Changing weather could alter strategies on Lake Erie
Day two begins at EverStart Northern tourney in Sandusky
SANDUSKY, Ohio – Day two of EverStart Series competition was shrouded by fog at takeoff, but most of the anglers have very clear intentions to catch big bass today. Lots of them.
If yesterday was any indication, competitors will have to continue filling their livewells with fish weighing over 3 pounds to stay in contention and make the cut today. Sandusky Bay has been yielding 20-pound sacks of smallmouth this week from both the front and back of the boat. If that trend continues today, the opening-round two-day cut weight for the pros should be near 30 pounds for the pros and 20 pounds for the co-anglers.
But there are no guarantees. The weather is changing here in northern Ohio. Forecasters predict the cloud cover, wind and rain that moved through the area to lighten up by afternoon. Many competitors who’ve done well throwing a tube bait in 10 to 40 feet of water might find that their fish are on the move today due to the weather.
“The winds are going to change,” said yesterday’s Pro Division leader Jim Vitaro of Wooster, Ohio. “If it comes out of the northwest, that’s going to hurt some people.”
Weigh-in begins today at 3 p.m. at Bickely’s Boat Dock located at 101 Shelby Street in Sandusky. After today’s competition, both the Pro and Co-Angler divisions will be cut to the top 30 anglers for Friday’s semifinal round.
The four-day tournament has 330 anglers competing for a total purse worth $185,000. It lasts through Saturday, when the winning pro will receive $15,000 and a Ranger boat plus a $1,000 bonus from Garmin if he or she was using a fixed-mount Garmin sonar product. The winning co-angler will receive $6,000.
Vital statistics
Sunrise: 6:48 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 66 degrees
Expected high temperature: 76 degrees
Wind: N to NW 5 to 10 mph
Relative humidity: 94 percent
Day’s outlook: Variably cloudy with isolated thunderstorms
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