The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series is set to visit Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Fla. this week (Thursday through Saturday) for the second event of the season in the Southern Division.
“This is going to be a good tournament,” said Matt Wieteha of Miami, who has two Top-10 finishes on Okeechobee in MLF competition. “The water is still very high – almost 15 feet – and with the high water the outside grass doesn’t do a good job of filtering, so the wind is going to be a very important factor.
“The fish don’t like the dirty water, but they are getting a bit more accustomed to it and you can still catch them,” Wieteha continued. “Managing the wind and finding the clean water is going to be the key in this one, though.”
Wieteha said that the community holes will still be big players – areas like Tin House, Indian Prairie and the entire South Bay area.
“If the wind lays down guys might be able to find something off the beaten path with not as much pressure,” Wieteha said. “But those spots are not going to reload as well as the community holes and it can be tough to try to win a multi-day event with those types of areas.”
Wieteha said that he expects casting tactics to be more effecting than flipping and punching.
“I’m a big Gambler (Lures) guy – I’d have a GOAT Swim Jig tied on, black and blue because of the dirty water,” Wieteha said. “If you can find a nice expansive grass flat, that’d be tough to beat. Or a Gambler Big EZ, buzzing around and covering water.
“Regardless of the weather, it’s still Lake Okeechobee and it’ll still kick out some good bags,” Wieteha went on to say. “If there is a cold front in the mix, I think it’ll still take 20 pounds a day to win. But with stable weather and light winds, it easily could take 23 (pounds) a day – 69 pounds overall.”
Anglers will take off each day at 7 a.m. ET from Roland & Mary Ann Martin’s Marina & Resort, located at 920 E. Del Monte Ave. in Clewiston. Weigh-ins will also be held at the marina and will begin at 3 p.m.
