Amistad replenishing

Anglers not worried about dried-up hot spots on day three

DEL RIO, Texas – Rare is the day-three morning when the semifinalists aren’t too concerned about dried-up fishing holes. Usually, after 400 pros and co-anglers have milked a lake for two days, strategies have to be reinvented, but that’s at a normal lake. As Stren Series Central Division competitors can attest, Lake Amistad has proven itself this week to be far, far from normal.

After breaking records left and right during the opening round, the top 20 competitors from each division took off today fully expecting to bring in another motherlode of fish from Lake Amistad.

“If the wind stays like this, the fishing is going to be good,” said pro Ben Matsubu, who ended the opening round in the No. 13 position. “Some of these guys played it safe yesterday, and today they’re going to go all out.”

Both Matsubu and No. 17 pro Eddy May agree it will take around 23 to 25 pounds to make the top-10 cut and earn the chance to fish Saturday.

“You’ve just got to figure out the pattern,” May said. “This is the best fishery I’ve ever seen in my life. A lot of good spots are beaten up, but maybe 150 yards away, there’s a spot just like it that hasn’t even been touched.”

The top 20 pros and 20 co-anglers will weigh in their catches today beginning at 4 p.m. Central at the Wal-Mart store located on Veterans Boulevard in Del Rio. Following today’s competition, the field will be cut to the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers who will continue competition tomorrow.

Friday’s conditions:



Sunrise: 7:15 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 55 degrees

Expected high temperature: 63 degrees

Wind: SE at 11 mph

Maximum humidity: 75 percent

Day’s outlook: scattered showers and thunderstorms