Although Lake Seminole teems with heavyweight largemouth bass, there were dour predictions from the anglers who are competing here this week in the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open No. 3 presented by Allstate. It’s all about timing, and October is generally not a good time to catch a lot of bass at Lake Seminole.
Randall Tharp of Port St. Joe, Fla., a favorite to win this tournament, said Thursday that the bass are currently scattered throughout Seminole’s abundant aquatic vegetation. You can catch a huge bass on any given cast, but you must stay on the move to find another bass that’s willing to bite.
Tharp weighed in a 17-pound, 8-ounce five-bass limit today, which has him in fourth place. Because Tharp failed to qualify for the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro via the Bassmaster Elite Series, he must win here to secure his Classic berth.
On Thursday, the first competition day, the fish proved to be stingy for most of the 166 pros and 166 co-anglers fishing in this tournament. Many of the pros failed to catch a daily five-bass limit and 26 of them did not catch a single keeper bass. Bass were even harder to come by for the co-anglers, as 75 of them failed to weigh-in a bass.
The tough fishing made leader Bobby Lane’s five-bass limit, weighing 20-6, even more impressive. The Lakeland, Fla., angler said he practiced only one day on Seminole. That was on Wednesday, the day before the tournament started.
“This place sets up good for a flipper,” Lane said. “I caught 15 to 20 bass today, and I have them all to myself.”
Lane is known for his ability to dig bass out of thick grass with a long, stout flippin’ rod.
Brandon McMillan of Clewiston, Fla., is close behind Lane in second place with a limit that weighed 19-14. McMillan was leading the Angler of the Year standings for the Bassmaster Southern Opens coming into this tournament. He believes today’s heavy limit will keep him high enough in the standings to qualify for the Bassmaster Elite Series tour in 2016.
The Top 5 finishers in each of the three Bassmaster Open divisions qualify for the Elite Series. Should McMillan win this tournament, it will help to finance his Elite Series dream.
Elite Series pro Kelley Jaye is in third place with 18-4. “I fished one bait in three different areas all day,” Jaye said. “I don’t have a lot of company because I’m fishing offshore.”
Marty Spears of Tallahassee, Fla., sits atop the co-anglers with a three-bass co-angler limit of 10-11.
The anglers who are leading after today’s weigh-in are wisely keeping quiet about where they are fishing and the lures and techniques that are working for them. They don’t want to tip their hand to their competitors.
However, it is likely that most of the bigger bass weighed in today were caught with a tactic called “punching.” The lure is a soft plastic crawdad, or some other creature bait, rigged Texas style (weedless) with a large hook. A 1- to 2-ounce tungsten bullet sinker punches the lure through dense grassmats to reach the bass lounging in open water below the mats.
Hollow weedless frogs and Texas rigged sinking worms also saw plenty of action today.
Drew Cook of Midway, Fla., is the big bass leader on the pro side with a whopping 8-5 largemouth bass. The pro who catches the biggest bass during the tournament earns a $750 Bass Pro Shops Big Bass award.
The big bass leader for the co-anglers is Eugene Stinson of Dry Branch, Ga., with a 6-10. If no co-angler catches a heavier bass before the tournament ends, Stinson will pocket the $250 Bass Pro Shops Big Bass award.
About 15 pros piloted aluminum boats today so they could run far up the Flint River and navigate rocky shoals to fish for shoal bass. Feisty shoal bass do not grow nearly as big as Seminole’s largemouth bass, but they are more willing to bite a lure, especially in October. All the leaders in this tournament caught largemouth bass.
Thursday’s weather was picture perfect with a morning low in the 60s, a high in the low 80s and a slight breeze to riffle the water. Friday’s forecast is for more of the same.
Takeoff Friday will be from the Earle May Boat Basin at 7:30 a.m. ET. Friday’s weigh-in begins at 3:30 p.m. at the same location. The final weigh-in for the Top 12 anglers on Saturday will take place at 4:30 p.m. ET at Bass Pro Shops, 4059 Lagniappe Way, Tallahassee, FL 32317.
2015 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2015 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Presenting Sponsor: Allstate
2015 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2015 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: A.R.E. Accessories, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, GoPro, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2015 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Huk Performance Fishing, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series presented by Allstate, Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
