The trend at Lake Tenkiller is falling water. This Ozark Highlands reservoir has steadily dropped since the three-day practice period ended Tuesday to where it’s now less than four feet above the normal/conservation pool level of 632.0 feet above sea level.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the trend Thursday, some more than others of course, as all 101 anglers caught a five-bass limit on Day 1 of the Lowrance Bassmaster Elite at Oklahoma’s Lake Tenkiller.
“I think it made everything better,” said Carl Jocumsen, who is in 12th place with 14 pounds, 11 ounces. “It put current in the lake, and it pulled the fish out of the inaccessible areas and put them to where they could be caught. It was almost like it was perfect. It’s gonna get to a stage where it’s not perfect, but while there are still a few feet of water in the bushes, it’s perfect.”
Jocumsen starts Day 2 less than three pounds behind Day 1 leader Andrew Loberg’s total of 17-9. The standings are as tight as you’ll ever see in an Elite Series tournament. Only 5 pounds, 2 ounces separates Loberg, the Elite Series rookie from California, who now calls Guntersville, Ala., home, from 50th place Taku Ito’s total of 12-7.
Twenty-three anglers weighed 12-something, from 59th place John Garrett with 12-0 to the three-way tie at 37th place with Bill Lowen, Paul Marks and Emil Wagner. The Day 2/Top 50 cut is probably headed for a tiebreaker.
“The biggest thing that you’re seeing is now is that this place is slammed with fish,” said Jocumsen, who won the only previous Elite Series tournament here on Sept. 22, 2019. “If you’re not getting any bites, you’re not around any fish and you’ve gotta move.”
Jocumsen’s bag included three largemouth bass and two spotted bass. But most of the mixed bags were largemouth/smallmouth.
Kyle Welcher had the big bass of the day, a 4-10 largemouth. The Alabama native knew that nothing he found in practice was going to hold up in the falling water, so he fished with an open mind Thursday.
“I really felt like to win this tournament you’ll have to do something different, especially the first two days,” Welcher said. “I anticipate the water falling even more and taking a lot of the shallow bite out of the equation. I was trying to get in front of them and figure out what kind of places they’re gonna move to, but also stay shallow as long as possible.”
Welcher had all largemouth bass in his 15-15 bag that has him in a four-way tie for 6th place. Greg Hackney also had all largemouth in his 15-2 limit that has him in 10th place.
“I had a smallmouth hooked that would have helped me, but it jumped off,” Hackney said. “I caught some spots that were (12-inch minimum) keepers, but they didn’t help me. (All three species) are mixed together. Actually, the biggest fish I’ve caught since I’ve been here was a smallmouth (in practice).”
Hackney is concerned about the falling water.
“For me, it’s all going to depend on where the water goes,” he said. “I wish it would have been two feet higher when we started. Honestly, if it keeps going like this, where I’m fishing might be dry.”
