For the second consecutive day, family, fans, and other spectators watched 101 anglers take off, heavily layered to remain warm and functional during the coldest conditions in which many have ever competed.
Biting cold, main lake water temperatures in the upper 30s to low 40s, and ice remaining in several creeks and backwaters have presented a challenging scenario. Numb fingers, red noses — creature comfort definitely suffers, but so does equipment.
Several anglers had trouble opening lids frozen shut by residual moisture forming a rigid, icy seal. Even a thin layer of ice can prove remarkably resistant, especially when you’re trying to grip small lid rings with gloved hands.
“On Day 1, I had to beat my live well lids open,” said Trey McKinney. “I caught one, and I’m like, ‘I can get ‘em open.’ I couldn’t get my bump board out, I couldn’t hardly get some of my back compartments open.
“A lot of times, you can beat around the l lid to loosen the ice so you don’t risk breaking something.”
Missed Opportunities
Day 1 also saw anglers struggling with ice forming in rod guides and reels. This greatly impacts line movement, so casting and reeling efficiency suffers.
Will Davis Junior offered this insight: “It’s not as bad with the braid as the monofilament and fluorocarbon. The braid cuts (through the ice) better.”
Hunter Shryock said he reached his first Day-1 spot and found three of his reels inoperable.
“The moisture inside the reel had frozen solid,” Shryock said. “I had to sit there and manually pull the line out until the reel disengaged so I could start casting.”
McKinney suffered an early frustration when he enticed an estimated 4-pounder, but his iced reel wasn’t up to the task.
“My reel had gotten water in it and (Thursday) morning, it was absolutely frozen,” he said. “I could reel, but I couldn’t feel anything because I was just pushing through it.
“I got the bite and set the hook, but I couldn’t reel fast enough to catch up to the slack and he came off.”
What Helps
Today’s forecast for mostly sunny conditions and temperatures rising into the upper 50’s will help, but in the early goings, ice was and will be a concern. Here’s a rundown of how anglers dealt with Day 1 issues.
De-Icing: With water temperatures a little higher than air temperatures, quickly dipping a rod into the lake will melt or loosen any ice crystals forming in rod guides. Cody Meyer gives his rod a sharp bump after each dip to help shake out remaining ice crystals.
Preventative Maintenance: Some anglers find that adding various lubricants to their reel spool and rod guides helps reduce ice by forming a hydrophobic layer that limits standing water. Silicone-based sprays like TTI-Blakemore’s Reel Magic or WD-40 are popular options, but Cody Meyer prefers PAM Cooking Spray. Shryock uses Chapstick for his rod guides, while others coats their guides with Vaseline.
More Space: Stating simple physics, Jason Christie notes that micro guides freeze up faster than traditional size guides. He typically prefers Falcon Rods’ micro guide option, but for this event, he’s using the ones with larger guides.
Amplified Intensity: Steve Kennedy noted that he had trouble working his lipless crankbait when ice formed in his guides and on his reel after each cast. He said an overly forceful cranking motion helped clear the crystals.
Silver Lining
Canadian pro Evan Kung has plenty of cold water experience, but he still found himself frustrated by a Day-1 limitation. Fortunately, what was lost led him to a day-changing opportunity that delivered a 5th-place limit of 23 pounds, 6 ounces.
“In the morning, I blew up the reel (severe backlash) that had the bait I wanted to use,” Kung said. “I had just lost a fish, so I think the line was super tight on my reel. With ice on the rod guides, I went to cast and it just blew up the reel.
“I think it worked out better for me because I picked up another rod with a different bait and caught all may fish on it.”
