2016 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Okeechobee Day 1: Bradley Hallman Leads!

Vincent Yonemitsu of Thornhill, Ontario leads Co-anglers

by Rob Newell

FLW PRESS RELEASE

The old saying is that the third time is the charm, but for Bradley Hallman of Norman, Okla., it’s more like the first time is the charm. Hallman is fishing his first Walmart FLW Tour event on Lake Okeechobee. It’s the first day of the first Tour event of 2016, and Hallman sits in first place with 25 pounds even.

Hallman's 25 pound limit grabs lead as flooded Big O remains difficult.
(Photo: FLW)

Hallman even contends that this is the first time he has ever fished Lake Okeechobee – the key word being “lake.”

“I fished an FLW Series event here in ’07 or ’08, but the lake was so low we all fished in the rim ditch – we called it the ‘rim ditch tournament,’” he recalls. “I never even got to go out on the main lake for that event.”

2014 FLW Lake Okeechobee Day 1: Hite Smashed Monster Bag on First Tournament of the Year

Arizona pro catches second-largest bag in Walmart FLW Tour history to take lead

06.Feb.2014 by Kyle Wood

CLEWISTON, Fla. – The question that lingered around the stage before weigh-in for day one of the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Okeechobee was which Big O would we see? Would it be the monster-bag beast it can be or would the stingy side be shown. It didn’t take long to find out the answer as 17 pros threw bags of over 20 pounds on the scales today – including Brett Hite’s personal-best limit of 34 pounds, 15 ounces to take a comfortable lead.

Foggy morning and hazy day provides a winning day for
Evergreen Pro Brett Hite.
(Photo:FLW) 

“Everything went right for me today,” smiled the Phoenix, Ariz., pro. “I didn’t lose any fish and I caught a 6 ½-pounder first thing in the morning – what more could you ask for?”

Hite and Florida just seem to get along. In fact, one of his three victories in his career came from an FLW Tour event on Lake Toho. Recently, Hite has been on good terms with Okeechobee as he has cashed checks in the past few Tour stops here.

“Florida and myself just seem to get along,” said Hite. “I like to try and mix it up down here and I’ve got burned before trying them. I have also cashed some checks trying some different things and through the years I have learned some things that I kept in mind which has helped me out this week.”

Drew Benton 2013 Walmart FLW Lake Okeechobee Champ!

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Consistent week helps Benton on
cold front last day.
(FLW Photos)

CLEWISTON, Fla. – Twenty-four year-old rookie Drew Benton of Panama City, Fla., was fishing in his first event as a professional this week and caught a 7-pound kicker bass with only seven minutes to spare to win the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Okeechobee presented by Mercury on Sunday. That fish pushed Benton’s day 4 weight to 13 poounds, 4 ounces and his total four-day weight to 75 pounds, 7 ounces and was enough to best 174 of the top bass anglers in the world to earn him a $100,000 paycheck. Finishing in second place was Keystone Light pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., who weighed in 20 bass totaling 70 pounds, 8 ounces.

“Fishing in my first ever Tour event, I never expected this,” said Benton, whose previous high finish was a 14th-place effort in EverStart competition on Lake Seminole. “I have to pay my entry fees all on my own, so this is such a big step for me. Now I can actually relax and fish for the rest of the year and not have to worry about just making a check.”

Like Saturday, Sunday’s fishing conditions were windy and tough. Benton made several runs back and forth to areas in South Bay and Turners Cove and burned through ¾ of a tank of gas by scrambling to try and catch enough weight.

“It was such a grind,” Benton said. “I started the day in South Bay, then went to Turners. Nothing was happening there, so I went back to South Bay and checked it again. I fished there for three hours and was only able to catch two keepers. So, I ran back to Turners and was able to finish out a small limit. I didn’t catch my limit of fish until 1:45 p.m. I told the camera man that I had to run and try and catch a big one. So I made the run back down to South Bay, and that’s when I got the kicker.”

Benton said the kicker – a 7-pound Okeechobee behemoth – came while throwing an entirely different bait than he had used all week.

“I had thrown a PGM Lures bladed swimjig all day and not had one bite on it,” Benton said. “I decided to try a Hildebrandt white and gold-bladed spinnerbait, and it bit.”

2013 FLW Lake Okeechobee Tournament

FLW Lake Okeechobee Day 4 Preditions

Sight fishing vs. Mat Fishing: The battle for the BIG "O"
By Luigi De Rose

Like in poker,  you play what cards have been dealt. But, you also try to play to your strengths. The first stop on the FLW Tour is in south Florida at Okeechobee. The Big "O" as it is called by its fans is fishing amazingly well and hoards of giant bass are being caught. The last three tournament days have been stellar. The final Top 10 anglers are left to fish Sunday. When a lake is fishing so well, almost anyone has a shot at winning but on Okeechobee it is a real possibility to land a 30 even at 40 pound limit. This makes any of the Top 10 lethal.  How will it be done is the million dollar question. Among the Top Five, it has come down to two strong patterns.  Each one of them are focusing on spawning bass.

CHAD PROUGH , PETE THLIVEROS  and TERRY SCROGGINS , who are in first, second and fifth place, have been primarily sight fishing. Giant spawning females are selecting a mate and started spawning. A few glory holes have produced the lion's share of top weights and these three anglers have found them.

Sight fishing is influenced by several different factors: wind, water visibility, moon phase, boat traffic and fishing pressure. The Big "O" is super flat and if the wind starts to howl the water will become turbid reducing visibility to zero preventing anyone from seeing the fish or beds. This will probably not be a factor but it can be devastating. Fishing pressure along with boat traffic will cause the bass to be spooky. If either become too intense, except bass particularly the big ones to split.  Fishing pressure has and will become an even bigger factor.  Many bass have taken a trip to the weight-in already and are no longer catchable. Ideally, only the big females are kept leaving the male bass to court another female. As catch rates fall, many fisherman have kept these smaller male bass to salvage their fishing day. Once that starts happening the show is really over.

Mat Fishing, often refereed to as Punching, is a high percentage fishing technique in Florida especially when the weather turns cold or fishing pressure drives bass to protective cover. This approach is exactly what RANDALL THARP and BRANDON MCMILLAN who are in 3rd and 4th are banking on. Both have discovered heavy cover that is teaming with bass. The only problem is that they both found the exact same spot. Another huge problem with this style of fishing is the difficultly of landing big ones from inside the jungle. Expect to have a few pull free of the hook is part of the gamble. But, when everyone is catching them, losing even one can be a huge blunder.

Have Chad, Peter T and the "Big Show" Scroggins ran their honey holes dry?   Is there enough bass left for Randall and Brandon to share? 

We'll have to wait and see.