the thick grass.”

Kreiger, too, noted that some of the bedding areas he visited in the FLW Series have been vacated this week.

“Lots of old beds and not many new ones,” he quipped. “It’s going to be a little different this time around.”

Logistics

Anglers will take off from Roland & Mary Ann Martins Marina & Resort located at 920 E. Del Monte Ave. in Clewiston at 7 each morning. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m.

Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at the Walmart store located at 1005 W. Sugarland Highway in Clewiston, beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

The Lake Okeechobee Stren Series tournament is hosted by Roland & Mary Ann Martins Marina & Resort.

Sunrise: 6:50 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 59 degrees

Expected high temperature: 76 degrees

Water temperature: 68-70 degrees

Wind: NNE at 10 to 20 mph

Day’s outlook: sunny and windy