Different Conditions, But 3 Rivers Still Super Tough

The conditions were a little different yesterday in Pittsburgh during what amounted to about a half-day of practice for the Bassmaster Classic. It was overcast and rainy with a little wind, and rain in the region changed the water a little bit. But the fishing, at least as far as anyone was willing to say, wasn't much different – meaning it was poor.

Everyone expects the fishing to be tough, and it will be. But bear in mind as

you read the following that: a) most competitors didn't fish the water yesterday that they plan to fish tomorrow, and b) many weren't telling the whole truth about what they're on, also known as "informational sandbagging" or "liar's poker."

Nonetheless, a few things did come to light after practice. One is that only a few competitors said they intend to fish in one place, including local favorite and BASS Federation champ Ed Cowan. That might indicate a lack of places to fish, but it's more likely confidence.

And believe it or not, the toughest tournaments – including George Cochran's lowest Classic-winning weight of 15-05 on the Ohio River – are often won by anglers who catch most or all of their fish from one spot.

Another key factor is that days 1 and 2 will be critical. That might sound like a "duh" statement, but what it means in this case is that almost all competitors expect far fewer fish to be caught on each day. That's because the fish roam and don't replenish on the same spots.

To use Cochran's win as an example again, he only caught 2-04 on the last day of the 1987 Classic. In fact, had he zeroed on day 3 he still would've won. But that's not to say someone can't mount a comeback here on day 3. There's simply too many unknowns to wager an educated guess.

Not least, it might not take a limit each day to win. Instead, the one thing everyone agrees on is that if you don't catch at least one bass in 3 days that weighs 2 pounds or more, you won't be hauling home a heavy trophy.

Before getting into the details, here's a snapshot of what the pros will be facing tomorrow.

BassFan Three Rivers Profile

> Lake Name: Three Rivers (Allegheny, Ohio and Monongahela)
> Type of Water: Industrial river
> Surface acres: Unavailable, but anglers can fish 41 miles up the Monongahela, 31 miles up the Ohio and 14 miles up the Allegheny
> Primary structure/cover: Rockpiles, isolated rocks, occasional wood, bridge pilings, refuse
> Primary forage: Gizzard shad, some crayfish in the rocks
> Species: Largemouths, smallmouths, some spots
> Average depth: About 18 feet
> Length limit: 12 inches
> Reputation: Few fish, small fish
> Weather: Mild and clear with light to little wind. Temperatures quite cooler than last week with highs in the low-80s
> Water temp: Averages about 85 degrees, but a few degrees cooler near inflows
> Water visibility/color: Just about everything here, depending the river. Typically 1 to 2 feet visibility, but clearer up the Allegheny
> Water level: Low, but a little higher than in the pre-practice period due to rain
> Fish in: Shallow water (2 to 8 feet), but could be deeper fish
> Fish phase: Summer
> Primary patterns: Small plastics, small spinners, jigs, small cranks, maybe topwaters
> Winning weight: 14 to 16 pounds
> Cut weight: 8 pounds
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 2 for the Three Rivers (Low flow and clear water has hurt an already tough bite)
> Biggest factors: One hot bank or rockpile with multiple 2-pounders, lock times, patience
> Biggest decision: To lock or not, and whether to stay with a bank or go look for something better
> Wildcard: A 4-pound largemouth bite that could win the whole thing

Assessing The Setup

Anglers can access three different rivers. The Monongahela (Mon) has the highest fish density, but they're generally all around keeper size. Bigger fish are in the Ohio, but the bites are much more scattered. The Allegheny ('Gheny) is sort of in-between.

One significant factor – perhaps the deciding factor – is lock time. There's a good chance anglers might run into a locking barge, which can push lock times past an hour – even more. With the prospect of working all day for perhaps five bites, an hour or more of downtime can spell disaster. The problem is compounded by the fact that good fishing holes are few and far apart. Plus, it's a river system, which means the fish move every day.

The big bite should rule here, and it might take only one. Many limits will come in at less than 5 pounds, but a 2-pounder pushes that sack to 6. The field will likely be separated by ounces, not pounds, except at the top.

The overall strategy, as many have said, is to survive the first 2 days and make the Top 25 cut. On day 3, anyone who makes it could win. That's how close the weights should be. Then again, as mentioned above, it might be all over after the first day if someone catches 10-plus pounds.

Field Notes

Classic anglers have had a total of 6 days to fish the Three Rivers. Five of those days were last month, during the "pre-practice" period. The other opportunity was yesterday, which was the official practice day. The Classic waters are off-limits today.

BassFan spoke with a number of the anglers about yesterday's official practice. Here, in no particular order, are some their notes.

Tim Horton

"I went to the water I planned on fishing, and I'm still torn. I actually have a good problem. I have two areas on two different pools. I feel pretty good, and I'm pretty sure where to start. (Official practice) went good. It definitely wasn't worse (than pre-practice), that's for sure.

"I really didn't learn anything. Some things are different – the fish are a little bit thicker, for whatever reason. Before, a 12-inch fish weighed about 9 ounces, and now they may actually push a pound. They look better, and that will help things out some.

"Everything I have is pretty small. It almost reminds me of wading creeks when I was a kid – creature cranks, crawdads. I'm definitely downsizing.

> His guess at the winning weight: "Sixteen pounds will win it. I really believe if you can catch five per day and one 2-pounder, you can win."

Stacey King

"I had three areas I planned on fishing. I went to a couple of them and didn't catch anything (he had one keeper bite). I'll go back to the other one during the tournament and see what happens. I don't feel bad about it. Heck, I'll just go fishing again and see what happens."

> His guess at the winning weight: "The 15-pound mark is going to be close."

Zell Rowland

"It was all right. I didn't go to the areas I plan on fishing. Why should I? If I catch one here in an area I plan on fishing, it's probably one I won't get (tomorrow). The fish are very tough to catch here. There's a few fish shallow I can catch running a pattern.

"Just like everybody else, I plan on being there at the end. What's going to make or break this tournament is the big luck factor playing in. Whoever catches a 4-pounder and can catch three to four little ones the other 2 days will win."

> His guess at the winning weight: "13.75 pounds."

Chris Baumgardner

"No, I didn't catch any fish. I didn't want to stick what little fish were there. I fished the same general area and didn't do any good, so I didn't really help myself any.

"The biggest factor will be whoever's got the most patience, because it really will try your patience out there. I guess I just have to get the mindset that it'll be slow. Luck is a big factor too, I imagine. It's tougher now than it was in (pre-)practice. I don't know why."

> His guess at the winning weight: "15 pounds."

Rick Clunn

"I caught about 20 to 22, (and saw) another 18 to 20. I might have seen one keeper in the whole bunch. This is the strangest place I've ever fished. To have that many fish, there have to be mature fish producing these fish, but none I'm seeing are mature enough to spawn.

"I fished different water (yesterday) – a lot of similar water.

"One thing I noticed is the fish are feeding right now, and there's nice-sized baitfish in the water now that were not there before. Every fish I catch now is spitting up stuff. Before, they weren't spitting up anything."

> His guess at the winning weight: "16 pounds."

Aaron Martens

"I'm sick. I have a cold. (Fishing) is the same as last month – tough, of course.

"I went to new stuff (yesterday), and caught like 20 fish. (Actually) I had 20 bites, but only caught like 10 of them. I caught two keepers. If I can catch two a day – it might only take two a day (to make the cut), as tough as it is.

"I have no weird lures. You just have to fish hard here. You can't find them grouped up.

"Fishing has luck in it and this tournament will have a lot (of luck) – pulling (onto) the right bank at the right time. A good bite like that could win the tournament – change the whole tournament around. There's big ones out there, but they're hard to find."

> His guess at the winning weight: "Over 10 pounds – between 12 to 15 pounds – but it could be lower than 10."

Dave Wolak

"Yes, I fished (yesterday). It's not as bad as I thought that the bite was. I'm a little bit more positive. I stuck them, unfortunately. They were reaction strikes – I couldn't help it. They're smallmouth and spotted bass, so I'm not as concerned as I would be with largemouth. They're roving fish. Watch, though, I'll go out and catch zero."

> His guess at the winning weight: "I'm still trying to gauge what it'll take to win this. People are telling me it'll be an okay weight – 20 to 25 pounds – but it's hard to think it won't be 10 to 15 pounds. If I catch five legal fish I'll be extremely happy no matter what happens. Since day 1 (of pre-practice), I've caught nothing larger than 15 inches."

David Walker

"The fish are holding up for me, or I should say that one is (laughs). I caught one (yesterday) – I was pretty happy. I didn't fish much. I drove a lot. I wanted to see what this weather had done to that river. Each pool I went into was a different color – with a little more flow or a little less.

"I think that might have changed what I will do. I think I'll be able to fish a lot shallower tomorrow. I don't know (if the color) is good for fishing or not, but we'll find out. It helped my morale anyway. Hopefully it makes them a little dumber."

> His guess at the winning weight: "I don't think I can catch 15 pounds. If someone catches more than that, I think they'll just walk away with it."

Ron Shuffield

"It was pretty good – not bad. I fished new water and just kept practicing. I fished an area I hadn't been in yet. It may become my tournament area. The water has risen up a little, which maybe is good. There's quite a bit more current and more color to the water than in the prefish period."

Chad Morgenthaler

"I had about 15 bites (yesterday), and caught one keeper – close to 2 pounds – and shook a couple fish off that felt like they were pretty decent. We'll have to see – there were a couple boats in the area fishing, but they weren't keying on the same stuff I was.

"It's anybody's game right now. I'll know a little bit more about (weights) after the first day, but it just depends on how low the weights are. I don't know if the area I'm fishing can produce 12 to 15 pounds in 3 days or not. I haven't bared down on it. It's a pretty big area, and they live there, I know that."

> His guess at the winning weight: "12 to 15 pounds."

Greg Hackney

"I ran some new stuff from when I was here before, and had a few bites. The ones I saw were small, and that's basically about it. I'm still thrilled (to be here), but just not thrilled with what I found today. I don't know, this is one of those deals where you might go back to a place and catch one, or you might not.

"Until you really put some pressure on, and get a few days in a place, you won't find out if it's any good or not."

> His guess at the winning weight: "I still say 12 to 15 pounds. It wouldn't surprise me if someone caught more than that. I'm going on my practice, so that would be good for me."

Terry Scroggins

"(Yesterday's) practice was a little tough. I ran all new water and had seven bites. I shook them off, but they didn't feel real heavy. It doesn't look real promising.

"I've run myself stupid in this place. I can't put anything together. I've fished every kind of pattern I know to do, and can't make it work. It seems like I can get 10 to 15 bites a day, but it's hard to catch a keeper fish."

> His guess at the winning weight: "Kind of like everybody else, I think 15 pounds and you're probably looking at the winner. I don't think I can have that."

Larry Nixon

"This is nothing like the Ohio in Cincinnati or Louisville. They have plenty of backwater down there, and plenty of areas where you could get out of the main river. We're pretty much relegated to fishing in the river.

"The biggest factor is to get in an area and catch them the first day or two, then just survive, because once the fish are caught, they'll be gone."

John Crews

"I was scared to fish anyplace I caught a fish in pre-practice because I didn't want to catch "the fish." I only caught one short today and a nice catfish.

"I didn't see the water as dirtier or higher. The main-river water is pretty much the same. The creeks are a little stained because of the rain we had yesterday, but the main river is pretty much the same as when we were here before."

> His guess at the winning weight: "15 to 17 pounds."

Launch/Weigh-In Info

Anglers launch daily from 6:00 to 7:30 a.m. at Point State Park. Weigh-ins occur daily at 4:00 p.m. at the Mellon Arena.

The Classic Outdoor Expo is at the David H. Lawrence Convention Center from 10:00 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 10:00 to 7:00 Sunday.

Weather Report

There was some rain yesterday (Wed.), but only a slight chance of rain (20%) the next 3 days. Overall, conditions are temperate and stable.

Fri., July 29 - Partly Cloudy - 82°/62°
> Wind: From the N/NE at 6 mph

Sat., July 30 – Mostly Sunny - 84°/63°
> Wind: From the NE at 6 mph

Sun., July 31 – Partly Cloudy - 86°/66°
> Wind: From the SE at 6 mph

Notable

Big Sticks
> BassFan Big Stick Jay Yelas thinks the tournament will be won early. For his full practice report, click here to go On Tour With the BassFan Big Sticks.

Federation Factor
> What's up with the Federation guys? Watch for a full feature, including their practice reports, to be published soon.

The Zero Fear
Believe it or not, BASS announced a rule change for this year's Classic. As you might recall, BASS now cuts to 25 at the Classic after day 2. But it told the competitors that if the 25th-place angler (or 24th, 23rd, etc.) has zero weight after day 2, everyone in the field will fish on day 3. Sounds like serious worry about whether anyone will catch fish.

Classic Zero History
Here's a look at the most zeroes (total weight) at the Classic:
> 4 anglers: 1 (9/80 on St. Lawrence River, NY)
> 3 anglers: 1 (8/98 on High Rock Lake, NC)
> 2 anglers: 4 (8/87 on Ohio River, KY; 8/83 on Ohio River, OH; 10/82 on Alabama River, AL; 10/81 on Alabama River, AL)
> 1 angler: 4 (8/01 on Louisiana Delta, LA; 7/00 on Lake Michigan, IL; 9/79 on Texoma, TX; 11/76 on Guntersville, AL)

What's "The River?"
If you notice, all competitors refer to "the river." That's because they don't want to say which river or rivers they're fishing.

Miscellany

> Using local tournament data from 2001 through 2004, here are the average hours spent fishing to catch a legal-size bass on the Three Rivers: Ohio, 6 hours; Monongahela, 7 hours; Allegheny, 15 hours (from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission).

> For anglers fishing this year's Classic, most Classics without a win: Gary Klein (22), Ron Shuffield (14) and Zell Rowland (13).

> The highest a home-state angler has ever finished in a Classic is 2nd.

> Lowest Classic-winning weights of all time: 15-05 (George Cochran, 1987, Ohio River); 18-01 (Larry Nixon, 1983, Ohio River).

> The smallest daily big-bass winners at the Classic (2-08, 2-10 and 2-11) were all at the 1983 Ohio River Classic, won by Larry Nixon.