Logjam at the cut
Day three at Shasta to be decided by ounces
REDDING, Calif. – It’s day three of the limitfest known as the Stren Series Western Division at Shasta Lake, and that means it’s do-or-die time. The top-10 cuts will be made Friday, so everybody in this tightly contested affair will be searching hard for that one big bite.
The top four pros – Jim Davis, Gene Gray, Bill McLaughlin and Michael Tuck – have what might be considered a slight cushion against the competition here. They each have almost 23 pounds or more under their belt. From fifth-place Alex Dombrowski, who has 22-4, on down all the way pretty much to, say, 65th-place Michael Kirk with 18-0, it’s anybody’s ballgame.
The weather is chilly and clear for the second day in a row, which might provide some consistency on the water that some anglers have been missing over the first two days.
“Who knows? It’s changing every day,” said pro Gary Dobyns, who sits in contention in 15th place with 20 pounds, 12 ounces. “Wednesday, I caught them at 15 to 20 feet. Thursday, I caught them at 40 to 50 feet. The first day I didn’t catch very many fish, but I caught a few big ones. The next day, I caught a lot of fish but no big ones. So who knows? I’ll catch five, though.”
He won’t be the only one, that’s for sure. Expect the limit count to reach around 150 again Friday, which means the cut-weight decision will come down to ounces.
The big question will be whether anyone will have the cajones to put away their worms and bust out their swimbaits to go after some big fish. The conditions – cold and clear, but the wind has really picked up – aren’t really suited for it, but some of those pros hovering around the 18-pound range coming into the day might find it necessary to give it a shot.
Day-three weigh-in festivities begin at 3 p.m. Pacific time at Bridge Bay Marina located at 10300 Bridge Bay Road in Redding, Calif.
Following Friday’s competition, the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers will advance to Saturday’s final round based on cumulative three-day weight.
Friday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:32 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 36 degrees
Expected high temperature: 49 degrees
Water temperature: 47-53 degrees
Wind: NNE at 20-30 mph
Maximum humidity: 21 percent
Day’s outlook: sunny/windy