Three down, one to go
Calm conditions greet finalists on the final day of the Chevy Open
DETROIT – After enduring waves on day three that made Lake Erie look more like the Gulf of Mexico, the top 10 finalists of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Chevy Open were relieved to see this morning greet them with sunny skies and calm seas. That not only makes for a smoother ride but lots more fishing time as well.
Not all the top 10 finalists are making the Erie run anyway. Yesterday’s seas were so rough on big Erie that No. 5 pro Kevin Long said, “I give a lot of credit to the guys that went to Erie.” Long and also No. 2 pro Terry Baksay are among the fishermen milking St. Clair for smallmouths this week instead of the fabled Lake Erie.
“I’m going to go back to Lake St. Clair,” Baksay said of his final-day plans. “I know it better than I know Lake Erie, and I’ve caught 120 pounds in that area.”
Though the big fish are on Lake Erie and everybody knows it, Baksay has indeed caught the fire out of them on St. Clair anyway this week, and he says today’s calm conditions will play right into his hands.
“I want it to be dead-stick calm and bright and sunny,” he said. “Those fish on Erie don’t like it calm; they like it rough.”
However, Trevor Jancasz is right behind Baksay in the standings, and he is fishing Erie with a shallower-water pattern that has him looking forward to today’s calmer seas as well – and not just for easier navigation.
“I expect good things today,” Jancasz said. “For what I’m doing, calm water does nothing but help me. The sun is golden for me, because I’m using my eyes a lot. It’s game on for me today. There’s no use wasting time on this river.”
With compromised fishing time not likely to be an issue today, Jancasz did say he expected everyone to bring in good bags. It may be a fight to the finish, as currently Steve Clapper continues to dominate, having led for the third straight day yesterday with 23 pounds, 3 ounces that puts him just under 3 pounds ahead of Baksay.
Competitors will weigh in their final catches today beginning at 4 p.m. at the Cobo Center, located at 1 Washington Blvd. in Detroit.
Sunday’s conditions
Sunrise: 6:08 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 58 degrees
Expected high temperature: 81 degrees
Wind: WNW at 5 to 10 mph
Day’s outlook: mostly sunny