GROVE, Okla. — With the changing conditions on Grand Lake, we polled a sampling of Elites competing in the Sooner Run presented by Longhorn Tobacco on: 1. What depth are you keying on today? 2. What’s a wild card for you today? 3. What’s your prediction on the cut weight?
Dean Rojas
1. I’m keying on six feet or less. Trying to find that perfect zone has been an ongoing deal since last week.
2. A wild card? I guess four (five pounders) would be a good one! The shad are spawning a little bit in the morning. The big thing is just covering a lot of water.
3. 28 pounds.
Doc Merkin
1. Well, I’ve gotta do something a little different today, spend more time out deep. That means 15-30 feet.
2. My wild card is getting two quality fish. I lost one about seven pounds yesterday. I need about 16 pounds to get back in it.
3. I’d say 29 pounds will get you there.
Alton Jones
1. I’m mainly fishing shallow. I may get out to 6-10 feet later today, but for the most part I’m in zero to two feet.
2. The wild card for me is putting the bait in front of a good one and getting it in the boat.
3. I’d say 27 pounds will do it.
Mike Wurm
1. I fished shallow yesterday. Today I might not stay on that. I might have to back out to eight to 12 feet.
2. I’d like to see a few more clouds today or at least a ripple on the water, get that spinnerbait bite going a little longer.
3. I don’t think it’ll double today, maybe 27 ½ pounds.
Preston Clark
1. I’ll start out shallow until the sun comes out. Then I’ll get out in 10 feet and maybe even move out as deep as 30 feet. I caught a few yesterday so deep that they were belly-up in the livewell from the depth change.
2. I really had some big bites in practice and it just didn’t happen yesterday. I need to execute on those today. A 25-pound bag is possible here.
3. I think it’ll go down a little bit. 26 pounds will make it.
Timmy Horton
1. I’m going to start out shallow this morning and then move out to around four to 10 feet.
2. I’ve got to execute on those quality bites. I lost my biggest one yesterday.
3. I’d say 27-12 will do it.
Keith Phillips
1. I’m going to concentrate on the three foot range in the morning and then drop out to 8-15 feet after 9:00 or so.
2. If I can catch a couple of good ones early and then fill out a limit out deep. That’ll take a lot of running around, but when you get a good one it’s a nice fat one.
3. I’d say 27, 28 pounds.
Britt Myers
1. I’m gonna stay shallow — zero to four feet — pretty much all day.
2. I’d like to see some cloud cover. I had a good topwater bite in practice . Two quality bites and you’re in it here.
3. 27 pounds is what I’m predicting. It’ll drop off a pound or two from normal.
Jimmy Mize
1. I don’t really know. We’ve got to do something different for sure. I’ll probably fish deeper. I would think 10 to 12, maybe 14 foot.
2. No, there’s no wild card for me. I’ve just got to go out there and fish and put them in the boat.
3. It’s gonna be 27 pounds or so today. A lot of guys are fishing the same clumps of willows. They won’t catch them as well.
Editor’s note: ESPNOutdoors.com invited the University of Oklahoma bass fishing team to join coverage of the Sooner Run. The collegiate anglers will post a regular blog and appear on Hooked Up, the live Internet shows that air at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. ET on Sunday in advance of the live weigh-in. Bob Cobb, creator of Bassmaster Magazine and Bassmaster television, will be the special guest on Hooked Up.
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