2017 Costa FLW Series Southeastern Lake Okeechobee Day 2: Josh Weaver Grabs Lead with 32lb Limit!

Moving baits drawing biggest strikes!

by Rob Newell 

FLW PRESS RELESE
If you have ever wondered why anglers are forever infatuated with the bass fishing fairyland called Lake Okeechobee, take the case of young Joshua Weaver from Macon, Ga., as an example.

Weaver's 32-10lb limit displays Big O magic. (Photo: FLW)

On day one of the Costa FLW Series presented by Power-Pole, Weaver weighed in a five-bass limit for 17 pounds, 10 ounces. A pretty respectable catch in its own right.

On day two he nearly doubled that catch, hauling in a stunning 32 pounds, 10 ounces of Okeechobee giants to take the overall lead with a two-day total of 50 pounds even.

Weaver secured the big catch by 9:30 in the morning, catching a pair of 8 pounders and a pair of 6 pounders in a 45-minute span.

So what’s the difference in a 17-10 day and 32-10 day?

“I kept them on today,” Weaver says. “I lost four big ones yesterday – I should have had 25 yesterday. Sometimes keeping them buttoned up in that stuff is a challenge and today I capitalized on my bites.”

Weaver says he has four large areas he is drifting through, but only really utilized one of them today for a majority of his catch.

“I moved to my second area, but once I culled a 4-1/2 pounder I thought, I better just leave all these areas alone and let them rest until tomorrow,” Weaver says. “So I left and looked other places and helped my co-angler get a limit.”

Weaver is casting and winding a moving bait over scattered vegetation.

“The females really moved in yesterday afternoon and this morning,” he says. “My bites in these areas have gone from catching a pile of bucks to fewer bites with a lot more quality. It’s amazing how that happens so fast on this lake.”

Though Weaver’s catch was impressive, he holds only a 14-ounce lead over second place, showing just how phenomenal this fishing fairyland really is.

 Top 10 pros

1. Josh Weaver – Macon, Ga. – 50-0 (10)

2. Derek Yasinski – Senoia, Ga. – 49-2 (10)

3. Taylor Ashley – Warrior, Ala. – 46-6 (10)

4. Gary Milicevic – Labelle, Fla. – 41-2 (10)

5. Brian Holder – Denver, N.C. – 39-14 (10)

6. Robert Beatty – Clermont, Fla. – 38-12 (10)

7. Scott Byrd – Ocklawaha, Fla. – 36-6 (10)

8. Bill Tervin – Pocola, Okla. – 35-15 (10)

9. Ron Nelson – Berrien Springs, Mich. – 35-10 (10)

10. Buddy Gross – Chickamauga, Ga. – 35-5 (10)