Bedtime at Beaver?
Sun shines for Friday’s action at Wal-Mart Open
ROGERS, Ark. – The bass have been itching to come up to the bank and spawn at Beaver Lake, and the anglers have been anxiously waiting for them to do it. The skies cleared, and temperatures are rising Friday, which could make everyone happy as day three of the Wal-Mart Open gets under way.
With sunshine and a projected high temperature in the low 70s later in the day, it’s only a matter of time until the bass start coming up in droves. Anglers have already plucked a few precocious early spawners from the shallows under difficult weather conditions the first two days, but it’s been mostly a staging-bass, prespawn affair until this point. But with high skies and clear water being the order of the day, it has to be an ideal turn of events for the sight-fishermen, like Koby Kreiger.
The only question is, with just two days left, will they spawn in numbers before the tournament ends?
Kreiger had trouble seeing much in the tempest that was Thursday’s competition, so better weather should play right into his hands. On the other hand, a good percentage of the pro top 10 made the cut in large part because of the crummy weather. The crankbaiters and jerkbaiters – like Craig Powers, Jeffrey Thomas and Mark Rose – don’t have the cloud cover to help them out anymore, so it will be interesting to see how they adjust.
“At this stage, having the fish in the prespawn pretty much helped me out,” Thomas said. “The thing is, they’re moving, and they could be gone. And the crankbait has by far been the best and most consistent bait for me.”
Logistics
Weights from days one and two were cleared for the final rounds, and co-angler competition will conclude Friday afternoon. The top 10 pros continue competition Saturday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.
The winning co-angler will take home a top award of $40,000 cash, while the pros are in the hunt for a top cash prize of $200,000.
Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 4208 Pleasant Crossing Blvd. in Rogers beginning at 4 p.m. Central time. For those unable to attend in person, check out all the action at FLWOutdoors.com with FLW Live.
The community is invited to attend the free Family Fun Zone Friday and Saturday outside the weigh-in tent in the Wal-Mart parking lot. The Family Fun Zone, which opens at 2 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday, features interactive displays, product samples and games for the entire family to enjoy.
Immediately following Friday’s weigh-in, fans are invited to a free concert by country artist Mark Wills. Click here for details.
Friday’s conditions
Sunrise: 6:54 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 61 degrees
Expected high temperature: 72 degrees
Water temperature: 55-57 degrees
Wind: SW at 16 mph
Maximum humidity: 35 percent
Day’s outlook: mostly sunny