Several Options Out There, But None A Sure Thing

Fifteen-pound bags are certainly within the realm of possibility for anglers competing in this week's Forrest Wood Cup at Arkansas' Lake Ouachita, and the same is true for empty sacks. All things considered, it's a nice setup for a championship event.

Depending on conditions, there are several patterns that could end up producing the winning fish. Some involve deep water, others are bank-oriented,

and still others fall somewhere in between. The general consensus, however, is that competitors will need to utilize more than one to get to the weekend – none will carry an angler through all 4 days.

The first 2 days of the 3-day practice period took place under sweltering conditions with a bright sun overhead, and the final day featured gray skies and even some rain. More clouds and thunderstorms are forecast for the tournament days, and those who know Ouachita well say the color of the sky has a major effect on the mood of the fish. That's just one variable among many that will be in play for this event.

Before getting into more specifics about the bite, here's some intel on the lake itself.

BassFan Lake Profile

> Lake Name: Lake Ouachita
> Type of Water: Highland reservoir
> Surface Acres (full pool): 40,000 acres
> Primary structure/cover: Grass, standing timber, points, humps, creek channels
> Primary forage: Shad, crawfish, sunfish/crappie
> Average depth: 51 feet
> Species: Largemouths, spotted bass, smallmouths
> Minimum length: 13 inches for largemouths and spots, smallmouths are catch-and-release only
> Reputation: A beautiful, undeveloped lake that varies in fishing quality by season
> Weather: Seasonably warm with only mild breezes and daily potential for thunderstorms
> Water temp: high 80s to low 90s
> Water visibility/color: 8 feet/slightly stained
> Fish in: All depths (down to about 28 feet)
> Fish phase: Summer
> Primary patterns: Carolina- and Texas-rigged big worms, jigs, shakey-heads, dropshots, some early topwater, flipping
> Winning weight: 50 pounds
> Cut weight (Top 10 after 3 days): 26 pounds
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 3 for Ouachita
> Biggest factors: Weather (cloudy skies might require different tactics than bright sunshine) and weekend recreational traffic
> Biggest decision: Deep or shallow? A mix might be required, and timing could be critical
> Wildcard: Some big rog-fish from the mats

Change is Inevitable

This is the second time in 5 years that FLW Outdoors has brought its championship event here. The previous edition, in 2007, was won by native son Scott Suggs, who fell short of qualifying this time around.

Suggs said he fished the lake last week in the manner in which he would have if he were competing for the Cup. The result was an 18-pound stringer.

"I could see the potential for 60 pounds (over 4 days)," he said. "But when you factor in the weekend traffic and the (water and air) temperatures what they are, I'm thinking it'll be more like 48 to 50.

"One major factor that's going to happen on the weekend is the stuff guys have found in the creeks, a lot of traffic could mess it up. The other thing is guys did all this practicing and all this planning under high, sunny skies, and what's good in the sunshine might be no good when it's overcast or raining. On the other hand, (the change) could easily help someone who wasn't on them."

Plenty of Possibilities

There's no shortage of ways in which bass can be caught at Ouachita right now, but there's no surefire way to go about it, either. There are fish on the deep ledges, in the scattered patches of grass, staking out bluegill beds, suspended beneath schools of baitfish and buried under mats.

The water looks clear to the casual observer – the bottom is visible in 8 feet of water in most places. But it's dirtier than normal for this time of year due to a high-water event this spring, and that'll make the deep bite less of a factor than it was in '07.

The bluegill spawn is in its final throes and will likely be over once this weekend's full moon wanes. That won't occur until the tournament has concluded, though, so bream-based patterns could be more effective than they were 4 years ago, when the moon phase peaked early in the tournament.

Many anglers reported encountering schooling activity, primarily in the early part of the day. Topwater patterns might be productive under low-light conditions and many competitors will be seeking an early keeper or two from the surface.

Anglers must hope they time everything right on day 1 because playing catch-up on day 2 will be extremely difficult. At this time of year there aren't many 5-pound-plus bites to be had.

Field Notes

Following are some practice notes from anglers who'll be competing for the Cup.

Brent Ehrler – Redlands, Calif.
"I had one of those practices where I'd get excited, then I'd get down, then I'd get excited again, then I'd get down again. It's been real nitpicky. The tournament could go well for me, or it could go terrible.

"I'm going to have to just kind of fish the moment and be ready to fish anything and everything. I don't feel there's one thing that's really strong. There are a lot of things that are there, but they're weak. Timing will be crucial. There will be little windows of opportunities that come up, but they won't be things you can just run around and do all over the lake.

"I'm not sure what I can catch, but it's hard for me to believe that anybody will be able to get 12 pounds 4 days in a row right now. I think it's going to be like 15 one day, 10 the next, and then 7 another day."

Wesley Strader – Spring City, Tenn.
"For me it's been bad, bad, bad. I knew it was going to be – it's August, and just about anywhere you go unless it's way north, it's the dog days of summer. But it is what it is and you just have to deal with it.

"I think I can catch some, but it's a pure junk pattern and I'm hoping to get five. I'm not on anything solid. Basically, I'm going practicing for the next 2 days. I'll just throw caution to the wind and go for it."

Stacey King – Reeds Spring, Mo.
"Practice was about nil for me. I knew it was going to be tough and I came down here and pre-fished for 3 days after Pickwick, and I caught more then than I'm catching now. I didn't think it could be worse, but for me it is.

"I've got two or three little things that I think I might be able to catch a few on. I'll just go fishing and see how it shakes out."

Brett Hite – Phoenix, Ariz.
"It's the dog days of summer and like anywhere in the U.S., the fishing's not fabulous. For me, a big key is having the right mindset – I'm out there to get six to 10 keeper bites a day.

This is a deep-water, clear reservoir, like a Western lake, so it suits my style pretty well. I think the fishing might be a little better than it was in '07, but it's still a grind. If a guy can get 10 pounds a day and then maybe add one kicker here and there, he should be doing real good.

"It definitely plays into my hand for the way I fish in the summer. I'm not saying I'm going to win or anything, but I'm excited and looking forward to going fishing."

Larry Nixon – Bee Branch, Ark.
"It's August and we're on the full moon and the fish don't seem to be biting real good to me. I'll have to go back to a few things I was doing in pre-practice and hope they're still working because I didn't find anything new (during official practice). I did catch a couple of big ones doing things that I didn't expect to get fish like that doing, but then I couldn't catch any more.

"There might be something way up the river that I'm missing, but that's not me. I'm not comfortable on those upper reaches and I didn't practice there.

"I don't really have a good history here – it's my kind of lake, but I just haven't done well and I don't really understand why. There were a couple of times I was on them, but then we got 5 or 6 inches of rain and I lost them."

Top 10 to Watch

With the above in mind and more, here are BassFan's recommendations for the Top 10 to watch in this event.

1. David Dudley – The reigning AOY has long excelled in big-money, high-profile events and his record at Ouachita is extremely strong. Look for him to be a factor from start to finish.

2. Bryan Thrift – He was on a stout bedding-bluegill pattern in the '07 Cup, but the waning moon weakened it as the tournament progressed. There will be no such lunar hardships this time.

3. Mark Rose – He's as hot as the Arkansas weather, with three Top-6 finishes in the last four Tour events (including a win last month at Pickwick). He's very versatile these days, and that could be what it takes.

4. Luke Clausen – He's a threat in any event in which a lot of guys start pulling out spinning rods. His finesse skills should get him plenty of bites, so it'll be a matter of connecting with quality.

5. Todd Auten – He struggled a bit during the second half of the Tour campaign, but he's got a lot of hot-water game and might be a guy to pull some big ones from the shallows.

6. Brent Ehrler – The 2006 Cup champion was able to keep his focus at Pickwick despite the fact that his wife was ready to deliver their first child (he skipped day 4 to return to California). He might be the circuit's most versatile performer, and he posted a win here in last year's Tour event.

7. Larry Nixon – The wily veteran may not have compiled a lot of his accolades here, but it's nonetheless the type of event in which he could shine. He barely squeaked into this event with his 40th-place finish in the points, and he could make somebody wish he'd ended up one spot lower.

8. Randall Tharp – He found something good in pre-practice and it held up during the 3-day official practice. This is not a guy who's prone to hyperbole, so be on the lookout for him during the day-1 weigh-in.

9. Clark Wendlandt – His Cup ledger (six Top 10s in 12 outings) is just too stellar to keep him off this list. He's another guy who's extremely versatile and is likely to find something to keep his name afloat into the weekend.

10. Jason Christie – The 8th-place finisher at last year's Cup has had a season filled with highlights (wins on both the Tour and the PAA Tournament Series), and a victory here would cap off a truly spectacular year. He possesses the all-around game to pull it off.

Launch/Weigh-In Info

Anglers will launch at 6:30 a.m. each day at Brady Mountain Resort and Marina (4120 Brady Mountain Road in Royal, Ark.). Daily weigh-ins will commence at 5 p.m. at Summit Arena & Hot Springs Convention Center (134 Convention Blvd., Hot Springs, Ark.).

The FLW Outdoors Expo, featuring Ranger boat simulators, opportunities to interact with pro anglers, sponsor giveaways and a chance to win a Ranger Z250, will run from noon to 5 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the convention center. All activities are free and open to the public.

Weather Forecast

> Thurs., Aug. 11 - Isolated T-Storms - 90°/76°
- Wind: From the NE at 10 mph

> Fri., Aug. 12 - Scattered T-Storms - 98°/77°
- Wind: From the S/SE at 8 mph

> Sat., Aug. 13 - Isolated T-Storms - 97°/76°
- Wind: From the W/SW at 7 mph

> Sun., Aug. 14 - Partly Cloudy - 94°/71°
- Wind: From the N/NE at 7 mph

Notable

> BassFan Big Stick Jay Yelas will be looking to greatly improve upon his 76th-place finish in the '07 Cup at Ouachita and thinks he might have found enough fish to make a good showing. To read his practice report, click here.