Sabine Warmer This Time, But Still Plenty Tough

By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor

The Bassmaster Elite Series will launch its 10th season this week on what might be the most unique venue it's ever visited. What most distinguishes the Sabine River in extreme southeast Texas/western Louisiana from most of the circuit's stopovers is it simply doesn't have a lot of quality bass, and the ones that live there are difficult to find.

There's a decent chance that one or more professional anglers will fish both Thursday and Friday and fail to catch a single keeper. That happened to three competitors when the Elites visited the Sabine for the first time in 2013.

The general knowledge level of the fishery is much greater now than it was 2 years ago, and most of what's been discerned revolves around the notion that concentrations of quality fish can be found in only a select few locales across the vast system. Those places will attract the majority of the field, opening up the possibility that the winning fish could come from a remote place that's been heretofore untapped.

It'll undoubtedly be the lowest-weight event of a season that'll be spent mostly on the periphery of the country (there are two events on the West Coast this year and two more in the Northeast). Fifteen-pound bags, which are pedestrian in most Elite derbies, will cause the massive weigh-in crowds in Orange, Texas to go wild and it likely won't take much more than a 13-pound-a-day average to drive away with the blue trophy.

Before delving deeper into the bite, here's some intel on the fishery itself.

BassFan Lake Profile

> Lake Name: Sabine River
> Type of Water: Tidal flood-control river
> Surface Acres: N/A
> Primary structure/cover: Stumps, laydowns, standing timber, scattered mats
> Primary forage: Crawfish, shad, mullet
> Average depth: 6 feet with deeper holes in main channel
> Species: Largemouths, spotted bass
> Minimum length: 14 inches for largemouths, 12 inches for spots
> Reputation: With Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend reservoirs a short drive to the north, the Sabine is not considered a preferred destination for largemouth anglers. Despite stocking efforts, a string of hurricanes in recent years blunted the bass fishery.
> Weather: Competitors won't see a lot of the sun – showers are in the forecast for Thursday, Friday and Sunday with significant rainfall predicted for Saturday. Daytime high temperatures will be in the 70s for the most part
> Water temp: Mid 60s to low 70s
> Water visibility/color: Stained to muddy. There’s little to no visibility in most areas.
> Water level: Normal and rising
> Fish in: 1 to 8 feet
> Fish phase: Pre-spawn/spawn
> Primary patterns: Flipping, pitching, spinnerbaits, shallow crankbaits, swimbaits, Texas-rigged plastics
> Winning weight: 52 pounds (4 days)
> Check weight: (Top 50): 17 pounds (2 days)
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 2
> Biggest factors: Patience and commitment, as keeper bites will very likely be few and far between.
> Biggest decision: Whether to stay with an area that's a known producer or seek out another that may have more potential for quality
> Wildcard: Finding a fertile backwater area well away from the crowds that holds a good population of 2 1/2-pounders.

A New Beginning

As the new season gets under way, much attention will be focused on Kevin VanDam as the four-time Bassmaster Classic winner and seven-time Angler of the Year (AOY) tries to bounce back from his worst campaign in a quarter-century as a pro. His 53rd-place finish in last year's points race relegated him to observer status at this year's Classic and he's determined to avoid fulfilling that same role next year in Tulsa, Okla.

Among the newcomers, Brent Ehrler is easily the biggest name. The five-time FLW Tour winner and former Forrest Wood Cup champion will carry the same "rookie" label that's attached to first-year pros as B.A.S.S. continues to apply that misleading designation to anyone without prior experience on the circuit.

Carl Jocumsen, a true rookie, becomes the first Australian to compete on the Elites. Also, Matt and Jordan Lee, both former Classic qualifiers out of the collegiate ranks during their tenure at Auburn University, will become the trail's second brother tandem, joining veterans Bobby and Chris Lane.

In addition to VanDam, other stalwarts looking to have bounce-back seasons include 2008 Classic champion Alton Jones, 2012 AOY Brent Chapman and veteran Terry Scroggins, who sat out this year's Classic after qualifying for 10 straight. Four-time Classic winner Rick Clunn, who'll turn 69 in July and was voted the greatest angler ever a full decade ago, is back for his 42nd B.A.S.S. campaign.

Maybe a Bit Better

The general feeling is that weights might be up a little bit over 2013, when Todd Faircloth's 49-06 for 4 days easily outdistanced the remainder of the field. For one thing, the water's a bit warmer than it was 2 years ago and the fish are a little further along in their annual progression. For another, the competitors know the system better and won't spend as much time in places with minimal potential to yield keepers.

The 14-inch minimum length requirement for largemouths is what makes limits so difficult to compile. There are plenty of in the 12-inch range but those won't help anybody this week.

The fishing was somewhat better a decade ago prior to the arrival of Hurricans Ike (2005) and Rita ('08) and is gradually returning to that level.

"The farther away (time-wise) we get from those hurricanes, the better our fishery is becoming," said Jonathan Simon, who operates Simon Outfitters in Orange. There's a lot more people fishing for bass than there used to be, which is a good thing.

"When (the Elites) left here the first time, our first four or five Tuesday night tournaments were unbelievable. Those guys caught fish from all over (the system) and they were all released right here. In that regard, it's going to be a blast and I'm ready for it."

Places such as Taylor's Bayou (where Faircloth won in 2013), the Neches and Calcasieu rivers and the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge will be popular gathering points for the field. There'll be little or no action on the main stem of the Sabine due to the roiling, mud-choked water.

Finding water that's even slightly clearer is critical, as those will be the places where quality fish are actively spawning. Making long runs to get to them, however, could be problematic due to the amount of debris in the river and the dense fog advisory that's been issued for the morning of day 1.

"There's a bunch of water coming rom the north and it'll be here by Thursday morning," Simon said. "It's liable to go up a foot.

"The level isn't really the problem, it's the stuff coming down it – the barrels and the tree trunks and the washing machines and things like that. The undertow can take (fallen) trees that have been totally submerged or years and shoot them straight up to the surface."

He predicts that it'll be won on the Louisiana side this time – namely somewhere off the Calcasieu.

"I hate to say that because I'm from Texas, but they've got a lot more water that's accessible than we do. It's going to take a guy finding an area that's not getting much pressure that he can manage and when that happens, it's probably going to be in Louisiana.

Field Notes

Following are practice notes from some of the anglers who'll compete this week.

Josh Bertrand
"I've caught a couple of keepers each day, but I'm not confident that I can catch a limit with anything I've found. I ended up launching my boat three times (on Tuesday). I think the most critical thing about a tournament like this is finding the right area to settle into, so I've been moving around a bunch.

"I don't have a lot of experience on tidal places, but here the fish just seem to grow to a certain size and that's it. I don't know if they only live for a few years and then die or if you've got 8-year-old 3-pounders out there, but I just feel like I'm fishing for smaller fish. If I hooked a 5-pounder I'm not sure I'd know what to do with it."

Ott DeFoe
"I haven't found anything promising to talk about; it's been pretty slow for me. I've been moving around and I fished a good ways west one day and a good ways east the next day. I caught no keepers that first day and a couple the second day, so it hasn't been very good, to be quite honest. I'm not real confident about even catching a keeper.

"I'm going to try something different again (on the final practice day), but I'm not sure that's the right call. At this point I don't know what I'm going to do when the tournament starts. Fickle is about the best way to describe this place, I guess."

Todd Faircloth
"My practice was okay, but I just don't really know what to expect. I'm not going to day I'm 100-percent sure I can catch a limit. The overall water clarity is dirtier than last time, but that's to be expected because we've had so much rain.

"This being the first one of the year, I just want to get off to a good start. I think this time the fishing might be a little bit better overall, the main reason being that we've been here before."

Brett Hite
"I've never been here before, but I think the high, muddy water is definitely going to play a role. It makes it tough to narrow down areas. If you were looking at it in a regular stage there would be some clear water and some stained, but when everything's muddy it's hard to pin down where the fish are. From what other guys told me, the water conditions this time aren't as good as when the Elite Series was here before and it's going to get worse because there's a ton of water coming from up north.

"I have caught a few keepers every day. It's going to be one of those mental deals where you have to put your head down, get in an area you like and go fishing all day. You're going to have to grind it out."

Ish Monroe
"I haven't really fished a lot – I've done a lot more boat-driving and looking. I made a 100-plus-mile trek (on Tuesday) and found some good-looking stuff, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet. I've found one place that has just about everything I could ask for. I've had a couple bies, but I've been more concerned with covering water because I know the kind of stuff I'm looking for.

"The conditions are completely different than last time we were here. The water's a lot warmer, but it's a lot muddier and there's a lot more coming in. I think the weights will be a little bit higher just because of the warmer conditions. Somebody's going to make a long run and find something that we all know exists on this place, which is a 15-pound (per day) average."

Cliff Prince
"It's been tough. The water's a lot dirtier and in some places it's actually lower than last time and that's really put a damper on my game plan. I caught one keeper in 2 days. It was a good one – a 3 1/4-pounder – but otherwise I just haven't had any size.

"I haven't seen a whole lot of other people so I must've missed a memo somewhere. I probably saw a dozen total over the first 2 days, but you can drive probably 40 miles both east and west, so it wouldn't be hard to miss a bunch of people.

"I know (quality fish) live here because I saw some last time, so I'm not totally discouraged yet."

Greg Vinson
"I've found a couple different areas that have a few. My main goal coming into this event was to find a way to catch a limit and then worry about quality after that. The predicament I'm in now is whether to make a long run or a short one when I don't really know the full potential of either one. It's good to have some options, though. Last time here I didn't really find much, but this time I feel a little bit better about it.

"I don't know if the fishing's better this time, but we all know a little bit more about the system and what worked and didn't work, so we've got something to go by. Guys should be a little quicker getting on fish this week, so the weights might be a little better than last time."

Top 10 to Watch

Here, in no particular order, are BassFan's recommendations for the Top 10 to watch in this event.

1. Todd Faircloth – There's no reason to think that the previous winner here won't fare extremely well again. With the exception of Dennis Tietje, he comes closer to being a "local" than anybody in the field and thus has had ample opportunity to explore the vast system and pinpoint potentially productive locales. Many will be surprised if he's not still in the game come Sunday.

2. Kevin Short – He's always a threat in events that are centered around backwaters and will go further than most in an attempt to reach some of the more remote ones. Some of the momentum he rolled with late last season after his home was destroyed by a tornado may have dissipated with a bomb at the Classic, but he could easily snatch it again.

3. Jared Lintner – The Californian's excellent 2014 campaign was fueled by a string of strong finishes in the first half and he's now fishing with more confidence than he's ever possessed. This derby will allow him to put his tremendous flipping skills on display.

4. Dean Rojas – He contended for the crown the last time the Elites visited the Sabine and regularly shines during the spawn – whether he can actually see the fish on the beds or not. He finished 2014 on a high note and caught a giant bag on day 1 at the Classic, so he may have some good mojo working.

5. Alton Jones – He had a sub-par season in 2014 and had to sit out the Classic at the venue where he'd won that event in 2008, and that'll give him extra motivation this season. He was 8th at the Sabine last time and is always a guy to watch out for in early-spring derbies.

6. Tommy Biffle – He was in the midst of a poor season last year when his campaign was cut short just past the midway point due to his wife's health issues. This tournament and its shallow-water orientation seems to be an ideal setup for him to begin his comeback.

7. Takahiro Omori – His 3rd-place finish at the Classic was a big surprise since he despised almost everything about that scenario – cold weather, cold water, offshore fishing, etc. This one suits him a lot better and it'll be interesting to see whether he can keep up his momentum.

8. Jacob Powroznik – The guy who now sits atop the BassFan World Rankings is blazing hot and shows no signs of slowing down in his second year on the Elite Series. Employing power techniques in shallow water is his bread and better, so he's well-equipped for this derby.

9. Greg Hackney – The reigning Angler of the Year is always right at home in shallow backwaters and should be primed to open defense of his crown with yet another strong finish. He's as likely as anyone to connect with one or two of the systems scattered "tree-shakers."

10. Aaron Martens – He finished 85th at the Sabine last time, then caught fire and went on to win the points title. He's not likely to be stymied like that again, and his familiarity with tidal systems from his days on the California Delta should bode well for him.

Launch/Weigh-In Info

Anglers will launch at 7:10 a.m. CT each day from the City of Orange Boat Ramp. Weigh-ins will get under way at 4 p.m. at the same location.

Notable

> Chris Zaldain and Brent Chapman both found enough fish to create some cautious optimism for day 1, but both are concerned about the long runs they'll need to make in less-than-ideal conditions to get to them. To read their practice recaps, click here to visit the Pro View Report.

Weather Forecast

> Thurs., March 19 – Cloudy - 75°/63°
- Wind: From the SSW at 7 mph

> Fri., March 20 – P.M. Showers - 78°/62°
- Wind: From the SSW at 7 mph

> Sat., March 21 – Rain - 69°/61°
- Wind: From the SE at 7 mph

> Sun., March 22 – Scattered T-Storms - 73°/54°
- Wind: From the NW at 9 mph