EverStart Series Central Division gets started on Sam Rayburn
Anglers prepared to face stormy weather on day one
JASPER, Texas – The threat of rain loomed ominously Wednesday morning as anglers took off for day one of the EverStart Series event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir with nary a ray of sunshine in sight. The fishing will likely be complicated this week for myriad reasons, but as each of the tournament’s 200 pros know, that doesn’t mean the big Texas lake isn’t still full of record-breaking bass.
Indeed, the heaviest fish ever caught in EverStart Series history was caught right here, a 12-pound, 11-ounce hog hauled in by Jeary Wheeler of Batesville, Ark., in 2003. This week, the fish are in transition mode, and according to Massachusetts pro Al Gagliarducci, the water temperature rose some 8 degrees just yesterday.
“The fish are moving shallow, but you should be able to catch some deep,” Gagliarducci said. “Yesterday the water temperature was 68 degrees on one side of the lake and 64 on the other side.”
Gagliarducci said the fishing should remain solid through tomorrow, which is set to be the first day of a pretty chilly cold front, but Friday and Saturday remain question marks in the minds of anglers. Due to Rayburn’s sheer size, expected wind gusts could also pose a threat to competitors.
“This lake’s so big,” Gagliarducci said. “We’re catching them deep like on Lake Erie but not too deep. It’s kind of a transition period. We’ll find out in the first couple casts how it’s going to be.”
With thunderstorms in the forecast and a flood warning in effect, it could be a long day out there on big Sam Rayburn.
The full field will compete today and tomorrow for one of 10 slots in Friday and Saturday’s competition. Wednesday’s weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. from the Umphrey Family Pavilion, which is located at 5438 RR 255 W. in Jasper.
Wednesday’s conditions:
Sunrise: 6:49 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 62 degrees
Expected high temperature: 69 degrees
Water temperature: mid-60s
Wind: from the east-southeast at 7 mph
Maximum humidity: 92 percent
Day’s outlook: thunderstorms