PEORIA, Ariz. – Look for EverStart Series anglers to continue fishing for deeper bass Thursday as they compete in the second half of opening-round action at the Western Division event at Lake Pleasant. Rising waters on the Arizona impoundment are staging the bass in clumps, and anglers will have to go down and get them if they want to make the cut.
Pro Art Berry of Ramona, Calif., caught the day’s biggest bass Wednesday, by far, with a 4-pound, 11-ounce largemouth. While he said he caught that fish in shallower water, he admitted the fishing is more productive at depth. Many of the day-one leaders reported fishing anywhere from 20 to 50 feet of water.
“In practice I caught one big one every day, but the bites are few and far between,” Berry said. “It just seems that the deeper you go, the smaller they are, but the more you catch.”
The weather has improved over yesterday’s cloudy, cool conditions. Calm, clear, pink skies greeted anglers at takeoff, and highs are expected to approach 70 degrees.
“Ideal for Pleasant is slick, calm water and a bright sky,” Berry said. “It should get better every day.”
Local Rudy Baldizan Jr. of Peoria, Ariz., led the charge in the Pro Division on day one with a limit weighing 12 pounds, 7 ounces. Paul Williams of Cypress, Calif., led the Co-angler Division with a limit weighing 9-3.
The 20th-place pro – who, incidentally, was Berry – caught 6 pounds, 9 ounces Wednesday, so expect the cut weight to hover around 11 or 12 pounds. For the co-anglers, the cut should settle at about 7 or 8 pounds.
Day-two weigh-in festivities begin at 3 p.m. Mountain time at Pleasant Harbor Marina located at 8708 West Harbor Boulevard in Peoria. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 18551 N. 83rd Ave. in Glendale beginning at 4 p.m.
The full field is competing for two days to determine the top 20 pros and 20 co-anglers who will advance to Friday’s semifinal round based on their two-day accumulated weight. Weights are cleared for the semifinal round, and anglers compete for one day to determine who will advance to Saturday’s final round. Only the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers compete Saturday, and the winner is determined by the heaviest two-day weight.
Thursday’s conditions:
Sunrise: 7:28 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 40 degrees
Expected high temperature: 68 degrees
Water temperature at the ramp: 50-53 degrees
Wind: from the north-northwest at 5 mph
Maximum humidity: 63 percent
Day’s outlook: sunny