Remembrance of weights past

Anglers still searching for big bites on Amistad

DEL RIO, Texas – As day two begins at the third Stren Series Texas Division tournament of the season, anglers hope Lake Amistad returns to form.

The big border water turned out uncharacteristically small weights Thursday, as just one fisherman among 365 pulled a 20-pound bag. That was Kevin Lasyone of Dry Prong, La., who leads the pro division with 20 pounds, 8 ounces. Mike Power of Canyon Lake, Texas, leads co-anglers with 19 pounds, 1 ounce.

Contrast those weights to the last time the Stren Series came to Lake Amistad in 2007. Thirteen pros caught 20-plus pound sacks on day one and eventual winner Rick Turner had a four-day average of 22 pounds.

“Yeah, it’s a little off compared to what it was two years ago,” said John Bowen of League City, Texas, who finished day one in 86th-place with 10 pounds, 9 ounces. “But it’s still a fun lake. Any cast could bring a 10 pounder.”

Bowen’s day-two partner, Rusty Harvey of Nederland, Texas, is 104th among co-anglers with 7 pounds. Both men will look to bounce back today. Bowen said he needs 15 pounds to cash a check and 20 pounds to make the top 10. Harvey’s shooting for 18 pounds. Today the field will be cut to the top-10 anglers in each division, who will go on to decide this tournament on Saturday.

For Bowen and Harvey to achieve their goals they must adjust to changed weather. Yesterday’s gusty winds have subsided. The sky went from mostly clear to completely overcast. At launch time drops of rain speckled the windshield on Bowen’s Ranger. He, for one, was okay with the wind but would have liked to see clear skies.

“It’s south Texas, the wind is going to be here,” said the third-year pro. “It changes how you fish, but you know that when you come here. But for Florida strain bass I like sunshine. It positions the fish more predictably. They get in the grass and you can concentrate on that. When it’s overcast they spread out too much.”

Yesterday Bowen pitched crankbaits into shallow water and working them back over a ledge that dropped to 42 feet. He said he caught 20 fish but just six keepers. Harvey, who was teamed with pro Art Garza, began the day in 12 feet with small swimbaits, but had his best action when he moved to 30 feet on the deep edge of hydrilla. Their he caught a five-fish limit by slowing down his presentation, which many other anglers reported having to do.

“Lighter weights and slower presentations seemed to be the key,” he said. “If you could keep it down and let a lot of line out you could get bites.”

None of which applied to Bowen’s crankbaits. “I’m turnin’ and burnin,” he said, “and I’ll do it again today.”

Harvey said he’ll do something different in the back of the boat, though he didn’t specify exactly what.

Whatever the individual members of the field of 365 decide upon, they all must be back at the Diablo East launch site for a 2:30 p.m. weigh-in.

Today’s weather

Temperature at takeoff: 73 degrees.

Sky: Cloudy.

Wind: Northeast at 7 mph.

Barometric pressure: 29.91 inches and steady.

Forecast: Partly cloudy with a high temperature of 87 degrees. Wind southeast at 5-10 mph.