GALLATIN, Tenn. – The top 10 pros took off from Bull Creek Marina at first light Saturday morning to begin the final round of Wal-Mart FLW Tour competition at Old Hickory Lake. At stake is a $110,000 top prize.
Leading the charge in Friday’s semifinals was John Sappington of Wyandotte, Okla., who weighed in a five-bass stringer at 16 pounds, 13 ounces.
The pros restarted the day all even at zero weight, however, so it will be a one-day shootout to determine the champion. Old Hickory has been yielding big bass every day this week, so look for anglers to shoot for something around 15 pounds to take the win.
The weather has changed drastically since the tournament opened Wednesday with clear, sunny conditions. A nasty cold front has blown in, dropping temperatures into to the 40s and increasing the wind speed. Also, the Tennessee Valley Authority has been playing with the water level on Old Hickory all week to combat flooding conditions brought on by heavy rains. These two factors will force anglers to adjust Saturday and find the key to catching today’s bass.
“The conditions are changing here every day,” said finalist Mark Pack of Mineola, Texas. “The key will be the ability to change with it. With (Saturday’s) high-pressure system, you might have to look for deeper fish.”
Today’s final weigh-in begins at 2 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 1112 Nashville Pike in Gallatin. The show will be broadcast on television nationwide live on the PAX network at 2 p.m. CST.
Today’s conditions:
Sunrise: 5:37 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 46 degrees
Expected high temperature: 62 degrees
Water temperature: 58 degrees
Wind: from the north-northeast at 11 mph
Relative humidity: 79 percent
Day’s outlook: cloudy