Floridians dominate day one at Okeechobee
Glenn Browne leads EverStart Eastern tournament
OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – Local anglers dominate the top five positions in the Lake Okeechobee EverStart Series tournament after day-one competition. This comes as no surprise to many contestants. When severe cold-front conditions envelope Lake Okeechobee, the locals always seem to dominate.
Glenn Browne of Ocala, Fla., leads the Pro Division with 26 pounds, 3 ounces. Doug Vest, from downtown Okeechobee, Fla., is in second with 22 pounds, 6 ounces. The only non-native in the top five is Barry Wilson from Chelsea, Ala., in third with 21 pounds, 5 ounces. Lake Okeechobee’s own Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla., is in fourth with 20 pounds, 15 ounces. And Russ Bringger of Hobe Sound, Fla., is in fifth with 19 pounds, 5 ounces.
Many anglers reported having to slow down to catch fish today. Leader Glenn Browne said he only caught seven or eight keepers over the course of the day. He caught his bass on an Allen Lures Fireclaw and a Gambler Crawdaddy in differing hues of blue.
Browne admitted that local knowledge came into play. “I have fished a lot of BFLs down here over the years,” he said. “I have been on this particular bunch of fish for a while.”
Other anglers reported having a tough day until they hit the mother lode. Local angler Doug Vest, who owns the popular Pogey’s Family Restaurant in Okeechobee, was one of those anglers.
He had one fish in the livewell at 1 p.m. Then he sacked up 22 pounds, 6 ounces in just one hour. When asked what he caught his fish on, he said, “a Pogey’s Pork Rind” – a piece of bacon from the restaurant.
Martin had already caught an early limit on a rattling lipless crankbait when he happened upon his windfall. “I made a move, switched tactics and culled nearly everything I had,” he reported.
Martin said his second round of bigger fish came by flipping a Matzuo crawdad with a 3/4-ounce weight tied to 30-pound-test Super Mono. “I was flipping the thickest stuff I could find,” he said. “I had to literally winch the fish out of this stuff.”
Russ Bringger also reported catching a sudden wad of fish. “I did not have a fish in the livewell at 11 o’ clock,” he said. “Then they just turned on. I caught my fifth fish at a quarter until two and left.”
Bringger was another angler that reported relying heavily on his local knowledge. “I have been on these fish for about three weeks,” he said. “I don’t think they are going anywhere.”
Big-bass honors on the pro side went to Tony Christian whose 9-pound, 7-ounce Okeechobee lunker anchored a 16-pound, 5-ounce catch. “That was the first fish I caught this morning,” Christian said. “Usually that is bad luck to catch one that big first thing, but it really got my heart pumping.”
Russell ranks No. 1 in Co-angler Division
In the Co-angler Division, Robert Russell of Smyrna, Tenn., leads with 15 pounds, 15 ounces. “I had a good guide,” Russell said about his pro partner Mickey Bruce. “Mickey was on them; he is a great guy.”
Russell admitted that he boated his limit before Bruce, but Bruce bounced back squarely with a catch of 19 pounds, 4 ounces.
Co-angler John Pellegrino of Smithtown, N.Y., holds down second place with 15 pounds, 7 ounces. Pellegrino reported catching his bass on Flapin’ Shads and worms.
Rounding out the top five in the Co-angler Division were Richard Angel of Surf City, N.C., (third place) with 12 pounds, 7 ounces; Derek Moyer of Alexandria, Va., (fourth) with 10 pounds, 8 ounces; and Rob Boswell of Winder, Ga., (fifth) with 10 pounds, 6 ounces.
Thursday’s weigh-in will take place at 3 p.m. EST at the Okee-Tantie Recreation Area located at 10430 Highway 78 W. in Okeechobee.
Quote of the day
When co-angler John Bruce, son of pro Mickey Bruce, weighed two bass for 2 pounds, 13 ounces, EverStart host Charlie Evans informed him that his dad had just weighed in 19 pounds, 4 ounces. To that the younger Bruce replied, “Yeah, dad has been holding out on me this week.”
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