Second EverStart Eastern event springs open at Eufaula
Spawning bass could factor into Eastern Division tournament
EUFAULA, Ala. – When dawn cracked over the opening of the second EverStart Series Eastern event on Lake Eufaula this morning, the air temperature was 55 degrees. That’s downright balmy considering that just over a week ago South Alabama was covered by cold, drizzly conditions and the daytime highs could hardly reach 55 degrees.
A considerable warming trend has graced the Southeast over the last four days, leaving many to wonder if spring has sprung. Today, a full field of 400 EverStart pros and co-anglers eagerly look forward to finding out.
Springtime usually means big bass, and lots of them, on the legendary Lake Eufaula. But a few anglers say looks can be deceiving. Even though spring appears to be in the air, it’s not necessarily in the water.
Snickers pro Pat Fisher of Dacula, Ga., who won the last EverStart event on Eufaula in March 2002, says fish have yet to react to the sudden warm-up.
“I’ve had a tough practice, but that doesn’t mean anything,” Fisher commented. “Sometime this week, these fish are going to bust loose, and when they do, it’s going to be awesome. I don’t think the fish have responded to the sudden warm-up just yet. Most of the guys I’ve talked to haven’t caught much, either, and that can only mean one thing: It’s going to happen any day.”
Fisher says the water temperatures have been rising about 4 degrees per day. When he started practice, the water was in the high 40s, but as of Tuesday he had seen some 60-degree water.
Fisher’s summation is that the fish are waiting for the water level to stabilize.
“The water has been warming, but it has also been falling,” he said. “They are really sucking it out of here. It’s down about 18 inches right now. I don’t think the fish will commit to the shallows until it stabilizes; it doesn’t need to necessarily come up, it just needs to stop falling.”
Pedigree pro Greg Pugh of Cullman, Ala., agrees with Fisher’s assessment.
“There are places in the main river channel where I have to keep my trolling motor on high just to stay in the current,” said Pugh. “Those fish know the water is falling. They are suspended out on the first 5- to 6-foot breaklines, waiting to make a move.”
Possible spawn?
Both Fisher and Pugh think that if the warm, stable weather persists (which it’s forecasted to do), spawning bass could be a factor by the finals on Saturday.
“I’ve known of one guy that has already spotted a couple on bed,” said Fisher. “But most of the water is muddy; clear water is hard to find right now. I think a prespawn bite will be the ticket for at least the first couple of days. But by Saturday, there might be more visible fish and less people fishing for them.”
Winning weights
What will it take to win the Eufaula EverStart this year? Here’s a look at the past Lake Eufaula EverStart winners and their final day’s winning weights. This year things will be a bit different because weights will not start from zero on Saturday. The winner will be determined by the combined weight of days three and four.
Past Lake Eufaula EverStart winners:
4/22/98 – 4/25/98: Frank Poirer, Hopewell, Va. (five bass, 14 pounds, 13 ounces)
5/5/99 – 5/8/99: Derrick Millirons, Seale, Ala. (three bass, 12 pounds, 4 ounces)
2/28/01 – 3/30/01: Mark Shepard, Labelle, Fla. (five bass, 20 pounds, 5 ounces)
3/20/02 – 3/23/02: Pat Fisher, Dacula, Ga. (five bass, 17 pounds, 14 ounces)
Today’s weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. Central time at Lakepoint Resort State Park Marina.
Wednesday’s conditions:
Sunrise: 6:05
Air temperature: 55 degrees
Water temperature: 53 degrees
Wind: south 5 to 10 mph
Day’s outlook: unseasonably warm, high of 80 degrees