2005 FLW Tour season under way

Anglers chase big money on ‘Big O’

CLEWISTON, Fla. – On a brisk morning at Roland Martin’s Marina, 400 pros and co-anglers bundled up beneath a bright sunrise to kick off the 2005 Wal-Mart FLW Tour season on Florida’s Lake Okeechobee. The sights and sounds were familiar, but a lot has changed this season, not the least of which is the payout – $7.6 million over seven events.

Though air temperatures were in the 40s at takeoff, highs are expected to reach the mid-60s today, a bit cool for south Florida but overall pleasant with the partly sunny outlook. And although water temperatures are ranging anywhere from 53 to 57 degrees, FLW Tour competitors are more concerned with Lake Okeechobee’s overall temperament than its temperature.

After a devastating hurricane season in 2004, the “Big O” has left many anglers befuddled, as clear water is now at a premium after winds from multiple storms ripped up much of Okeechobee’s fabled grass. The relative lack of vegetation left behind little with which to clear the water, turning Okeechobee into a half-million-acre mud pit. The dock talk indicates that the bass have gravitated to what is left of the unstained water, so anglers can expect to be crowded this week on one of the nation’s largest fisheries.

Nevertheless, the big lake produced some mighty limits two weeks ago at the EverStart Series’ season starter, including a new EverStart Series five-bass record of 32 pounds, 12 ounces caught on day one by pro J.T. Kenney of Frostburg, Md. Kenney went on to finish second in the EverStart event and is the current favorite to take the FLW Tour Okeechobee crown.

Fishing is nothing if not uncertain, however, and the question remains who will be this week’s king – or queen – of the Big O. Though Kenney may be the current man to beat, there is a contingency of Okeechobee masters almost certain to put up a challenge, including Clewiston native Scott Martin, Castrol pro Mike Surman and Florida resident Sandy Melvin, who caught a few big fish of his own at the recent EverStart event.

The tournament kicks off the biggest FLW Tour season to date, and anglers are no doubt already looking ahead to the $1.5 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship in Hot Springs, Ark., July 13-16. With only the top 48 pros and as many co-anglers going to the big show, every bite counts.

Wednesday’s weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. from Roland Martin’s Marina, located at 920 E. Del Monte Ave. in Clewiston.

Wednesday’s conditions:

Sunrise: 7:13 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 48 degrees

Expected high temperature: 66 degrees

Water temperature: 53-57 degrees

Wind: from the northeast at 10 mph

Maximum humidity: 59 percent

Day’s outlook: partly sunny