A fresh start
Different lake, format and facility greet Stren Series Southeast anglers at Okeechobee opener
OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – Same old different lake. Perhaps that’s the best way to describe Lake Okeechobee.
Every year since 1998, the Stren Series has held its season opener on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee, and every year the lake is a completely different fishery from the year before.
Last year, a hurricane-battered Big O served up swollen, muddy conditions to Stren Series anglers. High water and big waves had stirred up the lake’s mucky bottom, forcing most of the tournament field to fish in the confines of Moonshine Bay.
This year Moonshine Bay does not even exist, unless you have an air boat. Currently the lake’s water level is some 4 feet lower than last year’s level – think Lake Okeechobee at low tide.
The result is a clearer and much more fishable lake than what the Stren Series has seen in recent years.
“It’s not exactly clear all over the lake,” noted Fujifilm pro Roger Crafton of Boca Grande, Fla. “But compared to the last two years, there are a whole lot more fishing options available now, both in terms of areas and techniques.”
Over the years, the Stren Series Okeechobee opener has been responsible for uncovering new techniques, including Senkos, tungsten-weighted flipping craws and ChatterBaits.
So what’s the hot lure going to be this year?
According to Okeechobee Fishing Headquarters owner and Okeechobee guide Greg MacLean, everything.
“Business has been exceptional for this tournament because anglers are buying everything from spinnerbaits to plastic worms to crankbaits,” MacLean noted. “Over the last several years, Okeechobee fishing has been so one-dimensional; everyone who came in the store just wanted tungsten weights and plastic craws. But this year the fish are biting a little bit of everything, and it’s been reflected in our sales.”
MacLean believes conditions are shaping up for a major Okeechobee catchfest over the next few days.
“We’ve got low water, a full moon and a decent weather forecast, so fish should be up spawning everywhere,” he added. “There’s going to be a ton of limits weighed in with plenty of heavy weights at the top.”
New format
In addition to a different Lake Okeechobee, Stren Series anglers have a few other new things to look forward to this week.
In a departure from the longstanding Stren Series standard of a top-10 or top-20 cut on day two of competition, this season the Stren Series has adopted the format of the Wal-Mart FLW Series, which allows the full field of anglers to fish three days – Wednesday, Thursday and Friday – with a cut to the top 10 made Friday afternoon. Only the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers will advance to Saturday’s final round, and the winners will be determined by cumulative weight from all four days.
Tournament logistics
Another new facet of the opener is a fresh tournament facility in the town of Okeechobee. For this event, anglers will take off from the brand new C. Scott Driver Park Marina located at 10100 W. Highway 78 in Okeechobee at 7:30 EST each morning.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the C. Scott Driver Park beginning at 3 p.m.
Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 2101 S. Parrott Ave. in Okeechobee beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
For bass-fishing fans unable to attend the festivities in person, you can catch all the weigh-in action live at FLWOutdoors.com with FLW Live. Show time starts at 3 p.m. Eastern today.
Pros will fish for a guaranteed top pro award of $25,000 plus a $40,000 519VX Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor, Lowrance electronics and EverStart batteries if contingency guidelines are met.
Co-anglers will cast for a guaranteed top award of $5,000 plus a $30,000 Ranger boat and trailer if contingency guidelines are met.
Wednesday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:15 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 66 degrees
Expected high temperature: 81 degrees
Water temperature: 68-72 degrees
Forecasted winds: E at 5 to 10 mph
Day’s outlook: warm and balmy with a 30-percent chance of thundershowers