Fishing time dwindles drastically on day two

Stren Series anglers lose nearly three hours of fishing time due to fog delay on Lake Gaston

BRACEY, Va. – Just before the day-two takeoff of the Stren Series Northern Division event, a thick fog rolled across Lake Gaston, trapping eager anglers into the Americamps cove for a majority of the morning.

As minutes ticked off the game clock, one who seemed undisturbed by the delay was leader Pete Gluszek of Franklinville, N.J.

“It does not bother me a bit,” said Gluszek. “It’s funny, when you’re leading a tournament, a fog delay is not a problem. Now if I was sitting out there just outside the top-10 cut, I’d probably be going crazy. But for now, heck, I hope the fog stays around all day.”

Gluszek nearly got his wish as the stubborn fog refused to clear for nearly three hours.

Some, like pro Terry Baksay, used the opportunity to see if he could absorb some good fortune from the red-hot Gluszek, who has been on a fish-catching tear in the last several weeks.

“I just had to come over, rub his lucky hat and see if I could get some pointers,” Baksay laughed.

Finally, at about 9:45 a.m., anglers were released to fish a short day.

Fortunately, Gaston is a fairly small lake. Tough decisions about long runs or locking through to another lake were not weighing heavy on the anglers’ minds with each minute lost.

But the shortened day will no doubt cut into the catch rates this afternoon. The day-two weigh-in will begin at 3 p.m. at Americamps, located at 9 Lakeside Lane in Bracey, Va.

Thursday’s conditions

Sunrise: 7:10 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 67 degrees

Expected high temperature: 90 degrees

Water temperature: 75-80 degrees

Forecasted winds: NE at 5 to 10 mph

Day’s outlook: warm, humid