We are just hours away now from the start of the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Buggs Island. This will be the first stop for Division 3 of the Opens, and the third event for the EQ anglers who are signed up to fish all 9 Opens in an effort to qualify for the 2024 Bassmaster Elite Series.
We caught up with California native, now Alabama resident and EQ angler Tom Frink to get his take on how practice has gone.
“I’ve never been here,” said Frink. “B.A.S.S. used to come here back in the day. But that was really before the internet.”
In fact, B.A.S.S. has not visited Buggs Island for an event of this magnitude since October of 1998, when George Cochran won a Virginia Invitational with a three day total of 41 pounds, 6 ounces.
“There’s not a lot on it. But the main thing I think it’s known for is a bush flipping lake.”
Bushes and trees line much of the 800 miles of shoreline that surround Buggs Island Lake, also known as John H. Kerr Reservoir. But most of these bushes are on dry land when the water is at its full pool level of 300 feet. It’s only when the lake floods that they come into play, and that’s exactly what’s happening this week.
“When we got here it was at 301.5, somewhere right around there. It came up about three quarters of a foot since yesterday evening. It’s at 302.75 now.”
That was the water level at least at the time of this interview, Sunday night April 30th. As of Tuesday morning May 2nd, the water had risen to 303.71 feet.
“There are bushes and trees everywhere in the water now. Down lake, the water needs to be higher. From what I’ve found, if it’s 302 and below, upriver has more bush flipping stuff. If it’s up to 303 and 304, then down lake starts getting more bushes too.”
Finding cover won’t be a problem for anglers this week. And apparently, finding fish won’t be that hard either. Anglers are reporting good numbers, catching 30 and 40 bass a day, mostly largemouth. Frink is seeing similar productivity.
“I think there’s a real good fish population. I see a lot of 2-pounders. I was kind of shocked, but most of them are post-spawn.”
With this spring slowly advancing, Frink anticipated more bass either on bed, or still making their way to their spawning grounds. What he’s found throughout practice is that the bass are actually on their way out.
“There are some spawners still up, spawners and fry guarders. But to me 85-90% are post-spawn. They’re not post-spawn enough to where they’ve started wolf packing though.”
After the spawn, bass that choose to stay shallow often group up in small schools and cruise the bank looking for bluegill or other forage to team up on.
“I’m assuming that they do that here. Because they wolf pack on every lake I’ve been to that looks similar to this with a good bass population. I feel like that’s what they do in this part of the country, on clear lakes.”
Not seeing signs of bass schooled up shallow has led Frink to split his time between the bank and the offshore bite. He’s had success doing both.
“If an angler wants to fish offshore, they can fish offshore and catch them. Or if you want to be up shallow, you can do that too. The biggest concern that I have is this front coming in right now.”
The weather has been warm leading up to this event, but the temps are dropping now that a massive front has pushed through the area. The highs are predicted to be in the mid-60s, with lows in the lower 40s.
“The night before the tournament is going to be 42. So I don’t know exactly what that’s going to do to the shallow fish.”
With multiple nights in the low 40s leading up to the start of the event, Frink and other anglers are a little concerned as to what this will do to the mood of the fish.
“In Florida, you want your nights around 55. But up here in the springtime, those might be more normal. To these fish 40s isn’t that bad. Where like in Florida that might put them in a funk. They might be used to it and it not really effect them. That’s my biggest concern.”
With changing water temperatures, fluctuating water levels and bass leaving the beds, the anglers are up against a barrage of variables this week. But Frink is still predicting good numbers.
“I think there are going to be a lot of 10- to 12- pound bags. Then, I don’t know for sure, but a 13- pound bag is going to be a little bit better. If you get a 3- and 1/2- to 4- pounder, that’s going to help bump your bag up.”
Frink’s plan, run a pattern. He believes Buggs Island sets up well to run and gun similar cover once he starts getting bit. So the large field of 225 anglers doesn’t concern him as much as how the fish will react to all the changing conditions.
“This is definitely a pattern lake. It seems like there’s so much shoreline cover and points that if somebody is on something you want to fish that you don’t have to go very far to find something just like it.”
Competition begins for earlier in the week than normal for the 2023 St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Buggs Island. This event kicks off on Wednesday May 3rd and wraps up Friday. Tune in to bassmaster.com to catch all the action.
