Wind-whipped and Erie bound
More competitors expected to make the bumpy ride to Erie today
DETROIT – If you thought day one of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Chevy Open on the Detroit River was good, wait til you see day two. That’s the talk this morning as boat after boat aimed toward Lake Erie for a red-hot smallmouth bite.
While fish can be had on the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair, Erie is where it’s at when it comes to big-money tournaments held on this fishery. But rough seas yesterday prevented some anglers from making the Erie run, and it kept a few anglers from making the trip back – several competitors suffered forfeited catches after failing to make it back in on time.
Despite the rough navigation, catches were certainly solid on day one, with the pro leader, Erie heavyweight Steve Clapper, topping the list with 22 pounds. His day-one co-angler partner, Chris Langenfeld, led his division with 21-2.
“The weights are going to go way up,” predicted Arkansas pro Ray Scheide, whose day-one 12 pounds, 7 ounces left him mired in 108th. “Everybody’s going to get to fish Erie today – that’s where the really big fish are.”
The difference between today and yesterday is blowing in the wind. Scheide pointed to an American flag billowing in the breeze above a bridge and noted that while the wind may be a little stiff at takeoff, ensuring a bumpy ride to Erie, it was supposed to slack off during the day, ensuring a smoother ride back, unlike yesterday.
“The people that didn’t go yesterday knew the wind was going to get worse,” Scheide said. “Today it’s going to be a rough ride out there, but it’s going to lay down about noon, and they’ll have a nice ride back in.”
No doubt many anglers will be smearing on the Ben Gay upon their return, but if Erie lives up to its reputation, the fish they bring in will be worth the pain.
The 200-boat field will be cut following today’s weigh-in to the top 10 pros and co-anglers based on heaviest two-day weights. The current cut weight on the pro side is 18-14, and Scheide said he expects it to take as much as 38 pounds to make the cut.
Competitors will weigh in their day-two catches today beginning at 3 p.m. at Elizabeth Park Marina, located at 202 Grosse Isle Parkway in Trenton.
Friday’s conditions:
Sunrise: 6:06 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 57 degrees
Expected high temperature: 77 degrees
Wind: from the WNW at 8 mph
Maximum humidity: 47 percent
Day’s outlook: sunshine with a few afternoon clouds