Will weights fall?

94-minute fog delay shortens precious angling time

ROGERS, Ark. – Day one of the 2008 Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake was quite the oddity. Instead of finesse fishing and sight-fishing, anglers powered their way to better-than-expected catches. But as the fishing pressure mounts and the skies clear, some are expecting weights to drop significantly on day two.

Anglers were already under the gun as today is the final day of the opening round. But as the clock struck 6:30 this morning, it was obvious nobody would be going anywhere anytime soon. As so often happens in the Ozarks, a thick blanket of fog covered the Prairie Creek Marina. At 8:04 a.m., Tournament Director Bill Taylor deemed the conditions safe to commence takeoff.

“The problem was that there was heavy fog at the Highway 12 Bridge,” said Taylor. “Extra caution is needed in that area because of the high water.”

While no one topped the 15-pound mark on day one, weights were strong across the board. Nearly 13 pounds was needed to be in the top 10 in the Pro Division and 10 pounds put an angler in approximately 50th place. Consider last year at this time Jay Yelas caught 10-11 and was in 10th place after opening day. This year, Yelas caught a near-identical 10-4 and is currently tied for 50th.

“I predicted before we started that it would take 26 pounds to make the cutoff,” said Yelas, the 2007 Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year on the FLW Tour. “The fishing has been good, and I think it should be just as good, if not better, today. In my experience, muddy water and bright sun go real well together.”

Local angler Greg Bohannan disagrees. He thinks weights will fall dramatically on day two.

“Yesterday you could just pick up a spinnerbait and start catching fish,” said the fourth-place pro. “This lake gets that way when it’s cloudy and windy. I think the sun will make the weights go down a bunch. Right now, a little over 24 pounds is the cut weight. I think there will be a 1 1/2-pound drop today. It will take about 22 1/2 pounds to make the top 10.”

Logistics

The two-day, opening-round cut will be made following Friday’s action. The full field competes in the opening round for one of 10 slots in Saturday’s competition based on their two-day accumulated weight. Look for the pro cut weight to hover around 23 to 24 pounds, and the co-angler cut weight to settle in around 14 to 15 pounds.

Weights are cleared for day three, and co-angler competition concludes following Saturday’s weigh-in. The top 10 pros continue competition Sunday, with the winner determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.

Friday’s weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. Central time at Prairie Creek Marina, located at 1 Prairie Creek Marina Drive in Rogers.

Friday’s conditions

Sunrise: 6:09 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 48 degrees

Expected high temperature: 74 degrees

Water temperature: 63-66 degrees

Wind: NNW at 8 mph

Maximum humidity: 60 percent

Day’s outlook: mostly sunny