Traffic jam
Numerous boats follow top 10 Stren Texas contenders to Sam Rayburn hot spots on final day
JASPER, Texas – It was the coldest morning yet of the four-day Stren Series Texas Division event, but the top 10 finalists were bundled up and raring to go. However, they weren’t alone. Judging by the boats dotting the landscape this morning, there is another obstacle they’ll have to overcome today – boat traffic.
Stren Series contenders have been hauling in the bass all week, and though the bite was down yesterday, the catch was still impressive. Apparently competitors from another tournament said to be launching on Sam Rayburn Sunday want to find out where the action is, and numerous boats trailed the top 10 as they took off Saturday morning from Umphrey Family Pavilion at Sam Rayburn.
Observers won’t be the only thing hindering the bite today. When asked what conditions would be like out there today, current leader Stephen Johnston looked up at the overcast skies and declared that things would get tougher.
If that’s so, it would follow a trend that began yesterday, when the cold front settled in and made things pretty complicated for anglers. Today is the final day of competition, and the winner will be determined by the heaviest four-day weight. Currently, Johnston has a 3-pound advantage over No. 2 Randy Millender heading into this afternoon’s weigh-in.
Both Johnston and Millender have seen their fair share of success on Sam Rayburn. Millender, though, already has a win here to his credit, while Johnston is still hungry after five top-10s.
On the co-angler side, leader Kerry Barnett of Waldron, Ark., went out in boat No. 1 with Johnston this morning, and he holds a 2-pound, 1-ounce lead over No. 2 co-angler Bill Rogers of Jasper, Texas.
Competitors will weigh in their final catches today beginning at 4 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 800 W. Gibson in Jasper.
Saturday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:02 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 34 degrees
Expected high temperature: 53 degrees
Wind: NE at 6 mph
Maximum humidity: 66 percent
Day’s outlook: partly cloudy