Conditions Slowly Improving For Georgia Division Wbs Tournament On Lake Sinclair
Cold, muddy water is not the ideal situation for bass fishing, but that is the condition of Georgia’s Lake Sinclair, just a couple of days before the American Bass Anglers Weekend Bass Series Georgia Division tournament.
“Fishing has been tough,” said Georgia Division tournament manager Billy Benedetti, who lives near the lake and fishes it every chance he gets. “The water is extremely stained, even down to the lower lake. It’s stained pretty bad there, too.”
Water temperatures have been in the mid-40s, not conducive to tempting a bass to eat, but that is gradually getting better, Benedetti said.
“Last Sunday the surface temperature was 45 degrees and it got up to 48 by afternoon. With sunny skies and warm afternoons, the temperature will come up a little bit by Saturday. The weather this weekend should be pretty mice wit temperatures around 70 degrees.”
Although he has been catching his fish jigging in deep water, Benedetti said he figures most of the bites will come Saturday on small crankbaits and Chatterbaits cast around docks.
“Typically, that’s a muddy water pattern,” he said.
Registration will be held at Little River Park from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Friday, Benedetti said, with the meeting at 7 p.m.
Anglers in the Boater Division pay a $200 entry fee, with co-anglers paying $100. ABA members no longer have to have dual membership to fish the Weekend Bass Series and liability insurance requirements have been reduced to an acceptable level for weekend anglers. The payback has been increased at divisional levels from 20 percent of the field to 25 percent of the field.
At the end of the season, the best WBS anglers from across the nation will fish the 2014 Ray Scott Championship, slated for Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala., from Nov. 15-18. The champion boater will receive $100,000 and possibly up to $50,000 in Triton Gold Bonus money. The co-angler champion will win $50,000 and possibly up to $25,000 in Triton Gold Bonus money.
As a special Ray Scott Championship bonus, the Boater Division and Co-Angler Division champions will each receive entry fees and sponsorship into the one of two professional bass fishing series of the angler’s choice. The sponsorship includes entry fees into three professional events and sponsorship support. This sponsorship will put the champion within striking distance of one of two professional bass fishing championships.
American Bass Anglers Weekend Bass Series Georgia Division
Sat, Feb 22, 2014
Lake Sinclair
Little River Park
Call 256-232-0406
