More of the same
Day two of TBF Central Divisional should look much like day one
COLUMBUS, Miss. – Day two of The Bass Federation Central Division Championship on the Columbus Pool is shaping up a lot like day one, as temperatures are once again expected to rise into the 90s beneath glaringly sunny skies. The seven anglers who lead their respective states are hoping day two bears another resemblance to day one – more big fish.
Indeed, catches were good on opening day of the three-day tournament, as local Eddie Armstrong led the overall weight contest with a limit of five that weighed 12 pounds, 3 ounces. Two other competitors had weights in the double-digit range, and 15 limits were brought to the scales.
The big-fish contest showed off some of the best the Tenn-Tom Waterway had to offer, as Kevin Smith of Lincoln, Mo., brought in a crowd-pleasing 6-pound, 8-ouncer, one of several good fished weighed in by the 84 competitors Wednesday.
So while the fishing is as good as could be expected with temperatures as high as they are, competitors are dealing with the effects of a Stren Series tournament fished here just last week. Several competitors spoke yesterday of pressured fish, with finesse baits seeming to be the method of choice to entice the finicky bass into eating.
Water temperature may also play a role in the deep vs. shallow debate, as most leaders reported catching their fish shallow – like last week’s Stren competitors – though Armstrong did claim to be fishing “deep but shallow.” Despite the soaring temperatures, the Tenn-Tom bass don’t appear to have headed out too deep just yet.
Location is another factor, as several leaders, including Armstrong, reported catching their bass close by in the Columbus Pool while others fished other areas, such as Aberdeen or Aliceville, to bring in the fish. Local, though, does seem to be the way to go, according to the dock talk.
Strategy is definitely important in a tournament such as this, because the lead can be looked at in several different ways. Seven state teams are competing in this event, representing Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Kansas. So while there is an overall weight leader each day, there is also a leader from each of the seven states as well as a leading state team.
Currently, Arkansas leads the seven states in weight caught, as the 12 competitors from Arkansas brought in a total of 60 pounds on day one. They are trailed by Mississippi with 56 pounds, 10 ounces, though the Mississippi contingency did claim the top two weight-getters on day one.
Also making TBF divisional championships unique is their boater/co-angler format – no one is a co-angler in the traditional sense of the term. Rather, each state sends six boaters (and their boats) to the divisional and six co-anglers, with the states deciding who is entered as a boater and who is entered as a co-angler. Boaters are randomly paired with co-anglers each day, and the two are expected to share front-of-boat fishing time and decision-making – key at a tournament such a this, with decisions ranging from staying close to locking through to other pools at stake.
The 42-boat field will weigh in their day-two catches today beginning at 2:30 p.m. CDT at Columbus Marina, located at 295 Marina Drive in Columbus.