The pressure is on

Stren Series Northeast Division anglers battle field, weather, congested fishing areas in attempt to qualify for Thursday’s top-20 cut

CLEVELAND – With overcast skies and hazy conditions setting the stage for Thursday’s competition, the full field of 160 pros and 160 co-anglers departed Voinovich Park Marina shortly after 6:30 a.m. in search of the secret formula to deciphering Lake Erie’s massive expanse. With an all-important top-20 cut looming after today’s weigh-in, anglers are facing a number of hurdles – not the least of which is the increasing pressure on certain highly sought-after fishing areas.

While most casual fishing fans would expect Lake Erie, a 241-mile body of water with a total surface area of 9,910 square miles, to have plenty of opportunities for catching fish, many Stren anglers have been quietly grousing about the boat traffic on selected fishing locations.

Although there are many good areas around Sandusky and Avon, for example, there aren’t a whole lot of places to fish in between – which makes for some tight fishing quarters around any isolated structure along the way.

“Up here, there are only certain areas (where the fish congregate), so it’s kind of fishing small,” said Stren Series pro and Team Bounty angler Jacob Powroznik of Prince George, Va. “During prefishing, I was burning about a tank a day of gas, just looking around for some bottom structure, which wasn’t normal. This is a lot like fishing an ocean.”

Clearly, adjustments are necessary.

“For me, the key is fishing light line and smaller baits because there is just so much pressure on these fish,” said Powroznik.

However, the good news is that if the anglers do find the fish, they usually won’t be disappointed.

“I’m just going to try and catch five fish today,” said Powroznik, who currently sits in 14th place, heading into today’s competition. “Because with the size of the fish here, if you catch your limit, you’re going to have a big bag.”

Tournament highlights

The Stren Series event, which runs July 19-22, represents the second of four regular-season Northeast Division events. The total purse for the Lake Erie event is $262,000. The winning pro could earn as much as $64,500 in cash and prizes if various contingency awards are met, and the winning co-angler could earn as much as $35,000, including a 519VX Ranger boat and trailer if contingency guidelines are satisfied.

Competitors will also be vying for valuable year-end standings points that could earn them a trip to the $1 million Stren Series Championship, scheduled to take place Nov. 1-4 in Decatur, Ala.

After Thursday’s cut, the top-20 pros and co-anglers will hit the water again on Friday in an effort to grab one of the 10 qualifying spots for Saturday’s finals. The winner in each division will be determined by the angler who brings in the largest two-day combined stringer on Friday and Saturday.

Currently, Bryan Coates of Amherst, Ohio, holds the top spot in the Pro Division after netting a 24-pound, 10-ounce stringer in yesterday’s action. Meanwhile, Gary Guilliams of Troutville, Va., has the lead in the Co-angler Division with a day-one total of 21 pounds.

Stren Series action continues at Thursday’s weigh-in, scheduled to take place at 2:30 p.m. EDT at Voinovich Park Marina, located at East Ninth Street in downtown Cleveland.

Thursday’s conditions:

Sunrise: 6:10 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 74 degrees

Expected high temperature: 87 degrees

Water temperature: 75-78 degrees

Wind: SW at 5-10 mph

Maximum humidity: 64 percent

Day’s outlook: mostly sunshine