In front of the front

Stren Texas competitors try to take advantage of a good bite before another cold front rolls in

JASPER, Texas – With another day of mild temperatures on the horizon, Stren Series Texas Division competitors can look forward to another day of good fishing on Sam Rayburn. In fact, No. 20 pro Craig Workman says the bite might be even better Thursday than it was yesterday.

Bags in excess of 20 pounds are certainly not unheard of on Sam Rayburn, and while only one angler – pro leader Charles Haralson – hit that 20-pound mark yesterday, numbers were still good, with 180 pros catching almost 1,400 pounds of bass.

However, Sam Rayburn bass have had to adjust to a myriad of odd conditions, making their response yesterday all the more remarkable. First, there was the cold front that lowered water temperatures and all but shut down the bite. Then there was the unusually high water levels. Then there was the drawing down of that water – as much as 2 feet in four days – that further confused the fish.

But the warming trend in the days immediately preceding the tournament got the fish back to biting Rayburn-style, and competitors can expect to see a good bite again today.

“I expect to see better weights,” said Workman, who ended day one with a limit weighing 13-7. “With the front approaching, they’re going to bite better.”

Indeed, cooler temperatures are on the way, with today’s high in the mid-60s likely to fall 10 degrees or more in the next two days.

“They feel it better than we do,” Workman said of the incoming weather. “I think it’s going to be an early bite today, because the front should be here about 1 or 2 this afternoon.”

Competitors will weigh their catches today beginning at 3 p.m. CST at the Umphrey Family Pavilion off Highway 255 West in Sam Rayburn. FLWOutdoors.com also offers FLW Live – bringing remote fans up-to-the-second results, complete with streaming audio and video – for those who cannot attend in person.

Thursday’s conditions

Sunrise: 7:03 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 56 degrees

Expected high temperature: 64 degrees

Wind: WSW at 5 mph

Maximum humidity: 87 percent

Day’s outlook: overcast with a few sprinkles possible