Winter reappears for final round
Nasty conditions await Stren Series finalists
BULL SHOALS, Ark. – After three days of nonstop casting, there simply aren’t many secrets left when it comes to bass fishing on the Ozark impoundment of Bull Shoals. With the exception of Mark Rose, every pro in the top 10 is throwing jerkbaits, a classic prespawn lure. With nine patterns mimicking each other, day four of the season-opening Stren Series Central Division event is all about execution.
Most, if not all, of the finalists are making long runs, some in excess of 50 miles each way. Fourth-place pro Jerry Weisinger said he is fishing all the way on the Missouri side of the lake. For whatever reason, the consensus is that the fishing is better on the north end.
Better is still a relative term as these anglers are only averaging three to six bites per day, so there is little room for error. After three cold, windy days, pro leader Tim Fleetwood isn’t sure his pattern will hold up on day four.
“I was just telling Randall (third-place pro Randall Hutson) that I don’t know; they may scatter after three days of doing this.”
Both the pro and co-angler winners will be determined today by the heaviest four-day combined weight.
Saturday’s weigh-in, which is free and open to the public, will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 168 Walmart Drive in Flippin, Ark., beginning at 4 p.m.
On the Web
For those who can’t catch the weigh-in action in person, FLWOutdoors.com offers FLW Live, an online application that brings fans real-time weigh-in results, streaming video and audio.
The stakes
Pros are competing for a top 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. Ranger will award another $3,000 to the winner if he or she is a participant in the Ranger Cup program. If the winner is not a Ranger Cup participant, Ranger will award $1,500 to the highest-finishing participant in the contingency program. Yamaha will match 50 percent of Ranger Cup earnings if “Powered by Yamaha” guidelines are met.
Co-angler competitors are fishing for a top award of $5,000 plus a $30,000 Ranger boat and trailer if contingency guidelines are met.
Saturday’s conditions
Sunrise: 6:38 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 31 degrees
Expected high temperature: 41 degrees
Water temperature: 42-48 degrees
Wind: WNW at 19 mph
Maximum humidity: 40 percent
Day’s outlook: partly cloudy and cold