Fog delay cuts fishing time in Wal-Mart FLW Tour Biloxi bass event, Alabama’s Howell leads field - Major League Fishing

Fog delay cuts fishing time in Wal-Mart FLW Tour Biloxi bass event, Alabama’s Howell leads field

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Anglers wait for takeoff in the early morning fog. Photo by Jeff Schroeder.
February 17, 2000 • MLF • Archives

BILOXI, Miss. – Anglers competing in the $500,000 Wal-Mart FLW Tour bass tournament on the Pascagoula River experienced a four hour fog delay Thursday, the first in tour history, that cut their fishing time in half and forced many to change strategies in the second day of competition.

Randy Howell of Trussville, Ala., who finished in second place after day one, leads the top 10 pros into the second round on Friday with a two-day total catch weighing 24 pounds, 9 ounces.

“I was fortunate that the fog delay kept me from running very far today. I only fished for two hours in a secondary spot that I had picked out just in case something like this happened,” Howell said. Howell, who ran a long distance in fog during the first competition day, was forced to hot wire his malfunctioning GPS unit in order to find his way back to the weigh-in.

Anglers depending on an early bite, like Paul Elias of Pachuta, Miss., fell out of contention due to the fog delay. Elias started the day in third place, but could not make the long run back to his spot.

Fishing celebrity Roland Martin of Clewiston, Fla., and his son Scott, both moved into the second round of action finishing fifth and second with 19-8 and 22-2 respectively. Both are fishing the same spot and travelling 100 miles one-way to get there. (Complete results are available at www.flwtour.com.)

Anglers competing in the Pro Division will start over Friday and fish for one day to secure one of five slots in Saturday’s final round. Co-angler competition ends after Friday’s action.

Competition continues at 8 a.m. Friday at Indian Point located at 1600 Indian Point Parkway off Interstate 10 at exit 61 in Gautier, Miss. Friday’s weigh-in begins at 5 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 3715 Sangani Blvd. in D’Iberville, Miss. Saturday’s final weigh-in at the Wal-Mart Supercenter begins at 3:30 p.m. The final weigh-in will be broadcast live via satellite to the electronics departments of Wal-Mart stores nationwide. It also will air as part of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour series on ESPN at noon on April 1.