Neal Grabs the Lead During Day 1 on Lake Okeechobee

Michael Neal had a late-day surge, finishing Qualifying Day 1 in the top spot with 9 bass for 25-9. Photo by Garrick Dixon

February 21, 2020 • Tyler Brinks • Bass Pro Tour

OKEECHOBEE, Fla. – The story leading up to the Bass Pro Tour Favorite Fishing Stage Two Presented by Bass Cat on Lake Okeechobee was the weather. Specifically, the high winds and cold front moving through central Florida, and how it would affect the fishing.

And it did.

Overall, fishing was tough for most anglers as the 40 anglers from Group A who were fishing Qualifying Round 1 landed just 106 scorable bass.

The high winds that were forecasted for today enacted Major League Fishing’s trailering policy, and anglers were given the option to launch their boats closest to their chosen fishing locations due to the conditions. The wind played a factor today, but the weather is predicted to improve as the event goes on.

The top of SCORETRACKER® was as fluid and ever-changing as the wind-churned Lake Okeechobee water today. Each of the following anglers held the lead at one point: David Dudley, Jason Lambert, Adrian Avena, Ott DeFoe, Cody Meyer and Michael Neal.

They each took their turn holding the lead after midday and were the top six anglers at the end of the day.

MLF NOW! analyst Marty Stone said, “whoever catches the last big one will be on top at the end of the day.”

That could very well end up being the story for every day of this tournament.

Neal Out In Front

Neal started the day on what he thought would be his best location, but after catching just one bass in Period 1, he called an audible, and it paid off. Neal ended the day with nine fish for 25 pounds, 9 ounces.

“I started on some shallow grass and after only catching one 2-pounder, so I scrapped that and moved,” Neal recalled.

Neal found his best success in a traditionally good area and has set his aim on winning his group’s Qualifying Round and earning the automatic qualification to the Championship Round.

“I went to a place that there’s always been a lot of fish and always will be,” Neal said of his location. “I’m going to try to catch as many as I can Sunday and try to bypass the Knockout Round. I think saving as many fish as you can be the key to win this week.”

DeFoe Continues Hot Steak

DeFoe picked up right where he left off at Lake Eufaula for Stage One, and he remained near the top position all day.

He was the leader after Period 2 and finished the day in second with seven bass for 21-3. DeFoe stayed in one area all day, even though he had other locations he found in practice.

“I stayed there the whole day because I was steadily getting enough bites,” said DeFoe, adding that the wind would dictate his plans for his next day of fishing. “Plus, it was so rough out there; there wasn’t a reason to move. I just wanted to keep my bait in the water instead of getting pounded by the waves.”

“I don’t know if I’ll go back there or not (on Sunday), it all depends on the wind. Some of my areas will get trashed, and some should be fine.”

Meyer Rides Two Big Bites

The 2 o’clock hour was kind to Cody Meyer as he landed both a 5-7 and 6-3 during that hour. The 6-3 was tied for David Dudley for the biggest bass of the day and helped to push Meyer into the lead briefly.

He ended the day in third with six bass for 20-15.

Cody Meyer with a 6-3, one of two 5-plus-pounders ha landed in Period 3.

“The day started pretty slow, and it was kind of random because you would never know when one would bite,” Meyer said. “It was such a big area that I was fishing, but it’s a productive area and has some big fish.”

The Daiwa pro belies that the warmer weather ahead should improve the bite.

“If it warms up, it might really help, but a lot of that has to do with the water levels,” he said. “The wind pulled a foot of water out of that area and stirred up all of the silt.”

Looking Ahead

Group B will take its first crack at Okeechobee tomorrow, with slightly better weather conditions. Although they will start the morning with temperatures hovering around 50 degrees, the forecast calls for a high of 72 degrees under partly cloudy conditions. The wind will still be a factor, but it’s not predicted to be as windy as today.

Daily Winners

Qualifying Round daily awards were:

Dudley and Meyer tied for big bass of the day with a 6-3 largemouth.
Neal weighed the most scorable fish with nine bass on the day.
Neal also earned the Phoenix Boats Daily Leader award with 25-9.

How, When, Where to Watch

Watch all three periods of competition during the MLF NOW! live stream beginning at 7:45 a.m EST on February 21- 26, 2020. Watch for FREE on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF app or the MyOutdoorTV app.

The General Tire Takeout begins at approximately 4:15 p.m. EST after each day of competition.