Bass Fishing Apr 2017 | Page 78

ON TOUR COSTA FLW SERIES LAKE OKEECHOBEE CLEWISTON, FLA. By Rob Newell photos by Jody whIte detaIls Jan. 26–28, 2017 presented by power-pole hosted by roland & Mary ann Martin’s Marina & resort and hendry county tourism development council costa Flw series division: southeastern Winning angler target areas taylor ashley, Warrior, ala. Winning Weight: 68 pounds, 12 ounces (15 fish) stat line: This was Ashley’s first-ever Costa FLW Series tournament. He previously fished as a boater and co-angler at the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League level. Ashley’s primary area was some 500 yards long and about 200 yards wide. It fea- tured a generous mix of lily pads and small reed clumps interspersed with pockets of open water with hard bottom. Ashley could catch keeper buck bass in the area at will, but he began to notice that his bigger bites often came from boat lanes, which sliced through his area. Early on day two, he discovered that one boat lane in particular seemed to have a better draw for big fish than the others. “It was a lane that connect- ed the main canal [the rim ditch] to the lake,” he details. “The boat lane was about a foot deeper than the sur- rounding water. I really think those bigger females were using that particular lane to migrate in. Any reed stalk along that boat lane was a perfect stopping point for a big one to hold up on. That’s where most of my best bites came from.” Ashley targeted boat lanes coursing through a flat covered in reeds and lily pads. Winning Baits CONDITIONS Weather | sunny with passing clouds on day one; heavy fog in the morning on day two, followed by overcast skies and drizzle in the afternoon; clear, blue skies on day three air temperature | highs in the mid-70s on days one and two; 60 degrees on day three Water temperature | 65 degrees on days one and two; 61 on day three Water clarity | stained and turbid in the main lake; clear but tannin-stained in the back- waters and north shore area Wind | SW to 12 mph on day one; north at 10 mph on day two; NE to 20 mph on day three moon phase | new predominant lake features | various shallow aquatic vegetation, man-made canals fishery type | natural lake 76 Ashley did most of his fish catching on Lake Okeechobee with a 3/8-ounce Dirty Jigs Tackle No-Jack Swim Jig teamed with a Zoom Super Speed Craw, both in white. He also mixed in a green pumpkin ver- sion of the jig, but notes that most of the big fish bit the white offering. He tied the jig to 65-pound-test PowerPro braid and fished it on a 7-foot, 4-inch, heavy-action rod from Ark Rods teamed with a Lew’s reel with a high-speed 7.8:1 gear ratio. flWfIshIng.com I aprIl 2017