Pulling water woes
Eufaula bite will be tough until water levels stabilize
EUFAULA, Ala. – Though a third straight day of warm, sunny conditions is on the horizon for Lake Eufaula, Stren Series Southeast Division competitors have little hope that the shallow spawning bite that by all accounts should be red-hot by now will turn on. The problem? The Corps of Engineers has been pulling water around the clock, trying to bring the lake down to normal pool.
As a result, the fish that had moved up were forced back down, though a cold front before the tournament began didn’t help either. It is estimated that the water is being drawn down 4 to 5 inches a day, and according to pro Greg Pugh of Cullman, Ala., they have about a foot to go before the lake is at a level normal for this time of year.
As a result, some anglers are making an arduously long run down to Lake Seminole, including Pugh, who has been commuting more than a hundred miles a day – one way – to catch fish. He caught them on day one, when he was in 15th, but mechanical troubles yesterday hindered him a bit, and he fell to 70th.
“The water has been dropping a lot, and the fish have been pulling back off,” he said of conditions on Lake Eufaula. “They don’t want to bite. I’ve been making a 106-mile run to Seminole, and they’re pulling the water there, but they’re holding the water level. Three in the top 10 are going with me.”
That is not to say that Lake Eufaula isn’t full of bass – it is, and good ones at that. But the fluctuating water level has simply spooked the fish into keeping their mouths shut.
“If they shut the water down today and it stabilized, the fish would go to biting on Eufaula,” Pugh said. “Shallow cranking in 4 to 8 feet of water seems to be the deal here. But the Corps of Engineers are trying to get the water down to normal pool for this time of year, and it’s about a foot high.”
Indeed, Pugh said it goes without saying that with the current weather conditions, if the water level were to stabilize, Eufaula would see an awesome prespawn-spawning bite.
“You might see a big stringer (today),” Pugh said. “It all depends on if they’re still pulling that water. Hopefully they’ll get it stabilized, especially for Saturday.”
The full field of competitors will weigh in their day-three catches starting at 3 p.m. CST at Lakepoint State Park on Highway 431 in Eufaula. Following today’s competition, the pro and co-angler fields will be cut to the top 10 based on cumulative three-day weights. The top 10 will continue competition Saturday, with the winner determined by the heaviest four-day weight.
Currently, Timothy Williams of Auburn leads the pro field by an ounce, while Alan Hults of Gautier, Miss., leads the co-angler field by 9 pounds, 15 ounces.
On the Web
For those who can’t catch the weigh-in action in person, FLWOutdoors.com offers FLW Live, an online application that brings fans real-time weigh-in results, streaming video and audio.
Friday’s conditions
Sunrise: 5:59 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 44 degrees
Expected high temperature: 76 degrees
Wind: from the ESE at 9 mph
Maximum humidity: 46 percent
Day’s outlook: sunshine and a few clouds