Bassmaster Classic conditions at Grand Lake are inching toward ideal
GROVE, Okla. — As he waited for Wednesday’s 7 a.m. practice-day takeoff, Edwin Evers checked the water surface temperature at the Wolf Creek Park dock. His GPS/sonar unit read 49.5 degrees.
“I’m paying attention to it,” Evers said. “That’s the warmest I’ve seen it in this area. That’s pretty awesome.”
Evers noted that during last weekend’s pre-practice days, the warmest water surface temperature in this area was in the 48- to 49-degree range, and that came at the end of a sunny day. A reading of 49.5 degrees at 6:45 a.m. after a frosty, 30-degree night indicates progress.
Daily high temperatures through Sunday are predicted to be in the mid to upper 60s, with a low temperature Saturday night of 50 degrees. That could kickoff the kind of bass-catching explosion that Evers knows Grand Lake can produce when the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro begins Friday.
Most anglers are predicted a winning weight near Cliff Pace’s first-place total in 2013 at Grand – 54 lbs., 12 oz. That translates to a daily average of 18-4 for the three-day event. But if the weather forecast holds, it could take several pounds more than 54-12 to win it this time.
“It could be right there (at 54 pounds), or it could be really, really good,” Evers said. “We’re on the verge of it busting wide open.”
Because of those three words – “on the verge” – Evers didn’t check some of his prime areas on Grand Lake during the Friday-through-Sunday pre-practice days. He saved those for Wednesday’s official practice day.
“There’s a few areas I haven’t specifically checked,” he said. “The conditions are getting better for those areas. I didn’t want to go there (earlier) and get disheartened.”
During registration Tuesday, angler after angler mentioned how important Wednesday’s practice day would be. They haven’t been on the lake since Sunday. A lot can change over two days this time of year, especially with water temperatures inching up. Several anglers mentioned being close to establishing a fish-catching pattern during pre-practice. Wednesday would determine whether they could dial-in that pattern, or they’d need to further adjust.
“Warmer weather and sunshine isn’t going to make for a giant jump in the water temperature on the main lake,” Evers said. “But back in those pockets, you’ll see some 58- to 60-degree water. I’ve already seen some 58-degree water. Out on the main lake, you could see it get to 53, 54. It’s a deep lake, and it just takes awhile for it to warm up.”
That’s why it’s likely this tournament will be won in shallow water, maybe 3 feet or less. It’s a scenario that excites a “river rat” like Bill Lowen. He’s one of those guys who has established a pattern on part of the lake. He planned to see if he could extend that pattern down the lake near the dam Wednesday.
“There’s a lot of shallow water targets, this year especially because the water is dirty almost everywhere,” Lowen said Wednesday morning. “I can run the whole lake and fish dirty, shallow water, which is the way I like to fish. I’m pretty excited.”
Lowen didn’t go to the dirtiest of the dirty water during pre-practice. That was his mission Wednesday.
“I’m going to spend my day in the mud, the real bad mud,” Lowen said. “I’ve got a feeling that a lot of guys are going to run from it. I’ve been able to get some bites in that stuff. And when I do, they’re the right ones. They are 3- to 6-pounders.
“I’ve been averaging about 15 bites a day. The fish are kind of sitting up in specific deals. I’m going to spend the day trying to find more of that. I’m fishing a lot of specific places. It sets up good for me.”
While Lowen isn’t as much concerned with water temperature as some anglers are, it’s definitely on every competitor’s radar. Just a couple of degrees higher than the previous day can spur an increase in feeding activity.
Chris Zaldain has noticed an unusual characteristic of Grand Lake water temperature. He found water that was as much as four degrees warmer in bordering pockets, where there was no obvious reason why. Four degrees is a big factor this time of year.
“One pocket you go into might be, say, 47 degrees,” Zaldain said. “The pocket next to it might be 51 degrees. And I don’t know why. There are pockets of warmer and cooler water right next to each other – same depth, same area of the lake, same clarity. It’s one of the weirdest things I’ve ever seen.”
That weirdness might be a key to winning the Bassmaster Classic. Who knows?