Oneida Midday Update Day 3
Johnston hasn't sealed the deal yet
Day by day in the Costa FLW Series presented by Ranger Boats on Oneida, differing fishing conditions have challenged the field. Today, on the final day, the conditions are as different as possible from the slick calm that had Oneida looking like a big puddle for much of the second day. As the top 10 anglers readied their boats in the parking lot before takeoff, a strong wind could be heard rushing through the trees overhead. On the lake, that wind translated into easy 3-footers in places that are only now beginning to subside. Suffice to say, the morning forced some changes and has been a battle for a large chunk of the pros.
Leading off, Cory Johnston may have done enough to retain his lead. After getting down 3-0 to co-angler Tyler Sheppard (who now has a limit), Johnston made some adjustments and caught his fifth fish around 10 a.m. The Canadian pro wanted calm conditions today, and the big wind has certainly forced him to change up, both making fish hard to see and muddying some of his best water, but by noon he had culled to about 12 pounds and was looking for more.
Behind Johnston, his closest competitors certainly aren’t lighting it up. Kyle Weisenburger, in second coming into the day, caught two decent fish early, but hadn’t added to that as of 10:30. Ian Renfrew and Lawrence Mazur were also stuck on two bass at about 11:30. Jason Shipton managed one early, but seems to have cooled off since, and Casey Smith had four “little ones” in the box late in the morning.
Though Johnston certainly hasn’t totally locked it up, the rest of the field is definitely running out of time to track him down. That said, he’s still short of his stated goal of 15 pounds, and with so many smallmouths in play, things could happen in a hurry.
Tournament Details
Format: All boaters and co-anglers will compete for two days. The top 10 boaters and co-anglers based on cumulative weight after two days of competition will advance to the third and final round, with the winner determined by the heaviest cumulative three-day weight.
Takeoff Time: 6:30 a.m. ET
Takeoff Location: Oneida Shores County Park, 9400 Bartell Road, Brewerton, N.Y. 13029
Weigh-In Time: 2:30 p.m. ET days one and two, 3:30 p.m. ET on day three
Weigh-In Location: Oneida Shores County Park on days one and two, day three at Walmart, 3018 East Ave, Central Square, N.Y. 13036