After a blustery Day 1 at the St. Croix Bassmaster Open at Buggs Island, winds have calmed down significantly on Day 2, which could lead to a better day for the majority of the field. Talking to anglers in the top 50, it seemed 15 pounds was the mark many thought they could hit if the first day went totally perfect for them.
“Honestly, I thought I could catch 15 pounds. The wind makes it really hard because I am doing a lot of LiveScoping,” Kyle Patrick said after landing in 27th. “(Day 2) is going to be totally different than today because of the wind, but I think 12 pounds a day will get you a check.”
The wind on Wednesday did not allow many anglers, particularly those with an offshore game plan, to realize that potential, with plenty of bags between the 10- and 13-pound mark.
Many of the bass being caught are postspawners, and for South Carolina’s Kyle Austin, there just aren’t that many bass over 5 or 6 pounds that have been willing to bite.
“If I had a really good day, it would have been around 15 pounds. I caught some 5-pounders out deep in practice, but it is just random,” Austin, who entered the day in 42nd, said. “People will argue with you that it will take crazy weight in this thing, but if you look at the tournaments the last six years, it doesn’t take much. Getting to 12 pounds is an accomplishment. I was one bite away from 15 pounds.”
Overall James Niggemeyer was pleased with what he saw and his shallow game produced 13-11, which has the former Elite Series angler tied for 18th. If a couple things change on Day 2, he is in great position to make the Top 10.
“I think it could potentially get better. That doesn’t mean I am going to bust 20 pounds, but I feel like if it warms up a little more and the sun stays out, I feel like it could be really good. Thankfully I had the better quality fish today that I didn’t really have in practice.”
Overall, the quality of bass has improved in the areas Niggemeyer is fishing, giving him the idea that Day 2 could be a special day. However, there is no distinguishing factor between when Niggemeyer will get a big bite and when he will catch a smaller bass. He just has to keep fishing what looks good.
“I want the water to stay right where it is at,” he added.
While a 20-pound bag isn’t a realistic goal for many, current leader Powell Kemp was just ounces from breaking that mark with 19-8, and with winds allowing for more freedom of movement, anticipate heavier bags to hit the stage on Day 2.
Keeping an eye on the spawn
As mentioned in previous stories, competitors have seen bass in all three stages of the spawn this week. Entering Day 2 in 11th with 14-3, Clark Reehm caught prespawn bass on Day 1 that he had not previously seen, leaving him to wonder if more are going to move up with the full moon.
Kemp noted that the Big Bass of the Day, a 5-13 largemouth, was likely on bed, and he caught it after the male on the same bed attempted to eat his bait. He found that bass in the process of looking for a shad spawn, but that shad spawn never materialized for him.
“The bass are in transition, and the shad aren’t really doing what they are supposed to. What’s left is spawners, that is what I think is going on,” he said. “You don’t have the shad stuff going on as much as it should be. We missed out on guys just lighting them up. It would have been unbelievable if we hadn’t had this cold air. The rest of the bass bedding, shad spawn. Everything would have been going on.”
Cold water and cold nights have stifled the shad and herring spawn on Buggs Island for the most part.
“I looked hard for it. It is one of my favorite things to do,” Casey Scanlon said. “We’ve had some cold nights and that has stalled out for now.”
But several anglers are keying in on baitfish, including Michigan pro Buck Mallory who entered Day in 14th with 14-0. He has two patterns working for him, and baitfish are the key to both, although he isn’t sure if they are spawning yet.
“Down by the dam, I have some rocky points and this place has herring in it. They aren’t spawning, but if you get up there with the wind blowing a little on them, that’s where I got my biggest fish in practice,” he said. “I went there first (on Day 1) and I got blown out of there by 9 a.m. I went and fished brush after that and salvaged 14 pounds. The dirty water is making the shad want to spawn. The shad are getting in the brush.”
If the temperatures warm up some, the shad spawn could begin to factor more and more.
“That has got to be starting any second,” second-place angler Brad Knight said. “It has to be happening somewhere, I just didn’t find it. The bluegill are trying to spawn, the bass are trying to spawn. It is just an evolution.”
