Technique battle continues at Gaston
Several fishing options proving successful at Stren Series event
BRACEY, Va. – Among the top five pros on the leaderboard at the Stren Series Northern event on Lake Gaston, several very different patterns are emerging.
For leader Ott Defoe, a topwater and a Senko have been the keys to his success. He used a Senko to catch his entire 14-pound, 10-ounce limit on day two, including his biggest bass.
“I’m fishing really shallow, and with the water so clear, the Senko is the right presentation because it looks so natural in the water; it does not spook the fish,” Defoe explained.
On the other hand, second-place pro David Wright is doing something compelely different: throwing a crankbait to offshore cover in 10 to 12 feet of water.
Just behind him, Snickers pro Chris Baumgardner is using a ChatterBait to catch his fish from lay-downs and other bank cover.
And then there is Jacob Powroznik, who is “sight-fishing” ultrashallow fish with a jig. He can see “packs” of bass hunting bream in the shallows, and he casts his jig to them to get the bite.
“It’s all about fishing in the way that gives you the most confidence,” said Baumgardner.
“The ChatterBait has worked for me all year, so when I got here in practice, that’s the kind of water I looked for – off-colored water with the right cover for a ChatterBait.”
“I’m sure the same is true for David Wright,” Baumgardner continued. “When he got here, he went straight out there to crankbait water to do what he does best. We both know what each other is doing, but I’m not going to go out there and crank ledges when there are shallow fish to catch, and he is not going to come up around the bank and pitch a ChatterBait when there are deep crankbait fish to catch. And that’s what makes tournament fishing so interesting. We all bring our different styles to the table, apply them for four days and see who goes the distance.”
The X factor today will be the topwater bite that produced good fish for the leaders on day one. Day one featured heavy, overcast conditions and mist for most of the morning, and Defoe and Baumgardner took advantage of it with some bonus topwater bites.
With the lengthy fog delay and quickly clearing skies on day two, the topwater bite was mostly over by the time anglers started fishing.
Day-three conditions have more closely matched day one, and the topwaters will likely be put back to work this morning.
The day-three weigh-in will begin at 3 p.m. at Americamps located 9 Lakeside Lane in Bracey, Va.
Friday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:11 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 72 degrees
Expected high temperature: 86 degrees
Water temperature: 75-80 degrees
Forecasted winds: ENE at 5 to 10 mph
Day’s outlook: overcast