Nine fish for second

Another beautiful day of Florida fishing awaits
Image for Nine fish for second
Pro leader Brett Hite interviews with Hulk Hogan Sunday morning. Photo by Brett Carlson. Angler: Brett Hite.
March 2, 2008 • Brett Carlson • Archives

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Barring a miracle, the nine anglers chasing pro leader Brett Hite are realistically fishing for second place. That’s the reality after Hite sacked 25 pounds and no other pro came within a dozen.

A warm, beautiful sunrise greeted the top-10 pros as they made final preparations before heading out on Lake Toho for the final time. Each of the 10 finalists also interviewed with FLW Fantasy Fishing spokesperson Hulk Hogan, who brought added energy to the takeoff festivities.

Second-place pro Dan Morehead was clearly energetic Sunday morning. After barely making the cut in 10th place, Morehead is currently looking at a $50,000 check if he can maintain second. Plus, he thinks the warm and calm conditions will play to his favor. If he gets a solid limit early, he’ll go for the gusto the rest of the day.

“My nature has always been to go out and fish to win,” said the Paducah, Ky., pro. “If I get 10 pounds Anglers make their way to the open waters of Lake Toho.by 8 or 8:30 this morning, I will try and be a hero. But I don’t want to give up second.”

Morehead will start the day by slowly working Flukes and other soft plastics. If it goes as planned, he will then switch to throwing topwater baits such as a Horny Toad or a Spook.

“I would need to fish fast and cover a lot of water because I don’t have one area that’s holding a lot of big fish.”

Morehead said the miracle pile of fish needed to catch Hite definitely exists somewhere in this lake. But it won’t be easy finding it.

“With as much grass and hydrilla as there is, it’s more than a needle in a haystack.”

Hite said he too has a backup plan. If his primary isn’t producing, he does have a small-fish area where he could perhaps catch a few keepers and dig in to protect his lead. The 10 pro finalists make final preparations before the day-four takeoff.

“I have a secondary area that I went to yesterday and fished for about 35 minutes,” said the pro from Phoenix. “The fish aren’t as big, but there are a lot of 1 1/2 to 3-pound fish. Plus, it’s on the way back to the lock, which works real well.”

Tournament notes

Today represents the fourth and final day of competition at the FLW Tour event on Lake Toho. First place in the Pro Division will go to the angler who brings in the heaviest two-day combined stringer over Saturday and Sunday. The winning pro is guaranteed a top prize of $100,000, with a chance to win $125,000 if he is a registered owner of a Ranger boat.

The action continues at today’s weigh-in, which is scheduled to take place at 4 p.m. Eastern time at the Silver Spurs Arena, located at 1875 Silver Spur Lane in Kissimmee. The free Family Fun Zone will open its doors at noon. Hulk Hogan, the celebrity spokesperson for FLW Fantasy Fishing will also be available for autographs from 1-3 p.m. Third-place pro Carl Svebek relaxes with family Sunday morning.

One lucky member of the audience will win a new Ranger boat during the final 4 p.m. weigh-in. Admission is free and you must be present to win.

On the Web

For those who can’t catch the weigh-in action in person, FLWOutdoors.com offers FLW Live, an online application that brings fans real-time weigh-in results, streaming video and audio.

Sunday’s conditions

Sunrise: 6:49 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 54 degrees

Expected high temperature: 80 degrees

Water temperature: 70-76 degrees

Wind: ENE at 13 mph

Maximum humidity: 52 percent

Day’s outlook: mostly sunny