Okeechobee to Draw Record Field
The Big O is synonymous with big tournament fields for FLW, but none so big as what’s coming up when the Rayovac FLW Series opens its 2015 campaign this week with a record-setting 250-boat field.
That’s 24 more boats than showed up for last year’s Rayovac opener on Okeechobee and follows up a packed-full season-opening Walmart Bass Fishing League event on Lake Okeechobee earlier this that month drew 229 boaters.
At 730 surface acres, the legendary south Florida fishery is more than able to accommodate all those bass boats. In years past, however, the Big O has had a reputation for fishing small, with just a few community holes drawing the bulk of a tournament field’s attention and leading to some close encounters among anglers.
This year, it seems that crowding won’t be so much of an issue. Okeechobee’s water level has risen, and endless acres of shallow grasses have been flooded, allowing bass plenty of room to roam and making this anyone’s tournament to win.
In other words, it should be a perfect Rayovac kick-off.
“It’s a grass fisherman’s paradise,” says Rayovac FLW Series Tournament Director Ron Lappin. “If you like to fish shallow, there’s not another lake in the world that offers the opportunity that Okeechobee does in January.
“The good thing about the water being high is that the fish are in a lot more places,” adds Lappin, whose staff has made changes over the last few seasons to accommodate as many interested anglers as possible in Rayovac events. “There’s not as much of an advantage for a local guy who knows a specific area that always holds fish. There’ll be those areas that are hotter than the rest of them; there always is. But it’s an open game for anybody who wants to fish.”
Thus far, the south end of Okeechobee has been the most productive in 2015. It produced Benny Townend’s 27-pound, 9-ounce winning limit in the BFL on Jan. 3, and many competitors believe it could give up the winning stringer this go-around.
Win, lose or draw, it should be a memorable trip for anglers fishing on Okeechobee this week. Early practice reports suggest that quality mid-sized bass in good numbers are biting all around the lake, and one bass surpassing 12 pounds was reported at Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina in Clewiston, which will host takeoff each morning and weigh-in on days one and two.
Aside from fun-fishing, the 250 boats that’ll take to the water Thursday and Friday in the preliminary rounds are taking a shot at qualifying for the Rayovac FLW Series Championship on the Ohio River this fall, where 10 slots in the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup will be on the line. And for others, the Rayovac offers a shot at priority entry into the Walmart FLW Tour next season.
With such substantial payouts, don’t expect the participation to dwindle at the next two stops in the Southeast Division – Lake Guntersville in March and Lake Seminole in May. According to Lappin, nearly 200 anglers have paid deposits for all three qualifiers.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever had that many,” says Lappin. “We’ve worked really hard to make the schedule work with the Walmart FLW Tour events, so guys that fish the Tour as boaters or co-anglers have an opportunity to fish the Rayovacs, and that has enticed a lot of anglers to fish. Our goal moving forward is to send everybody fishing that we can.”
Click here to see the entire Lake Okeechobee Rayovac FLW Series roster.
Details
Anglers will take off from Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina and Resort in Clewiston, Fla., at 7 a.m. each day. Weigh-in will be held at the marina on Thursday and Friday beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at Walmart, located at 1005 W. Sugarland Highway in Clewiston, Fla., beginning at 4 p.m.