Day 1 of the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite at the St. Johns River saw friends, family, fans and media types slipping, sliding and struggling for balance on a treacherous layer of frost coating the Palatka City Dock.
On Friday and Saturday, warming temperatures and lots of sunshine had those wooden planks dry and stable.
Today, the dock glistened with morning rain. The 7:30 takeoff saw only a light sprinkling, but the sky will remain dim with clouds for most of the fishing day.
That’s a big change from the mostly sunny skies anglers have fished under for three days. While the lack of sun will hurt the sight fishing game, cloudy conditions plus the continuing warmup could ignite the bite today.
Notably, this morning’s temperature at takeoff was 57 degrees. Compare that to 32 on Day 1. Overnight lows are critical this time of year and Championship Sunday will find the fish waking up cozy and ready to chew.