Day two dawns clear on Detroit River

Change in weather could affect bite on day two of Stren Series Central Division tournament

TRENTON, Mich. – Consensus opinion after day one of the Stren Series Central Division tournament on the Detroit River is that the bass are scattered. Schools are small and roaming. Traditional hotspots, such as the shallow weeds on Lake St. Clair, haven’t turned on yet. The best bite Thursday was in the 10 to 15 foot range.

But this system seldom fails to produce good weights and Thursday was no exception. The top seven pros all weighed 20 pounds or more while the top two co-anglers checked in with 19 pounds each.

Today will be interesting in that the weather has changed. Yesterday was overcast and dreary; today dawned clear and bright. Though the forecast includes a chance for rain – it’s only a 30 percent chance. The wind will switch from the northwest to the southwest. But it will peak at 10 mph, which won’t deter anybody who’s inclined to make a run for Lake Erie.

Zack Bull won’t be among them. The fourth-year pro from Germantown, Tenn., found all the fish he needed yesterday while throwing tube jigs and working drop-shot rigs on Lake St. Clair. He finished the day in 26th place with 16 pounds, 15 ounces.

While many pros said they would like to see sunshine, Bull isn’t among them. He said he fished like he did yesterday under sunny skies during practice and didn’t have nearly the action he got under yesterday’s gray skies.

“I had the fish on to lead this tournament,” Bull said. “I lost five fish and two of them were big, at least 4 pounds . I weighed two small keepers. Throw in those two big ones and I would have had over 20 pounds.”

Bull chose the right depth, 15 feet. Anglers who fished shallower, such as Mark Rose, reported less action. On his drop-shot rigs Bull used gobies on a 1-foot leader with 1/8-ounce weight. He’s keeping the weight just above the weed tops.

“This is a different world from what I’m used to fishing,” said Bull, who spends most of his time at Pickwick Lake in Alabama. “This is a lot of drifting, covering areas, not really spot fishing. But for smallmouths it’s unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

If he hasn’t caught a decent fish in Lake St. Clair by 10 a.m., Bull will move to the river, where he caught four nice smallmouths during practice. He also might use a crawfish-imitation bait, as the evidence in his livewell yesterday indicated the bass are feeding on crawfish.

Bull has fished the Stren Series for four years and has made the championship each year. With two third-place finishes, a 14th and a 43rd, he was the points champion in the Stren Series Central Division last year. In the ’09 Central Division opener on Kentucky Lake he placed 50th.

His co-angler today is Kris Thornton of Osceola, Ind., who’s in 108th place with 5 pounds, 9 ounces. He caught three fish yesterday drop-shot rigging on Lake St. Clair, so he should fit right in with Bull’s game plan for today.

Today’s weigh-in begins at 2:30 p.m. at Elizabeth Park Marina in Trenton. The field in both the pro division and co-angler division will be cut to 10. Those 20 anglers will advance to Saturday’s final. Weigh-in Saturday begins at 4 p.m. at the Walmart in Woodhaven.

Friday’s weather

Temperature at takeoff: 63 degrees

High temperature: 80 degrees

Sky: Clear

Wind: Southwest at 5 mph

Barometer: 29.85 inches and steady

Forecast: Clear skies this morning give way to cloudy skies this afternoon with a 30 percent chance of rain.