FLW 2017 Week 1: Big Bass for the Kickoff
BFL and College Fishing events slated for this weekend
Beautiful weather and big bass promise to treat anglers participating in the first FLW competitions of the 2017 season on Saturday. The T-H Marine Bass Fishing League’s Gator Division opens with a tournament at Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Fla. At the same time, YETI FLW College Fishing starts the year off at Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Ga.
The forecast for both communities calls for highs in the mid- to upper 70s with moderate winds and partly cloudy skies through the remainder of the week and into the weekend. Not too shabby for mid-January, right?
Best of all, this is the prime time of year to catch hawgs throughout the Southeast, and with favorable weather conditions there ought to be a parade of toads marching to the scales.
Seminole showdown
According to Clint Brown, winner of the 2015 Costa FLW Series event at Lake Seminole, his home lake has been fishing well lately and is on the cusp of really breaking out.
“We haven’t had a lot of cold weather. The fish are getting ready,” he says. “They’re grouping up getting ready to spawn. Rat-L-Traps and everything prespawn should be good this weekend.”
Brown says that conditions are typical for mid-January at Seminole, and winning weights of late are trending toward historic averages.
“In a typical draw tournament, about 22 or 23 pounds is what guys have been catching,” says Brown. “Buddy tournaments around here usually take a lot more in the prespawn. It usually takes upper 20s to win.”
If the weather remains warm, bass could be cruising the shallows in sandy areas with scattered grass, where Rat-L-Traps and swim jigs will produce solid catches. If the forecast is wrong and a cold front reaches south Georgia, or if the fish don’t move up right away, Brown says many of the lake’s biggest bass can be caught on outside grass lines with 'Traps.
More than 100 College Fishing teams have already signed up to participate in the season opener, though more are expected to register on site before the event. The top 10 teams in the tournament will advance to the 2018 YETI FLW College Fishing National Championship.
A different Okeechobee
Farther south at the Big O, the story line is a bit different. Okeechobee is still one of the nation’s premier bass fisheries, but according to local pro Brandon McMillan, fluctuations in water level and vegetation growth have altered the scene there. Big bass are still commonplace, but winning weights have been lower than in previous seasons.
“It took 22 [pounds] to win a recent team tournament out of the south end and 21 to win a tournament out of the north end,” says McMillan. “It’s still going to be fished with the same old stuff: spinnerbaits, swim jigs and flipping.”
According to information published at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers website, the water level is on the way down. A cold front moved through the area over the weekend, causing the daily high to drop by some 20 degrees, but the region is heating back up now. McMillan believes that the warming trend coupled with falling water and the time of year should provide perfect conditions for an Okeechobee tournament.
This is only the beginning
Nearly 400 anglers have signed up to participate in the BFL event – a solid crew to kick off another long tournament season that spans from Jan. 14 until the Costa FLW Series Championship wraps up Nov. 4. In between, FLW will host hundreds of tournaments for anglers of all skill levels and experience, from full-time touring pro to high school student. Opportunities have been expanded in several circuits, particularly Student Angler Federation High School Fishing, which will host 76 tournaments in 2017.
If you’re interested in participating as a boater or co-angler, visit shop.flwfishing.com to join FLW and register for an event.