If the weather forecast holds true, Day 2 of the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Toyota will be a wet one. While fishing in soggy conditions is not the most enjoyable situation, most anglers are willing to trade some creature comfort for the potential benefits rain brings.
Here are some perspectives from Classic competitors.
Casey Smith
The New York pro, who won the St. Croix Bassmaster Northern Open presented by Mossy Oak Fishing at Oneida Lake said he’s actually hoping he needs his SIMMS Pro Dry suit. In his view, a good rain could provide a helpful stimulus.
“The system is very clear; I think it’s more clear than it normally is this time of year and it’s making the bite more difficult,” Smith said. “I’m hoping the rain will get some of the backs of these creeks and these pinch points moving a little better.
“We have no current; the TVA cut that down. Hopefully, we’ll get some rain, the TVA will open some of the flood gates, we’ll get a little color in the water and a little current.”
Cliff Pirch
Noting that spring in the South often brings cold, damp conditions, Pirch said the forecast for daytime highs in the mid to upper 70s bodes well for Classic competitors.
“The nice thing is that it will be a warm rain, so I think that will have a positive effect on the fishing,” the Arizona pro said. “I’m excited, I like the forecast and I think we’re going to have a great weekend.”
Pirch said he’ll be closely monitoring inflows and how they interact with the main bodies of water.
“I’m going to be looking at water clarities and the timing of different places to see if they run in at the right time,” Pirch said. “I want to be where the runoff is happening in some of these places.
“There will be places that run in for just a couple of hours after it rains and there will be other places that may run a little longer with a little more flow for the duration.”
For scenarios of clear runoff, Pirch said he’ll likely use a jerkbait, glidebait, or swimbait. In more turbid water, a spinnerbait, crankbait, or bladed jig would get the call.
Bryan Schmitt
The Maryland pro who won the final Elite event of the 2022 season on the Mississippi River is most concerned with water level. Depending on the rain volume, he believes the Classic field could face a dynamic playing field.
“The biggest thing I think the rain can do to this fishery is raise the water,” Schmitt said. “More than color, more than anything, the raising and lowering of water on the Tennessee River is the most confusing deal and it affects these fish more than on any fishery I’ve ever been.
“The TVA will pull the water level down when they’re expecting rain and I think they did that our first three days of practice. Now, they’re actually letting it rise with more rain coming.”
Schmitt believes the fluctuation will shuffle the deck by relocating fish enough to alter, if not nullify practice findings.
“If they stop pulling the water down and it just stays normal, the fish will change, let alone if it starts to rise,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a whole different event now than it was in the first three days of practice.
“I’m a little bit down about that because I got on a deal for the low water. I’m scared it’s going to go bye-bye, which has happened to me before on the Tennessee River. The rain, yes, that helps the fishing, but the raising and lowering water is a big deal.”
So, can guys relocate fish displaced by rising water in time to make a Classic impact? Some will; others won’t. Schmitt said the fact that the fishery still stands at winter pool should keep the fish in prespawn mode.
“I don’t think they can go all the way to the bank until the water reaches normal pool,” he said. “I’m praying that I can relocate my fish if they do move.”
