Several anglers competing in this week's Forrest Wood Cup at Lake Ouachita in Arkansas have found the venue tougher than anticipated. That could be due to the current spate of hot weather – a condition that should be alleviated somewhat as the week goes on.
Those who are on strong patterns will naturally be coy about them with the start of the event less than 2 days away. Nonetheless, anglers who'd been predicting the winning weight to require a mid-teens average have now adjusted that number downward.
Below are some comments from competitors gathered during and after the second of the 3 official practice days.
Scott Canterbury – Springville, Ala.
"It's been pretty slow and pretty tough. I've caught some fish, but not all that many. I've located a few, but it's just a real slow bite.
"Things have changed. I came out and pre-fished right before the cutoff, and it's a lot different than it was 2 weeks ago. The fish are more scattered and they're deeper than they were. It seemed like it was a lot easier then.
"But even though it's been slow, I've gotten some bites, so it hasn't been too bad. I just haven't found anything real, real exciting. I think what I'm going to have to do is have two or three different presentations going and just grind it out – maybe one cranking and another dragging a big worm or a jig. I'm pretty sure I'll be fishing slow."
Terry Bolton – Jonesboro, Ark.
"It hasn't been a whole lot of fun for me – fishing's been pretty tough. It's been really hot and it's been a pretty big grind. It seemed like the fish were biting a lot better before the cutoff. A lot of people were thinking it was going to be pretty good, but now a lot of them are thinking it's going to be pretty tough.
"The little bit I had going in pre-fishing is gone, and I mean completely gone. I started over (at mid-day on Tuesday) and I'll have a new focus for the last day and a half. I think the fish are still there, but they're not on the bottom anymore. They're somewhere between the surface and 30 feet deep."
Randall Tharp – Gardendale, Ala.
"I got to fish for 2 1/2 days after the Pickwick event. The water's dropped a little bit since then and it may be a little bit clearer, but as far as the fish and everything, it's pretty close to the same.
"I got dialed in on one little deal and it's still working. I'm not getting a lot of bites, but I'm getting the right size. If I can catch five a day, I think I'll have a good chance at this."
Vic Vatalaro – Kent, Ohio
"I think it's been pretty darn tough. I've been catching a limit, but no good ones. I came down here thinking it was going to be way better than what it is.
A pattern that Randall Tharp found in pre-practice seems to be holding up in water that's slightly lower and clearer.
"There's some schoolers out there, and that's the only thing I've really got going, and I don't think it's anything special. I hope I can catch five of them, but there's no guarantees even for that. I've been seeing a lot of fish on the screen, but I can't catch them. I don't know if it's a phase the fish are going through for a couple of days or what.
"I didn't come for pre-practice, but guys who did said it was a lot better than. They were thinking it was going to take 15 pounds a day (to win), but I just can't imagine it being that good. Right now, I'm thinking more like 12."
Matt Arey – Shelby, N.C.
"Sunday was decent but (Monday) was kind of slow. I'm basically bouncing from deep to shallow because I think it's the kind of thing where the guy who wins will wind up having a combination of a couple things going. So right now, I have some schooling fish and some shallow fish, but I have yet to find anything out deep that I'm happy with. That's what I concentrated on (Monday) and hopefully today I can find some deep fish.
"What's kind of neat is I fished the Cup here in '07 as a co-angler. Everybody I fished with did real well, so I got to see four or five different patterns unfold. That really helped give me some insight."
Dave Lefebre – Union City, Pa.
"It's not going that great. I've got something that's working – one thing that's a little bit different – but I don't feel that good about it. I definitely need (Wednesday) as another practice day.
"It's really hot. I stayed here right after Pickwick – just camping during the off-limits and fishing Hamilton to try to get a feel for this weather. It was like 114 one day with a heat index of 121. So fish care is something we definitely need to take into consideration. We have to take it as seriously this week as we ever have because it doesn't get any hotter than this. It could make a big difference."
Stetson Blaylock – Benton, Ark.
"I'm doing half-and-half – checking out some stuff I might fish, but really staying off some of the better stuff. You know, I've been hitting a lot of stuff that should be good and they're not there. I really don't understand what's happened. I'm just going to fish the way I think I can do best. That may not be the way it's won, but I have to do what I have confidence doing.
"It seemed like Sunday was a little better as far as getting bites. It was a little cloudier. I know there's a pretty good chance of some rain during the tournament, so that might help.
"I think the guy who catches 12 pounds a day, every day, will win. Not 11-02 or 11-06, but 12 pounds every day. Unless somebody gets on some freak deal and finds a spot where he's got some big fish and can catch a couple big fish each day. I haven't found a spot like that yet and it's definitely tough. It's the second week of August. You couldn't pick a worse time to fish Lake Ouachita as far as conditions."
