Florida lakes are known for being shallow. We're 400 yards from the bank and sitting in 1.2 feet of water. The water temperature is 69.1 degrees. This area where the anglers are concentrated on the west bank of Lake George is covered in river grass, which isn't as thickly matted as some aquatic vegetation. The anglers generally are pitching into holes in the grass where bass have made spawning beds.
It was noteworthy how many 8-pound-plus fish were weighed yesterday. Davy Hite took big bass honors with a 10-2. Marty Robinson weighed a 9-9 and another over 8. Hite and Robinson are tied for second with 24-1. Leader Randy Howell with 27-1 had a big bass that weighed 7-13, plus a 6 and a 5 1/2 and a 4 1/2. If Howell could have culled the 2-pounder, as he noted yesterday, he could have broken 30 pounds. And he was fishing for a 6-pounder when he had to leave.
Howell is here this morning, fishing close to the bank and farther south than most of the Elite Series fleet.