CLEWISTON, Fla. – There’s probably nowhere better to start the tournament season than Lake Okeechobee. Warmer than anywhere else in the country, it’s exotic for many and is part of the rotation for any Florida angler. Over the years, MLF has started just about every possible trail at the big salad bowl, and this year, the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Southern Division gets rolling there.
This morning, under very chilly conditions, Russell Gardner and Jay Clingenpeel led things off in boat No. 1 with 183 other boats hot on their heels and everyone holding high expectations for the season ahead. Unfortunately, they hammered down into very chilly conditions for South Florida.
Cold conditions will challenge the field
While many pros have seen every possible permutation of Okeechobee, it is never the same from year to year. Some years, the canals play big; others have been all about punching or flipping; and back in the day, submerged hydrilla was often the name of the game. Now, with the water level low for the season and Okeechobee’s vegetation bouncing back in many places, were it not for an inopportune Florida cold front, a slugfest could be brewing.
Unfortunately, hoodies, bibs, and perhaps even beanies are essential gear in Clewiston at the moment, as a major cold front has overwhelmed the usually tropical paradise.
Last year’s winner, Robert Branagh reported an overnight water temperature drop from 76.8 degrees to a brisk 56.2 – not what you want to see.
“This isn’t Florida weather, for sure,” Branagh said. “The fish were moving in in pretty good waves, in pretty good groups. Now that it’s cold, some of the fish are still in there, but it’s going to be a struggle. When you get a bite, you better make every bite count, because you might be lucky to get five to seven bites a day.”
Unfortunately, prior to the cold snap, Okeechobee appeared to be all systems go.
“The lake is cleaning up real good,” Branagh said. “You could get some pitching and flipping bites, but the moving bait bite was really good. In practice, when it was warm, I was getting 30 bites a day up shallow.”
While Branagh has expectations of a super grind, Travis Pitt isn’t sure what to expect yet – in fact, he didn’t do too shabby on the first cold day.
“They bit yesterday in the first sweep of the cold,” he said. “But, I didn’t think a lake’s water temperature could drop this fast. Before it got cold, I saw the water temperature at about 72, and today I’m seeing 52. But, yesterday, even at 8 o’clock in the morning, they bit. So, as long as you’re around fish, I think a guy could grind out a pretty good bag.”
Pitt is a newcomer to Florida; Branagh, on the other hand, has seen this time and again. And, he’s not counting on gangbusters action.
“I think the canals are going to come into play big time, especially if there is rock, because those rocks warm up,” he said. “The difference is, the fish are going to be stubborn to eat even in the canals. For me, it’s going to be the same thing, but I’ll have to slow way down. Normal fishing, you miss a fish, you think you’re going to get another bite. This tournament, you miss a fish, and it’s going to cost you.”
Headlines to watch for
Three days of Florida fishing will not be without highlights, even though the weather won’t be balmy. Here’s what to keep an eye out for in this event.
- Kickers will be key – Big fish are always present and important in Florida. In this one, a big bite a day could be what it takes to hoist a trophy.
- There’s still a lot on the table – Despite the cold, don’t plan on this event being solely contested in the canals. In modern events on Okeechobee, canals are key, but they’re not the only way to get it done, and the lake itself is in good shape.
- A first look at new rules – This will be the first Toyota Series event under the new rules limiting modern sonar to three hours. Okeechobee is a sneaky ‘Scope lake, with a lot of application for transducers in perspective mode and a lot of more traditional use in the canals. Balancing a tough bite with the technology limitations could hurt some folks.
Follow along
Takeoff and weigh-in are open to the public all three days at Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina & Resort, at 7 a.m. ET and 3 p.m. ET. You can follow all the coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.