The crucial afternoon bite

Practice days before the Classic aren't limited by anything but a willingness to stay out on Grand Lake. Several anglers practiced from daylight until dark, including Randy Howell.

Practice days before the Classic aren't limited by anything but a willingness to stay out on Grand Lake. Several anglers practiced from daylight until dark, including Randy Howell.

 

"I think it starts getting good again around 1:00, 1:30," Howell said Friday. "I practiced for 12 hours a day, and there was a lot of good fishing in the afternoon."

 

Jason Christie did the same and agreed, saying, "I was getting more bites in the last three hours (of practice) than I did in the previous eight."

 

But tournament days are considerably shorter, so you can't afford to waste any time now.

 

"You don't want to be running around when they're biting," said Mike McClelland. "It's time to be real careful."