CLEWISTON, Fla. – When a severe cold front rears its ugly head, anglers often experience some of the toughest fishing of the season. But truth be told, these cold fronts also provide ample opportunity to launch up the leaderboard. Such is the case at the season-opening BP Eastern Division event of the Wal-Mart FLW Series.
One 8-pound Lake Okeechobee largemouth during a cold front can vault an angler roughly 100 places in the standings. That single bite today will likely be the difference for many anglers between cashing a check or walking home empty-handed.
So tactically speaking, is there anything fishermen can do to increase the odds of getting a big bite?
According to pro Trevor Jancasz, topwaters are out of the question.
“A lot of people catch a lot of big fish on this lake flipping,” said the White Pigeon, Mich., native. “Earlier in the week, they were catching them pretty good on frogs and horny toads. But with today’s wind, you just put the big stick in your hand all day.”
His key bait today will be a 7-inch Berkley Power Worm in blue-fleck color. The worm is front-loaded with a 3/4-ounce tungsten weight.
These chilly north gusts Jancasz referred to have a two-sided effect. First and foremost, the water on the north end of the lake drops several inches making boat travel (see Bud Pruitt) difficult, and many prime areas simply become unfishable. On the south end, the strong winds and rising lake level muddy up the water making it nearly impossible for a fish to see an angler’s presentation.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to canal fishing, the one place that isn’t affected by the wind. Although there are numerous canals on the Big O, they might seem crowded with a 200-boat field still in play on day three.
“There are going to be a lot of guys who fished down south, like myself, who are going up to fish canals,” Jancasz added. “Believe me, as of right now, a lot of people don’t have any idea what they’re going to do today.”
Today’s weigh-in will begin at 3 p.m. Eastern time at Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina & Resort located at 920 E. Del Monte Ave. in Clewiston. For those who can’t catch the action in person, FLWOutdoors.com offers FLW Live daily, an online application that brings fans real-time weigh-in results, streaming video and audio.
Friday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:12 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 49 degrees
Expected high temperature: 69 degrees
Water temperature: 60-68 degrees and dropping
Wind: NNE at 14 mph
Maximum humidity: 54 percent
Day’s outlook: mostly sunny and breezy