Anglers fishing to make championship cut on day two
FLORENCE, Ala. – Curls of mist shrouded the 162 EverStart Series Championship boats as they took off from chilly McFarland Park Thursday morning, but the mission remains clear on day two: Catch what you can to make the cut because almost everybody’s still in contention.
Wednesday’s record low number of five-bass limits caught – three total – was discouraging to many competitors, but it also allows for a record number of people who can possibly make the cut with a solid performance today. The bass in Pickwick, Wheeler and Wilson lakes are mostly staging deep and are hard to catch right now, but if an angler can locate a pocket with just a few big fish, he or she has a good chance to advance to the semifinal round tomorrow.
The two-day opening round ends today, with the top 10 anglers from each division advancing to Friday’s semifinal round. The top catch weight for the pros was just 13 pounds, 8 ounces on day one. The estimated opening-round cut weight to make the semifinals ranged from 12 to 15 pounds, so every competitor – even those who blanked the first day – conceivably has a shot.
Weigh-in begins today at 2:30 p.m. at McFarland Park in Florence.
Vital statistics
Sunrise: 6:18 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 44 degrees
Expected high temperature: 76 degrees
Water temperature: 57 degrees
Wind: West to northwest 5 to 10 mph
Relative humidity: 93 percent
Day’s outlook: Sunny
Day-two related links: