Foggy mornings and low water conditions at Lake Okeechobee did not dampen the spirits of the anglers or the bass during the LERA Bass Club March 26-27 tournament out of Harney Pond Canal. Larry Cruce of Titusville, who was fishing without a partner, sacked a two day total of 34.50 pounds of bass to win the tournament. In the process, Larry set the LERA Bass Club's all-time single day record for a solo angler with 19.95 pounds on the second day. Second place was earned by the team of Steven Clark of Melbourne and Dan Newman of Satellite Beach who had an impressive two day total of 32.61 pounds. They had the heaviest single day bag of the tournament at a stout 20.22 pounds including 3 fish over 5 pounds. Third place was captured by Alan Elder of Melbourne and Wayne Smith of Palm Bay who bagged a two day total of 26.23 pounds. Big bass honors on the first day went to Steven Clark with a 5.78 pound swamp donkey. Tony Ciavarella of Melbourne took big bass on the second day with a 6.56 pound bucket mouth that narrowly edged out Mike Calloway and Larry Cruce by less than half of a pound.
We had 3 competitors fishing without partners at this event and they all did well. So well, that the single day LERA Bass Club all-time record for solo total weight was broken 4 times. Alan Elder's two year old record of 13.39 was first broken by Larry Cruce on Saturday with 14.55 and then the flood gates opened up on Sunday. Mike Calloway bested the mark with 15.19, and then Tony Ciavarella beat him by a hair with 16.54, and then Larry Cruce reclaimed the record with a whopping 19.95.
Steven Clark and Dan Newman's Saturday effort of 20.22 pounds was good enough for 7th on the all-time list for total one day weight at Okeechobee. Cruce and Clark/Newman made the top 15 for all-time two day weight at Okeechobee too.
Most of the people who did well in this event were fishing the edge of the huge thick hydrilla mat on the north side of Fish Eating Bay.
Water:
- Level: 11.53 ft at weather station #5 near the Dupree Bar (L005)
- Temperature: mid to upper 70s
Weather Conditions:
- Saturday: early thick fog then sunny, 0-5 SW wind, high temperature in the low 80s
- Sunday: early mild fog then sunny, 10-15 SW wind, high temperature in the mid 80s
The winners reported catching their fish using the following tricks:
- 1st place: Chug Bug
- 2nd place: pitching mystery plastics and some kind of topwater bait
- 3rd place: flukes
- Day 1 Big Bass: pitching mystery plastics
- Day 2 Big Bass: Yum Money Minnow
