January 27, 2017 by Rob Newell

If you have ever wondered why anglers are forever infatuated with the bass fishing fairyland called Lake Okeechobee, take the case of young Joshua Weaver from Macon, Ga., as an example.

On day one of the Costa FLW Series presented by Power-Pole, Weaver weighed in a five-bass limit for 17 pounds, 10 ounces. A pretty respectable catch in its own right.

On day two he nearly doubled that catch, hauling in a stunning 32 pounds, 10 ounces of Okeechobee giants to take the overall lead with a two-day total of 50 pounds even.

Midday update

Top five patterns from day one

Weaver secured the big catch by 9:30 in the morning, catching a pair of 8 pounders and a pair of 6 pounders in a 45-minute span.

So what’s the difference in a 17-10 day and 32-10 day?

“I kept them on today,” Weaver says. “I lost four big ones yesterday – I should have had 25 yesterday. Sometimes keeping them buttoned up in that stuff is a challenge and today I capitalized on my bites.”

Weaver says he has four large areas he is drifting through, but only really utilized one of them today for a majority of his catch.

“I moved to my second area, but once I culled a 4-1/2 pounder I thought, I better just leave all these areas alone and let them rest until tomorrow,” Weaver says. “So I left and looked other places and helped my co-angler get a limit.”

Joshua Weaver

Weaver is casting and winding a moving bait over scattered vegetation.

“The females really moved in yesterday afternoon and this morning,” he says. “My bites in these areas have gone from catching a pile of bucks to fewer bites with a lot more quality. It’s amazing how that happens so fast on this lake.”

Though Weaver’s catch was impressive, he holds only a 14-ounce lead over second place, showing just how phenomenal this fishing fairyland and really is.

Top 10 pros

1. Josh Weaver – Macon, Ga. – 50-0 (10)

2. Derek Yasinski – Senoia, Ga. – 49-2 (10)

3. Taylor Ashley – Warrior, Ala. – 46-6 (10)

4. Gary Milicevic – Labelle, Fla. – 41-2 (10)

5. Brian Holder – Denver, N.C. – 39-14 (10)

6. Robert Beatty – Clermont, Fla. – 38-12 (10)

7. Scott Byrd – Ocklawaha, Fla. – 36-6 (10)

8. Bill Tervin – Pocola, Okla. – 35-15 (10)

9. Ron Nelson – Berrien Springs, Mich. – 35-10 (10)

10. Buddy Gross – Chickamauga, Ga. – 35-5 (10)

Complete results

Scott Bern

Bern fires up 27+

Scott Bern of San Rafael, Calif., experienced a dream day on Lake Okeechobee, wrestling in 27 pounds, 9 ounces from the back of Michel Purvis’ boat to take the co-angler lead with 42 pounds, 3 ounces. Bern started the day with Yamamoto Senkos to get his limit, but then switched to reaction-type baits to fool the big bass.

Complete results