Pugh’s to lose
Alabama pro gunning for first Stren Series victory
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. – Greg Pugh of Cullman, Ala., is best known for his sight-fishing abilities. If there is a fish on bed somewhere, he’s going to catch it.
Lake Seminole is known as a sight-fishing lake, a place the Pedigree pro loves to fish when big Seminole sows are on bed.
The two seem like a perfect match for each other, but not in January when the water temperature is in the low 50s.
Pugh, however, has cracked the Lake Seminole code this week by going to places where he knows fish spawn in the spring and keeping a flipping stick in his hand.
Pugh’s day-three stringer of 26 pounds, 10 ounces was easily the biggest five-fish limit of the Stren Series event on Seminole this week. His three-day total of 41 pounds, 15 ounces gives him a lead of 9 pounds, 6 ounces going into day four’s final round.
It’s a nice cushion, but not enough to rest on his laurels. He’ll need to bring in something today to fend off the other nine competitors.
“I’m not really known as a flipper,” Pugh said. “If I’m not sight-fishing, I like moving baits like spinnerbaits, crankbaits and jerkbaits. This is the first time I’ve put a flipping stick in my hand for three days and never changed. It’s been frustrating. I’ve lost fish and wanted to fish other ways, but I kept committed to the big stick, and it finally paid off yesterday.
“Now I understand why this technique takes commitment. Going into day three, I could have said, `Forget it, I’m going to a lipless crankbait,’ and that big string would have never happened.'”
Pugh will remain committed to his pitching and flipping plan today. He is pitching three key soft plastics: a Gambler Ugly Otter, a Gambler Little Otter and a Net Bait Baby Paca Craw – in some form of black-blue or junebug.
The Pedigree pro is using a 3/4-ounce tungsten weight with a 4/0 Gamakatsu hook tied to 60-pound-test Stealth Braid.
Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Bainbridge Wal-Mart at 4 p.m.
Friday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:30 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 37 degrees
Expected high temperature: 52 degrees
Water temperature: 50-53 degrees
Forecasted winds: NNW at 5 to 10 mph
Day’s outlook: mostly cloudy