Bass Master Classic 2011 Day 2: The Role of Radar

Bass Master Classic: Day 2
Saturday,  February 19, 2011
Louisiana Delta
New Orleans, La.
By Luigi De Rose




Rojas's skeg found something hard last Friday.
Photo: (BASS)

 Two very distinct factors are playing a major role in the year's Bass Master Classic: distance and weather. The Delta is a massive fishery. Unlike the Great Lakes, which is geographically gigantic, the Delta is a maze of marsh, cuts, channels and the Mississippi River. Littered with stumps, logs, crab traps, floating islands and thousands of posts, this place is very dangerous to navigate.  A few degrees off your course on a two hour journey and you're not lost you're dead! Ripping at top bass boat speeds is only for the skilled. Mix in the fog, which has plagued this tournament, driving at top speed is only for the crazy or very well equipped.


Radar

Skeet's boat has one.
Photo: James Overstreet (BASS)

Radar is a must to navigate in all weather conditions. It's not a common electronic for a bass boat but this is the Classic. If it can help you win you get it.  Radar provides a clearer picture of the surrounding area especially approaching water crafts where GPS cannot compare. It is still very critical that boaters use caution when using any navigation aide but radar even works at night. Still, running flat out in poor conditions can be on the edge of reckless. The Delta is like an F1 road course; one slip of the steering wheel and you're eating dirt.


The Out Come
Even with today's long fog delay, many of the top bags seem to be coming from Venice. A distant oasis south of New Orleans, this place is known for being great. But, it was counted out by many as too far even with ideal conditions. Mix in fog and many couldn't justify the trip. Well, the role of radar might make the difference between who wins and who doesn't even if the final day is clear and sunny.


Some of the anglers with Lowrance Radar
Edwin Evers
Mike Iaconelli
Gary Klein
Skeet Reese
Kevin Wirth