Another Prespawn Battle Looms at Havasu
Big catches in store for the Western Division opener
Lake Havasu has been a frequent stop for the Costa FLW Series over the last few years, and this week the Western Division will kick off its 2017 season on the Colorado River impoundment. The event is presented by Ranger Boats and hosted by Lake Havasu City Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The most recent visit to Havasu was back in 2015, and Arizona pro Joe Uribe Jr. blew away the competition thanks to a 26-pound, 7-ounce bag on the final day. His total weight of 67-6 gave him a winning margin of nearly 15 pounds.
Uribe dominated the event by targeting prespawn largemouths, and with the way the weather has been setting up it seems as though the same conditions will be a factor again this week.
“Competitors in this event are going to be relying on the prespawn bite,” says reigning Western Division Angler of the Year and local pro Roy Hawk. “We’ve had air temperatures in the 70s, which should push main-lake temperatures into the upper 50s, and maybe even the 60s in certain backwaters. With that kind of warming trend, bass will definitely be on the move.
“Fish are going to be caught in anywhere from 5 to 25 feet of water, which means anglers will have a lot of options,” continues Hawk. “The river system flowing into the lake has a lot of shallow backwaters lined with reeds and brush to work with. Out deep on the lake, the river has created a lot of good structure. I think main-lake and secondary points will be a strong choice as well.”
According to Hawk, lure selection will depend on how deep anglers choose to fish. For those out on the main lake, deep-diving crankbaits, Carolina rigs, a drop-shot and football jigs will be the deal. For the shallow bite on the river, Hawk says spinnerbaits, vibrating jigs and flipping will be the main focus.
“On the lake, targeting smallmouths with a jerkbait could also be productive,” Hawk says. “I think the winner could catch a 20-pound limit of either largemouth or smallmouth bass. This lake has a ton of each species in the 3- to 4-pound range.”
Hawk expects the winner to need a three-day cumulative weight of 55 pounds.
“We’ll see a lot of 20-pound limits come in, but the winner will likely need two of them plus a 15-pound limit on the final day to wrap it up,” says Hawk.
Anglers will take off from Windsor Beach at Lake Havasu State Park, located at 699 London Bridge Road in Lake Havasu City at 7:30 a.m. MT each day. Weigh-ins will be held at the park beginning at 3 p.m.