Final rumble on the Red River
Top-10 Stren Series Texas Division anglers hit the water in search of a tournament title
NATCHITOCHES, La. – And then there were 10. As Stren Series anglers departed the Grand Encore Recreational Complex shortly after 6:30 a.m. amidst a similar backdrop of cooler temperatures and abundant fog, the final field took to the open waters of the Red River in a bid to be crowned champion.
However, for a majority of the pro field that task will not be an easy one given Ricky Fuqua’s dramatic rise in the standings. After languishing in 27th place before the start of yesterday’s competition, Fuqua boated a monstrous 19-pound, 14-ounce stringer that propelled him into first place with a healthy 2 1/2-pound cushion – which is significant given the ongoing stingy conditions on the Red River.
As a result, the remainder of the pro field will be playing catch-up in today’s action.
“Fuqua catching that big stringer yesterday kind of hurt,” said Stren Series finalist Chris McCall. “Now if he comes back today with at least 7 pounds, that means I have to catch 11 pounds. I’m not fishing the backwaters and that’s probably where you have to be if you want to catch those really big stringers. For me, where I’m fishing, I think the max I can catch is 12 pounds. So it’s going to be tough.”
McCall said that he’s going to stick with his original plan and try to be as consistent as possible and hope some of the leaders stumble.
“I thought coming in here that consistency was going to be very important and that’s what I’ve tried to do all week – be consistent,” said McCall, who currently sits in fourth place. “My bite has been fairly constant but it seems to be ending earlier and earlier each day.
“The potential is there for me,” McCall continued. “But I have to start getting some bigger bites. This whole tournament I haven’t caught a fish over 3 pounds.”
If a tournament title isn’t incentive enough to catch Fuqua, pros have some additional motivation in the form of $65,000 in first-place prize money. In addition, top-10 finalists will be vying for valuable points that could earn them a berth in the $1 million Stren Series Championship, slated for Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo., Nov. 5-8.
Over in the Co-angler Division, Alan Hults of Gautier, Miss., maintained the overall lead for a second day in a row with a total catch of 25 pounds, 2 ounces. And like Fuqua, Hults also enjoys a relatively comfortable 2 1/2-pound cushion.
In today’s competition, co-anglers will be angling for a total first-place prize package of $35,000.
Tourney format
During Saturday’s final day of Red River competition, the top-10 finalists in both the pro and co-angler divisions will set out to add to their three-day total weight. At the conclusion of today’s weigh-in, the angler in each of the two divisions who has amassed the heaviest accumulated weight over all four days of competition will be declared the winner.
Stren Series Texas Division action continues at today’s weigh-in, scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. (CDT) at the Grand Encore Recreation Complex, located at 234 Rufus Morgan Road in Natchitoches, La.
Can`t make the weigh-in in person, then watch it on FLW Live on FLWOutdoors.com beginning at 3 p.m. (CDT).
Vital statistics:
Sunrise: 7:04 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 54 degrees
Expected high temperature: 87 degrees
Wind: From the north at 7 mph
Water temperature: 74-78 degrees
Maximum humidity: 52 percent
Day’s outlook: Sunny