Oh boy, Alberto
Tropical storm leftovers give Stren Series anglers soggy start at Kerr Lake
HENDERSON, N.C. – Stren Series anglers fishing the Northeast Division got their season off to a wet start Wednesday morning thanks to the drizzly vestiges left by Tropical Storm Alberto, which are now making their way up the Eastern Seaboard.
Though conditions were damp, spirits were not. Despite an all-day-rain forecast, some anglers think the weather will do little to affect Kerr Lake’s hot fishing.
“It won’t make a difference,” said Jacob Powroznik of Prince George, Va., of the soggy conditions. “If anything, it will make them bite better.”
Powroznik, who is coming off two consecutive top-10s in the Wal-Mart FLW Series, said fish are biting just about any way anglers want to catch them on Kerr Reservoir, also known as Buggs Island.
“They’re shallow, they’re deep; the lake is just full of fish,” he said. “I’ve caught them everywhere from a foot of water on a topwater to 30 feet deep on a Carolina rig. The trick is getting the better quality fish. My plan is to alternate between shallow and deep until I get a quality bite, and then I’ll stick with whatever produced that bite.”
Even though cloudy, rainy weather tends to favor shallow-water anglers, Powroznik contends that the well-known deep-water experts like Gerald Beck and David Wright, both of Lexington, N.C., are still going to get their share of fish.
“Those deep fish are going to stay out there,” he said. “The rain and clouds may level the playing field by allowing some of the shallow-water guys to catch a few more fish off the bank, but as long as the wind doesn’t blow bad enough to keep the deep-water guys off their fish, they will do just fine.”
Logistics
Anglers will take off from Satterwhite Point Marina at 6 each morning. Wednesday and Thursday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the marina, which is located at 6470 Satterwhite Point Road in Henderson beginning at 2:30 p.m. Those who cannot attend the weigh-in can still catch all the action online as it happens with FLW Live. Tune in to see what happens today.
Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 200 N. Cooper Road in Henderson beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
Anglers competing in the tournament will fish for a top pro award worth as much as $64,500, including a 519VX Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor, Lowrance electronics and EverStart batteries plus $10,000 cash.
Pros will have the chance to earn an additional $10,000 bonus from Ranger if contingency guidelines are met. Ranger will award another $3,000 to the winner if he or she is a participant in the Ranger Cup program, or $1,500 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant. Yamaha will match 50 percent of Ranger Cup earnings if the participant meets “Powered by Yamaha” guidelines.
Co-angler competitors will cast for a top award worth as much as $35,000, including a 519VX Ranger boat and trailer if contingency guidelines are met.
Wednesday’s conditions
Sunrise: 5:56
Temperature at takeoff: 65 degrees
Water temperature: 75-80 degrees
Expected high temperature: 69 degrees
Wind: NE at 5 to 10 mph
Day’s outlook: rain all day