KINGSTON, Okla. – Big water and big winds mean big waves. Hence, the decision to cancel Day 1 of the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Southwestern Division event on Lake Texoma. With today’s action canceled, weather permitting, the entire field will fish Friday and Saturday in a two-day shootout.

“Yesterday’s forecast was iffy, and overnight, the forecast changed a little bit to show 40 mph gusts from 11 a.m. on,” said Toyota Series Tournament Director Mark McWha. “So, I talked to a lot of veterans and local anglers, and I made the decision to cancel.

“It’s a tough call to make because it’s flat calm now, but I know what the forecast is and it was spot on yesterday. I expect the same today, and it’s not a safe situation.”

Meanwhile, for anglers, the decision was seen as the right one.

“Mark [McWha] erring on the side of caution is a great thing,” said Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit pro and local Jeff Reynolds. “People don’t understand how dangerous this lake can get if the wind blows. Even if it’s calm at takeoff, they may run down to the south end of the lake and won’t realize how bad it is until they can’t get back.

“Tournament directors tend to get bashed when they cancel days because guys are all gung ho. What they need to understand is if he cancels a day, it’s because he’s thinking someone can get seriously hurt. That’s all you need to know.”