Mississippi River kings

Stren Series Central Division anglers hit open waters of one of nation’s most storied waterways in search of tourney title

FORT MADISON, Iowa – Less than 24 hours removed from a parade of nonstop tornado warnings and severe thunderstorms, Stren Series Central Division anglers departed Captain Kirk’s Marina shortly after 6:30 a.m. to do battle with the great Mississippi River. But while conditions aren’t nearly as bad as the previous day, anglers were still facing an uphill battle with Mother Nature.

At the start of Thursday’s takeoff, winds were clocking in at a steady 20 mph while the Mississippi was busy producing some less-than-welcoming turbulent water and wave activity. With the National Weather Service calling for overcast skies, steady winds and sporadic rain throughout the day, anglers will have to do their best to ignore the conditions and focus simply on catching fish.

“I feel at home on the Mississippi River, but I don’t think it’s going to show its true colors today,” said pro Mark Rose of Marion, Ark. “We’re going to have some tough conditions today. Right now the river is not fishing nearly as good as it usually does. I grew up on the Mississippi, so if it’s going to be a tough tournament, I’d rather have it be here than anywhere else. But in all honesty, I think the conditions are going to be a lot tougher on the anglers than the fish.”

Rose believes anglers who have stockpiled some prime fishing locations that have some cover from the wind could get a real boost in today’s competition.

“Today the guys who have something off the beaten path will probably have an advantage,” he said. “Anytime you can get out of this wind, it’s a nice bonus. The river is also pretty muddy right now. But there are still some clean backwater areas that can be found if you know where to look.”

Rose said that a variety of tactics should work throughout the three-day event. However, that being said, he emphasized that bass-fishing fans shouldn’t expect to see any monster stringers either.

“Fishing anywhere in August is tough, but here it’s going to be especially difficult,” said Rose. “I think 10 pounds a day is going to be a pretty good weight with the better weights in the 12- to 13-pound range.”

So what tactics can be successfully employed at this time of the season on the Mississippi?

“I think there will be a good flipping bite on wood and timber,” said Rose. “Fishing wing dams and rocky points on the main lake should work as well. At least that’s where the shad should be.”

Tourney format

During Stren Series competition, pros supply the boats, fish from the front deck against other pros and control boat movement. Co-anglers fish from the back deck and compete against other co-anglers. Anglers are permitted to weigh in their best five bass each day. Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points that determine angler standings. Two hundred points are awarded to the winner, 199 points for second, 198 points for third, and so on. The full field competes on days one and two, with the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers advancing to Saturday’s final round of competition based on their two-day accumulated weight. Winners are determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all three days.

Pros will fish for a top award of $65,000 which includes $25,000 cash plus a 198VX Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with a MinnKota trolling motor and Lowrance electronics if Ranger Cup guidelines are met. Co-anglers will be angling for a first-place prize of $35,000, which includes a top award of a 177TR Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and trailer and $5,000 in cash if the co-angler meets the Ranger Cup guidelines.

Anglers at the Fort Madison event will be competing for a total purse of $275,000.

In addition, competitors will be vying for valuable points that could earn them a berth into 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.

Stren Series action continues at today’s weigh-in, scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. at Captain Kirk’s Marina located at 902 Fourth Street in Fort Madison, Iowa.

Bass-fishing fans take note

Want to watch the weigh-in live but can’t make it in person? Then tune in to FLW Live on FLWOutdoors.com shortly before 3 p.m. Central time to watch live streaming video and audio of today’s opening-round weigh-in.

Ranger Boats to unveil all-new Z521 Comanche

This week bass-boat fans can also check out the official unveiling of the new Ranger Z521 Comanche, scheduled to be shown Thursday, Aug. 20, through Saturday, Aug. 22, in Fort Madison, Iowa.

Specifically, the boat will be on display Thursday, Aug. 20, and Friday, Aug. 21, at the Stren Series weigh-in at Captain Kirk’s Marina, located at 902 4th St. in Fort Madison. Weigh-in times for the first two days of Stren Series competition (Aug. 20 and Aug. 21) begin at 3 p.m. CDT. The Z521 will also be available for viewing Saturday, Aug. 22, during the final Stren Series weigh-in, slated to take place at the Burlington Walmart Supercenter at 324 West Agency Road in Burlington, Iowa.

Thursday’s conditions

Sunrise: 6:21 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 65 degrees

Expected high temperature: 76 degrees

Water temperature: 75-79 degrees

Wind: W at 20 mph

Maximum humidity: 77 percent

Day’s outlook: overcast skies and scattered showers