Waco, TX
The North Central T.B.O.T.T. was greeted with warm and slick calm conditions at take-off April 18th providing the smoothest run of the day.
The weather forecast and weather apps had a shift in conditions late in the 1st hour after calling boat numbers. Winds were forecasted to turn out of the NW 15-20 as an April cold front approched – NOT! The NC Team field of tournament anglers faced sustained winds of 23 mph with gust up to 37 mph as the day grew longer in the tooth. It would demand accurate and calculated casting the rest of the day with skilled boat navigation and a guaranteed wet ride regardless of boat make and model.
Eric Tapia and Steve Shows had a memorial day on the water in 2 key areas (holding on) targeting wind-blown rocky points with jerk baits and crawl cranks. Once the winds really kicked in and the bite slowed down they finished up focusing on 4 to10ft depths where there was no wind presenting shakey heads, TRD’s and boated their biggest bass at 5.79 lbs on a brush hog. They took home $ 360.00 and a 3rd place finish.
Rob Paxton and Dan Beard had a great day on Wacky Waco. As the bite slowed and the winds got faster they used chicken rigs, big TRD’s and Senkos also in 4 to 10 ft of water. Their method was to move baits very slowly. It paid off with a sack of 5 weighing in at 19.31 lbs anchored by the biggest fish on the day tipping the scale to 7.32 lbs Big Bass and 2nd earned them $890.00
James Seymore and Casey Garcia fished up the North Bosque and main lake coves targeting laydowns and standing timber flipping a variety of baits and dragging big worms to take home $1,340.00 1st place money with 19.52 lbs that included a 6.61 pounder.
Congrats to the winners and all that dealt with the strong winds.
Paxton and Beard take over the region team points lead with our last stop of the North Central Texas Bassmaster Open Team Trail on Lake Whitney May 9th next month.
Tight Lines!
David Rosenquist
Texas Bassmaster Open Team Trail
North Central Region Director