Warm weather should stimulate shallow bite on day two at Eufaula

Warming water temperatures mean bass will be moving up to spawn

EUFAULA, Ala. – While a few found success fishing deep water on day one of the Stren Series Southeast Division event on Lake Eufaula, the field predominantly fished shallow Wednesday, and nearly every one of them called it a tough bite. Today, though, should tell a different story.

Though Wednesday morning was cold and in the 30s, the sun shone all day, and temperatures rose to the mid-to-upper 70s. While takeoff this morning was chilly, it was not quite as cold as yesterday, and water temperatures were reportedly up to 10 degrees warmer than they were this time yesterday.

That means more and more fish will be moving to the banks, turning the shallow bite on even more than yesterday and all but promising a better day two for Stren Series competitors.

“I think with the water temperature moving up, the bite should be incredible,” said Birmingham, Ala., pro Barry Wilson. “Yesterday, the water temperature was about 45 degrees, and it got up to about 66. This morning, the water temperature is starting out around 57 to 58 degrees.”

The fish that were forced to retreat when the water got cold should be moving back shallow in high numbers because they are ready to spawn.

“There should be some big fish caught,” Wilson said. “The lake is fishing small, and areas are getting pounded. But there are more fish moving in, so I think there are going to be bigger weights.”

Currently, John Cox of Debary, Fla., leads all pros with a day-one limit weighing 18 pounds, 11 ounces. He also caught the day’s heaviest bass yesterday, a lunker that tipped the scales at 7 pounds, 8 ounces. Rob Boyer of Lawrenceville, Ga., leads the Co-angler Division with 14 pounds, 3 ounces.

Competitors will weigh in their day-two catches today beginning at 3 p.m. CST at Lakepoint State Park on Highway 431 in Eufaula.

On the Web

For those who can’t catch the weigh-in action in person, FLWOutdoors.com offers FLW Live, an online application that brings fans real-time weigh-in results, streaming video and audio.

Thursday’s conditions:

Sunrise: 6:00 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 40 degrees

Expected high temperature: 77 degrees

Wind: NW at 3 mph

Maximum humidity: 35 percent

Day’s outlook: plentiful sunshine