‘Small’ was the word at Lake Okeechobee this during the Bassmaster Classic Wildcard tourney presented by Star Tron.

The lake was big as ever. Big bass crossed the stage daily. Of course, there was a very big prize at stake – the final berth into the 2014 Bassmaster Classic.

But enormous Okeechobee fished small.

“Half the Top 12 were within a half-mile of each other,” noted Shaye Baker who led for two days before his hyacinth mats played out to a smallish conclusion (12 pounds, 10 ounces) after a groaning first day sack stuffed with 29 pounds, 8 ounces of Okeechobee bass.

Baker would have finished 2^nd if he had not put six bass in the livewell. That cost him two pounds in penalty weight. Thus, his official tally for Day 3 was 10-10 and Jesse Tacoronte of Orlando jumped into 2^nd at the final weigh in.

Nobody wanted to finish 2^nd. There was only one seat left in the 2014 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville and when the music stopped Chad Morgethaler was sitting in it.

The Elite Series pro closed out the tournament with 20-12 for a 3-day total weight of 63-13.

Morgethaler, Baker Tacoronte, Russ Lane – heck, everybody who made the top 12 cut to fish the final day was doing the same thing. Punching. With long rods, short line and heavy tungsten weights. ‘Heavy’ has a new meaning:  Two. Point. Five. Ounces.

“You wouldn’t think that extra ounce would make much difference,” noted Russ Lane, “but it will wear you out.”

It will also wear the bass out. At times, the only way to trigger strikes is with that extra fast fall. Plus, many bass live in dense cover and the only way to get through to them is with super heavy weights.

Tacoronte grinned as he shared stories from the day, “They (bass) weren’t playing around today. I pitched that heavy weight in and it never hit bottom. One time, the line just took off ten feet back into the stuff. That extra bit of weight zipping past their nose, just that much faster, will get them to bite when they otherwise wouldn’t have.”

 

So in a way, maybe ‘BIG’ is still the best word to describe the Wildcard tourney on Okeechobee. Big weights catch big bass.