Top 5 Patterns from Okeechobee Day 2
Florida pros dominate the top of the leaderboard
Jason Lambert is out for redemption after the season he had on the Walmart FLW Tour in 2015. Currently he sits just one more day away from wrapping his hands around the trophy and $60,000 payday that goes with winning the Costa FLW Series tournament presented by Power-Pole.
If things line up how they should, Saturday’s competition could be a shootout for the win with heavy weights expected. Putting pressure on Lambert will be nine other anglers who are anxious to get back on the lake – namely the four Florida pros sitting right behind him.
Read about Lambert’s leading pattern here.
2. Glenn Browne – Ocala, Fla. – 30-15 (10)
Ocala, Fla., pro Glenn Browne hasn’t been to Okeechobee for nearly three years, yet that hasn’t seemed to slow him down one bit this week. He has strung together two very consistent limits worth 16-4 and 14-11 from days one and two, respectively.
“You know I think that the area I found is what has helped me,” says Browne of his consistency. “It’s a protected area with almost no pressure. I have been weeding through a lot of little ones to get the size I’ve weighed.”
Browne has kept it simple on the technique front so far. He has been switching between a 1 1/2- and 2-ounce tungsten weights to produce all of his fish.
Over the past two days Browne has struggled to get those key kicker bites that can separate yourself from the rest of the pack in a hurry. He looks to change that tomorrow.
“I just don’t think the big fish have moved in my area yet,” Browne says. “I hope to hammer a quick limit from my primary area then I might go searching for bigger bites. I have a few other places I’d like to check. I’m going to need some of those big bites to have a chance at this thing.”
3. Bryan Honnerlaw – Moore Haven, Fla. – 29-14 (10)
Leading the pack of Okeechobee locals is Bryan Honnerlaw of Moore Haven, Fla., who backed up his day-one weight of 16-2 with 13-12 today. Not only does his cumulative weight of 29-14 push him into the final day, but it will also provide a nice paycheck.
Recently, Honnerlaw and his family lost their house due to a fire which made fishing a low priority.
“After the house burnt down I didn’t get out on the water as much as I’d like,” says Honnerlaw, who has guided on the Big O for 12 years. “So this is a huge blessing just to make the cut.”
With his personal life in line, Honnerlaw was able to concentrate on the tournament.
“I really thought I found the mother load in practice,” recalls Honnerlaw. “I had seven good bites in five minutes. When I went there the first day I caught two big ones and then had to scramble for a limit. I’ve made adjustments each day to catch what I have.”
Leaning on his ample knowledge of Okeechobee has been clutch for Honnerlaw. He has focused on flipping a variety of mats for the bulk of his catch.
“I have a group of fish down on the south end that I haven’t been to yet,” Honnerlaw says. “I don’t know if they’ve been pressured but I’ll probably go give them a try.”
4. Steve “Boogie” Brown – Atlamonte Springs, Fla. – 29-07 (10)
Improving on his day-one catch of 13-12 was Steve Brown who climbed up to fourth place thanks to his 15-11 limit on day two.
Like the majority of Florida pros in the field, Brown has spent years on Okeechobee. Those valuable days on the lake have made it easy to adjust on the fly this week.
“Knowing a lot of the prespawn and spawing areas of the lake has been a big help,” says Brown. “It has made it a lot easier to locate fish knowing where those historical areas were.”
While the bulk of the top 10 are putting most of their time and effort into one area, Brown has been doing lots of running and gunning.
“I like to spot hop,” Brown notes. “I let the fish tell me what’s going on. If I pull in an area and catch a few, and then it shuts off I just fire up the motor and go someplace else. I haven’t busted a big bag yet, but I know I could by spot hopping.”
Brown has kept four rods on the deck. Two are flipping sticks, one topwater rod and another rigged with a swim jig.
So what does Brown’s 14 years of experience on the Big O say about how the bite will be tomorrow with more sun and heat?
“I really think the fish are going to eat well. It could be a smashfest. It’s going to be a really good day.”
5. Joseph Kremer – Osteen, Fla. – 28-01 (10)
Rounding out the top five is Joseph Kremer who has also caught his fare share of bass from Okeechobee over the years. After he knocked out 17-3 on day one, his weight slipped some Friday to 10-14. Regardless, his 28-1 total is enough to put him in fifth and keep him in the hunt on the final day.
“I really thought the bite would be better,” says Kremer. “I’m glad the bite is tough, though. I usually do better in tough bite tournaments.”
Kremer has kept a flipping stick in his hand all week targeting a mixture of reeds, hyacinth and other matted vegetation in a 300-yard stretch of the lake.
“If the sun shines tomorrow I think it will be a catchfest,” Kremer says. “The bite should be a lot better. The spawn has been late this year so some warm weather should start bringing those females back in the grass.”
Tournament Details
Format: All 250 boaters and co-anglers will compete for two days. The top 10 boaters and co-anglers based on cumulative weight after two days of competition will advance to the third and final round, with the winner determined by the heaviest cumulative three-day weight.
Takeoff Time: 7:30 a.m.
Takeoff Location: C. Scott Driver Park, 10100 West Highway 78, Okeechobee, FL 34972
Weigh-In Time: Days 1 and 2 at 3 p.m.; Day 3 at 3 p.m.
Weigh-in Location: C. Scott Driver Park, 10100 West Highway 78, Okeechobee, FL 34972
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