Top 5 Patterns from Sam Rayburn – Day 2
BROOKELAND, Texas – Few lakes can show out like Sam Rayburn. A pair of 28-pound bags on Day 2 of the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Southwestern Division event sure showed that.
Yet, few lakes also have a history of seeing weights drop hard on the final day like Big Sam, as the pressure seems to take its toll.
But with Keith Combs – last year’s winner of the Southwestern Division finale on Sam Rayburn – leading and a young gun right behind him, not to mention a field of locals and others who could all crack the 30-pound mark, it should be plenty interesting to see what trend holds.
2. Hayden Heck – 47-2 (10)
He might’ve moved to the area from California only a couple years ago, but few anglers have spent more time on Sam Rayburn since then than Hayden Heck. Today, he showed it was time well spent, especially with mastering his electronics.
“Garmin LiveScope has changed the game for me,” Heck said. “Today, I was checking stuff with it I hadn’t fished in a month, and they were there. Plus, I could tell with LiveScope if they were active or inactive.”
While he might not have fished the spots he did today in the last few weeks, Heck admits he’s been on quite the pattern recently, saying he fully expected to crack 20 pounds, as he’s done it regularly in recent weeks, including a 32-pound bag.
Now, does he expect to crack 30 pounds tomorrow? No, but with a sunnier forecast, fewer boats and a pattern where bigger fish are starting to show up, he’s excited about the possibilities.
“Everything worked out right today,” Heck said. “I mean, I had a fish come up chasing a big baitfish, and I threw in and she ate. That was one of my 6-pounders. It all worked out, but it doesn’t always, obviously. Hopefully, it does again tomorrow, though.”
3. Brian Schott – 40-13 (10)
What a difference a day makes.
On Day 1, Brian Schott made the run far up above the 147 bridge and didn’t seem to have a soul around him and had perfect conditions to run and gun. Today, it was the opposite.
“Some of my water got blown out today, and I couldn’t fish where I wanted to fish because it was a little more crowded up there today,” Schott said. “I mean, there were some boats yesterday, but I got in front of people in the spots I was running. Today, I got behind people. Two of my best fish yesterday came from one spot, and another angler was on it all day.”
Still, he managed to hit maybe 30 spots – many of which he says are community holes – and scratch together a solid limit. However, he didn’t get any big bites, which has him a little concerned.
4. Wyatt Frankens – 36-0 (10)
When things are on the line – like an invite to the Toyota Series Championship like it was for Wyatt Frankens – having the final event on your home waters should be a blessing. It hasn’t been.
“To be quite frank, it’s been a stressful week after the practice I had,” Frankens said.
Despite all his knowledge, no real pattern emerged, especially not a shad spawn starting hole like many pros. That meant he’s had one pattern – scramble.
“It’s been an absolute scramble,” Frankens said. “I’ve caught them shallow. I’ve caught them deep. I’m really just fortunate to be sitting where I am. I think we might’ve solidified an invite (to the Toyota Series Championship) and got a paycheck. So, that’s taken a lot of pressure off me tomorrow to really swing.”
5. Marshall Hughes – 35-5 (10)
If he was just trying to catch fish, Marshall Hughes would’ve had a banner day. Unfortunately, he needed quality, and that never happened.
“All my fish turned into dinks,” Hughes said. “I had a spot where I caught them every cast for an hour, but no big ones.”
Hughes said that right off the bat he knew something was up, as the shad in his area “kind of ran out on him.” Thus, he spent a lot of time trying to relocate them, only to find small fish.
Fortunately, he’s been keying on wind this week, and tomorrow’s forecast is calling for just the right amount for him to know what to do, he says.
“Oh, I’m optimistic,” Hughes said. “I’m going to go out tomorrow and give them hell. I’ve caught an 11-pounder this year from here. Why not make it two?”