Oneida Midday Update Day 1
Plenty of pros building solid limits of smallmouths
So far, day one of the Costa FLW Series presented by Ranger Boats on Oneida Lake has provided the anglers a perfect playing field for catching bass. The morning started with light or nonexistent winds, though since about noon the wind has begun to get up out of the west enough to move some things around. As for the weather, the morning showers dissipated quickly and though an afternoon thundershower might pop up, the rest of the day been simply spectacular, with partly cloudy skies and perfect temperatures.
Overall, the fishing seems to be going well for much of the field, with a number of limits in the teens reported and almost everyone working on a limit with at least a couple bass. The morning smallmouth bite was definitely hot, and lots of bass were caught in the first hour or so after takeoff. So far, umbrella rigs and various finesse options seem to be the most popular choices for smallmouths, and many pros chose to start their day chasing brown fish.
At the top of the Angler of the Year standings, both Chris and Cory Johnston are off to hot starts. Chris was culling up extremely early in the morning, and at around 11:30 a.m. Cory had 15 pounds in the livewell and was looking for a second kicker largemouth to keep moving up. Though we don’t have estimates for Ron Nelson and Bob Izumi, Casey Smith (in fifth place in the standings) had three in the box (with one “good one”) around 9:30.
Currently, the leaders of the pack beside the Johnston brothers are clearly Jim Tutt and Jason Putnam. Tutt reports a hot morning bite that netted him about 17 pounds, and Putnam has a mix of smallmouths and largemouths worth about 16 pounds. Behind them, Kyle Weisenburger has about 15 pounds, and had left his primary area in search of a kicker around 10:30 a.m.
Elsewhere around the field, Jamey Caldwell has worked up to a limit worth about 12 pounds after a slow start. Last week’s BFL winner Ed Casey had an early limit for 13 pounds. Second place from that same BFL, Grae Buck started very early in the day with three keepers for about 7 pounds. Finally, Michael McCoy has a limit he estimated at around 12 pounds.
Tournament Details
Format: All boaters and co-anglers will compete for two days. The top 10 boaters and co-anglers based on cumulative weight after two days of competition will advance to the third and final round, with the winner determined by the heaviest cumulative three-day weight.
Takeoff Time: 6:30 a.m. ET
Takeoff Location: Oneida Shores County Park, 9400 Bartell Road, Brewerton, N.Y. 13029
Weigh-In Time: 2:30 p.m. ET days one and two, 3:30 p.m. ET on day three
Weigh-In Location: Oneida Shores County Park on days one and two, day three at Walmart, 3018 East Ave, Central Square, N.Y. 13036