Clear cut

Stren Series Western field competing for final 10 slots

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – The temperature is slowly rising. The sky is clearing. The fishing is improving. Clear Lake is shaping up to be an angler’s paradise as the Stren Series Western Division kicks off competition the first week in March.

With over half the field of 296 bass pros and their co-anglers catching limits Thursday, and a good many of them hefty, there’s no question competitors are enjoying Clear Lake’s bountiful largemouth population. But on day two of a three-day Stren event, there’s still something weighing heavily upon the anglers, leaving many of them anxious in the predawn minutes before takeoff: the cut.

For a vast majority of the field, Friday is the final day of fishing in the Western Division season opener. Only the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers, based on their two-day weights, will be left standing after today’s weigh-in.

No single pattern or bait has yet bubbled to the surface as the dominant approach on a prespawn Clear Lake. But most agree the bass are lethargic, so two general styles are common: trying to entice a bite with reaction baits or painfully slow finesse-fishing. Most of the top five pros are using reaction baits, but a long list of others in contention are fishing delicately.

It is a Western tournament, after all, so many anglers are throwing drop-shots with Senkos and other finesse baits, and bulkier swimbaits can be seen tied on to some rods. But some big bass have also been claimed with traditional fare like spinnerbaits, crankbaits and big jigs.

Day-one leader Steve Ericksen employed a couple of tactics in different parts of the lake and at different depths to land his 27-pound, 7-ounce limit. But the common thread in his approaches to coaxing strikes was big baits, whether jigs, creatures or other imitations.

With clear skies and slightly warmer temperatures today, many expect the overall catches to improve despite a second day of fishing pressure. Tenth place in the Pro Division currently stands at 21-9, while a three-way tie for ninth place in the Co-angler Division hinges on a weight of 16-11, so look for these approximate cutoff weights today: about 40 pounds on the pro side and roughly 32 pounds for co-anglers.

Clear Lake is teeming with monster largemouths, so a single bite can vault a competitor way up the leaderboard, leaving this tournament wide open to countless anglers. With top prize packages worth $65,000 for the winning pro and $35,000 for the winning co-angler, you can bet everyone will bring their “A game” today.

Logistics

Pros will fish for a top award of $25,000 plus a 198VX Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance electronics if Ranger Cup guidelines are met. If the winner is not a Ranger Cup participant, Ranger will award $7,500 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant in the contingency program.

Co-anglers will cast for a top award of a 177TR Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and trailer. If the co-angler meets the Ranger Cup guidelines, they will earn an additional $5,000. If the winner is not a Ranger Cup participant, Ranger will award $2,500 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant in the contingency program.

Competitors will also be vying for valuable points that could earn them a trip to the Stren Series Championship on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala., Nov. 5-7 for a shot at $150,000 in the Pro Division and $60,000 in the Co-angler Division. After four qualifying events are complete in each Stren Series division – Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western – the top 40 pros and 40 co-anglers based on the points standings from each division will advance to the championship.

Weighing in

Friday’s weigh-in begins at 2:30 p.m. Pacific time at the marina at Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa located at 8727 Soda Bay Road in Kelseyville. For bass-fishing fans unable to attend the festivities in person, you can catch all the weigh-in action live at FLWOutdoors.com with FLW Live.

The final takeoff will take place tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. at Redbud Park, located at 14655 Lakeshore Drive in Clear Lake, Calif. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Walmart store located at 15960 Dam Road in Clearlake beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

Friday’s conditions

Sunrise: 6:36 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 37 degrees

Expected high temperature: 55 degrees

Water temperature at the ramp: 49 to 50 degrees

Wind: NW at 5 to 10 mph

Maximum humidity: 84 percent

Day’s outlook: sunshine and clouds mixed