Table Rock Midday Update – Day 3
The final day has started slow
Despite conditions that appeared to bring a spark of optimism for the top 10 boaters and co-anglers fishing the final day of the Costa FLW Series Central Division event presented by Lowrance, Table Rock Lake was not making it easy. As anglers launched from State Park Marina, cloudy skies, light winds and the promise of afternoon rains seemed to guarantee that the fish would be in a good mood.
The first half of the day was no shut-out, but it certainly wasn’t a barn-burner. In most cases, anglers seemed to be struggling for consistency.
We visited day-two leader Mike McClelland first thing this morning and he made a big run up the White River to fish gravel and rock banks flanked by standing timber. Pockets with docks also played into his game plan.
When we left McClelland, he had three keepers. He noted that the day was starting off better than day two, during which he caught one keeper early, and then went about two hours without a bite.
Chad Allison, who led the co-angler division for two days, was intent on protecting the 6-pound, 5-ounce lead he brought into the final round. Committed to the umbrella rig he used on days one and two, Allison had four small keepers by midday.
Second-place Hensley Powell had a 2 1/2-pounder, while point hopping with an umbrella rig produced a trio of small keepers for third-place Jeremy Lawyer.
Elsewhere, Stacey King was keeping it close and simple by fishing points within about three miles of takeoff. He was mostly working a tube on leeward sides, but he had a swimbait close for windy spots.
We also visited sixth place Derek Jenkel and seventh-place Todd Castledine. Jenkel showed off a pair of keepers, but Castledine was fishless at 11:30 a.m.. Obviously frustrated with the day’s leanness, Castledine had settled into a sight-fishing exercise.
This one is just about anyone’ game and success will depend on versatility. Several anglers were throwing umbrella rigs around wood, but spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and jigs may also earn bites today.
Tournament details
Dates: April 19-21
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 in each category determined by the heaviest cumulative three-day weight.
Takeoff Time: 6:30 a.m. CT
Takeoff Location: Table Rock State Park Marina, 380 State Park Marina Road (Highway 165), Branson, MO
Weigh-in: Days 1 and 2: 2:30 p.m. CT
Weigh-In Location: Days 1 and 2 at Table Rock State Park Marina
Weigh-in Time: Day 3: 3:30 p.m. CT
Weigh-In Location: Day 3: Branson Landing,100 Branson Landing, Branson, MO