We’re approximately a week away from the start of the 2010 FLW Tour season. In a few days, the anglers will converge on the Red River for the official practice period. But when they get to Shreveport, they won’t like what they see.
According to pro Craig Dowling, the Red is seriously hurting. Recurrent rain has kept the river cold and muddy – about the worst conditions possible for a bass fisherman. To illustrate the point, the water level is about 6 feet higher than it was last year for the Bassmaster Classic.
“The conditions are a lot different than they were at the Classic,” said Dowling. “Ninety percent of the stuff they (BASS pros) fished is wiped out. We just keep getting more and more rain. Right now, 95 percent of the river has less than an inch of visibility.”
If it sounds like Dowling knows a lot about the Red, it’s because he does. Although he currently resides in Grant, Ala., near Lake Guntersville, he grew up in Shreveport. Despite fishing the river fairly often, Dowling doesn’t think he has much of a local edge.
“If I have any advantage, it’s that I’m familiar with the waterway,” he said. “I can spend my practice time fishing – not getting off sand bars and learning to navigate. As far as having secret honeyholes, I don’t think that will be an advantage in this tournament.”
Dowling seemed greatly concerned with crowding.
“There are only about five or six spots in each pool that hold the possibility of winning. I remember there were complaints at the Classic. We’ll have 100 more boats with less fishable water. You’re just going to have to milk a small area for ever bite you can get.”
Dowling believes it’s too late for the river to clear up significantly. But some warmer, stable weather certainly wouldn’t hurt the bite.
“I think the winner will have somewhere around 55 pounds over the four days.”