Bait and switch
Tricky day two at Havasu under way
LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – It’s Thursday in EverStart Series Western Division competition at Lake Havasu and, finally, it has stopped raining in the desert.
While all the wet weather has made this part of the country bloom with greenery and look more like Hawaii than northwest Arizona, the bass fishing at Havasu has yet to blossom fully for the season. Western standout Mike Folkestad led all pro challengers with more than 17 pounds by throwing a drop-shot on day one, but that weight was an anomaly.
Most pros, like fellow Western icon Gary Dobyns, are having trouble zeroing in on just what the fish want to eat. Wednesday Dobyns caught a limit, but it weighed just 12 pounds, 12 ounces and put him right at the cut line in 11th place.
“I caught each fish on just about every bait you could name,” Dobyns said. “It was total junk-fishing.”
Pro Clayton Meyer, while he secured second place with a limit weighing 16 pounds, 4 ounces on day one, also placed himself in the lucky camp.
“I didn’t know mine were that big. I was thinking (my weight) was closer to 13 (pounds),” he said Wednesday. “I don’t what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
One thing’s for certain, 10 pros and 10 co-anglers will advance to Friday’s action following today’s cut round.
The sun peeked through the clouds at takeoff and should continue to make scattered appearances throughout the day. That could help those who are going sight-fishing for those early spawners, but it could also be a setback for those who caught them cloudy yesterday.
Look for the pro cut weight to hover around 20 to 23 pounds, while the co-anglers should be shooting for 13 to 15 pounds.
Day-two weigh-in festivities begin at 3 p.m. Mountain time at Windsor Park located at 699 London Bridge Road in Lake Havasu City. All four days’ weigh-ins will be held at the same location with Friday and Saturday weigh-ins beginning at 4 p.m.
Thursday’s conditions:
Sunrise: 7:39 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 51 degrees
Expected high temperature: 65 degrees
Water temperature: 53-55 degrees
Wind: from SW at 9 mph
Maximum humidity: 59 percent
Day’s outlook: partly cloudy