CLEVELAND – The weather forecasters have good news for the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers fishing on day three of the EverStart Series Northeastern event: conditions should be even better than Thursday.

However, the finalists were busy tying down trolling motors, tweaking GPS units and donning heavy rain gear for their trips across Lake Erie this morning.

“There’s supposed to be light south winds this morning, but I’m not taking any chances,” said Jason Carleton of Rochester, N.Y., as he tied down his trolling motor. “You never know what Mr. Erie might have in store for you.”

Most of the top 10 pros will be making long runs to the west today. Later this afternoon, winds are supposed to shift to out of the northwest at 5 to 10 mph, but it should still allow for anglers to fish where and how they want.

The end result will be large stringers of smallmouths weighed in at the Wal-Mart at 3606 Mayfield Road in Cleveland this afternoon. The day-three weigh-in will begin a 4 p.m.

Friday’s conditions:

Sunrise: 6:19 a.m.

Water temperature: 76 degrees

Air temperature: 64 degrees

Expected high: 81 degrees

Wind: forecasted from the NNW at 5 to 10 mph

Day’s outlook: sunny and cool