Day of reckoning
Top-10 pro cut, co-angler champion to be determined at Friday’s FLW Series Western weigh-in on Lake Havasu
LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – With a brilliant full moon, clear desert skies and brisk conditions serving as a backdrop, the full field of 390 pros and co-anglers hit the open waters of Lake Havasu with the knowledge that, for many competitors, there will be no tomorrow.
Departing Lake Havasu State Park Marina shortly after 7:30 a.m. Mountain time, anglers kicked off the third day of the inaugural Wal-Mart FLW Series National Guard Western Division competition in search of a defining catch that will separate them from the rest of the field. However, it won’t be easy. After two full days of fishing, the field has only managed a meager 27 five-fish limits – 26 in the Pro Division and one in the Co-angler Division. And prospects for a bountiful catch in today’s competition – with conditions largely unchanged from yesterday – appear to be fading fast for many.
“Mentally it’s a really tough bite,” said pro Greg Hall of San Francisco, currently lodged in 136th place with a two-day catch of 2 pounds, 4 ounces. “You have to go out and fish your best. But I’ll tell you what, it’s not the (California) Delta, and it’s not Clear Lake. When you have conditions like this, you start talking to yourself. A lot of anglers – anglers who have won plenty of tournaments – really are struggling out there.”
However, despite the fickle fishing conditions and cool weather, anglers will have little time to feel sorry for themselves as too much is at stake in today’s competition. For starters, pros are battling to qualify for today’s crucial top-10 cut. Currently, Mike Goodwin of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., leads all pros with a two-day catch of 24 pounds, 14 ounces. Goodwin remains the only angler in the competition to turn in back-to-back stringers weighing in excess of 10 pounds.
For co-anglers, there is even more pressure. After today’s competition, the co-angler with the largest three-day accumulated weight will be crowned champion. Currently, Larry Weaver of Long Beach, Calif., is the angler to beat in the Co-angler Division after netting a two-day catch of 12 pounds, 8 ounces. Weaver is also the only co-angler to land a five-fish stringer in this event to date.
FLW Series Western Division action continues at today’s weigh-in, scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. Mountain time at Lake Havasu State Park, located at 699 London Bridge Road in Lake Havasu City, Ariz. FLWOutdoors.com also offers FLW Live – bringing remote fans up-to-the-second results, complete with streaming audio and video – for those who cannot attend in person.
Friday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:35 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 41 degrees
Expected high temperature: 63 degrees
Water temperature: 46-54 degrees
Wind: N at 12 mph
Maximum humidity: 20 percent
Day’s outlook: sunny