Stren Midwest season closer kicks off in Detroit
Competitors launch from Detroit River but head toward Lake Erie for smallies
TRENTON, Mich. – The fourth and final Stren Series Midwest Division tournament kicked off Wednesday morning in the Detroit suburbs with a lot of boats pointed toward Lake Erie. Though the Detroit River is the official tournament site, competitors have an enormous amount of fishable water to choose from, including the river itself, Erie and Lake St. Clair. But judging from the trajectory of most competitors this morning, the bag-busting smallies are going to come out of Erie.
The Detroit River is an annual Stren Series destination, and the results rarely disappoint, as 20-pound stringers are not uncommon here. In fact, pro Terry Baksay of Easton, Conn., says a limit as heavy as 26 pounds is not out of the question at today’s weigh-in.
“There’s going to be some really, really big fish weighed in,” Baksay said. “There are big fish in Erie and in St. Clair.”
Helping the bite, he says, is the light wind, which is forecasted for the next couple of days. Troubling anglers, though, is the transition mode the fish are currently in, which can make finding them awfully tricky.
“The fish are not where they should be; they’re moving,” Baksay said. “Today, my partner and I are just going fishing. I had the worst practice I’ve ever had on this river. The fish are not where I normally think they should be.”
The key, Baksay says, is baitfish, the abundance of which is causing the fish to be so mobile this time of year.
AOY races heat up
Today and tomorrow are critical competition days for pros William Davis and Jim Jones, who are first and second, respectively, in the Midwest Division points race. Davis currently holds an ultrathin two-point advantage over Jones, who is 13 points ahead of No. 3 pro Chad Morgenthaler. This week is their last chance to earn points toward the coveted points title.
On the co-angler side, Kentucky Lake champion Ron Fabiszak is currently six points ahead of Bud Strader in the points race. Strader is a fairly comfortable 27 points ahead of No. 3 Arthur (Gene) Hall.
Logistics
Anglers will take off from Elizabeth Park at 7 EDT each morning except for Saturday, when they will take off at 6:45 from Lake Erie Metropark. Wednesday and Thursday’s weigh-ins will also be held at Elizabeth Park, which is located at 200 Grosse Isle Parkway in Trenton, beginning at 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 23800 Allen Road in Woodhaven, Mich., beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The field of 137 pros and 137 co-anglers will compete for two days to determine the top 20 pros and top 20 co-anglers who advance to day three, based on their two-day accumulated weight. Weights are cleared for day three and anglers compete for 10 spots in each division on day four. Winners are determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.
On the Web
For fishing fans unable to attend the Stren Midwest tournament taking place this week in Michigan, FLWOutdoors.com offers FLW Live, a real-time video look at the daily weigh-ins. Just access the online application during weigh-in hours to keep tabs on your favorite anglers.
Wednesday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:03 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 60 degrees
Expected high temperature: 78 degrees
Wind: WNW at 5 mph
Maximum humidity: 76 percent
Day’s outlook: scattered thunderstorms