Wind returns for Stren Series finale on Lake Texoma

Pro and co-angler leaders poised for double wire-to-wire wins

DENISON, Texas – One boat, two fishermen, six leads and 68 pounds, 8 ounces – that was the scorecard aboard pro angler Ronnie Hopkins Jr.’s Evinrude-powered Ranger Comanche as he and top co-angler Bo Middleton headed into the final round of Stren Series action on Lake Texoma.

Hailing from Mounds, Okla., Hopkins has led all pros for three days with bags weighing 17-4, 15-8 and 8-14. He caught limits on days one and two and weighed four on day three. Elgin, Oklahoma’s Middleton caught a limit on day one and entered three bass on days two and three for scores of 13-10, 5-2, 7-8.

With plans of fishing crankbaits around shallow points, Hopkins said he’s optimistic about his chances of sealing the deal. A renewed wind, he said, will work in his favor. “I feel good about today. With that wind blowing, I think I can catch 12-13 pounds and that should win it. If I can get 12 pounds, I’ll feel pretty good about it. If not, I’m going to feel pretty nervous.

“I wasted a lot of time fishing banks with no wind (earlier in the tournament). So I’m going to spend all my time on windy banks.”

Middleton also likes the day’s windy forecast. “I think this wind is going to help a lot. It’s going to move the bait right where we want it – up on the points. That makes the (bass) a lot more active.”

Holding a 2-pound, 12-ounce lead over second-place co-angler Richard Carpenter, Middleton said he’ll pursue a strategy of quantity more so than quality. “I just want to bring in five bass. It doesn’t matter what size – I just want five (keepers), and I think that will do it.”

Second-place pro Doug Jones of Fort Gibson, Okla., has also performed consistently. Taking third on day one, he moved into second a day later and held that position for the final round. Jones has been fishing tucked-away spots inside creek where landscape blocks the big fan.

“I don’t think this wind is going to affect me at all,” he said. “I’m just going to go out there, work hard at it and do what I’ve been doing for three days.”

Jones has been pitching jigs at shallow brush in 2 to 5 feet of water. He’ll continue this pattern and adjust his retrieves relative to where the fish are relating to the structure.

For the first two days of the event, anglers faced dreadful conditions, as a storm system passed through northern Texas. Day one brought cloudy skies and heavy winds, while day two saw clear, sunny conditions with even more wind. The first day’s blow piled baitfish onto shoreline shallows, so anglers like Hopkins who targeted fish feeding on the forage accumulations fared well.

The next day, however, Lake Texoma’s swollen waters saw waves as high as 10 feet and anglers reported having great difficulty reaching their desired spots. Other vexations included muddied shorelines and casting challenges.

Day three saw nearly windless conditions, so waters may have settled enough for anglers to try some of their key spots before today’s returning winds cause more disturbance. Most anglers would prefer some cloud cover over the day’s bluebird skies, but they’ll have to work with what they’re dealt. Jigs, crankbaits, shaky-head worms and topwater plugs will be the common bait choices.

One to watch: Ninth-place co-angler Naohiro Maruo of Takamatsu Kagawa, Japan. Paired with local pro Ryan Lovelace of Denison, Texas, Maruo stands a good chance of finding himself in productive areas, thanks to Lovelace’s local knowledge. The Japanese angler caught 10-8 on day one, blanked on day two, but weighed 6-6 on day three.

At the final round takeoff, Maruo was clearly elated to be fishing a Stren Series finale. Although he speaks little English, he’s become a weigh-in highlight with his over-the-top personality and lots of entertaining enthusiasm. Should he do well today, there’ll be plenty of onstage antics.

Tournament logistics

The Stren Series event, which concludes today, represents the last of four regular-season Texas Division events. The total purse for the Lake Texoma event is $275,225. The winning pro could earn as much as $65,000 in cash and prizes if various contingencies are met, and the winning co-angler could earn as much as $35,000.

Action continues at today’s weigh-in, scheduled to take place at 4 p.m. (Central Time) at the Wal-Mart store, located at 401 North U.S. Highway 75 in Denison, Texas.

Saturday’s conditions:

Sunrise: 7:36 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 53 degrees

Expected high temperature: 83 degrees

Water temperature: 71-72 degrees

Wind: SSW at 15-20 mph

Humidity: 30 percent

Day’s outlook: sunny and windy