Southern Open On Toho To Be Drastically Different From 2014 Open Last January
Fishing on Florida’s Lake Tohopekaliga is going to be a lot different this January than it was a year ago when David Williams finished 3rd in the Bassmaster Southern Open season opener, a giant first step towards his 2014 Southern Open Angler of the Year title.
The situation next week is going to be one of those “that was then, this is now” deals, the Maiden, N.C., pro said.
When I went down there last year I did not have any experience at all with the lake and I only had two days of practice. But a cold front came in and made it tough on everybody else. I fished a little deeper than most everybody else and put together a pretty good pattern.”
Williams weighed in a three-day total of 44.2 pounds in that tournament, more than 6 pounds behind the first place weight of almost 51 pounds. But anglers in the 2015 Southern Open on Toho won’t be fishing in frigid temperatures like they did in late January last year, he said.
“The long-range forecasts for this year’s tournament is showing it’s going to be pretty much in the mid-70s about all week. Coming off a full moon, too, you are liable to see a big bedding fish tournament next week.”
While bass bedding usually means big females up shallow, bed fishing is not Williams’ forte, so he will be fishing differently, but more to his strengths.
“I am at a huge disadvantage with bedding fish. I don’t have any power poles on my boat, but I can catch them. If I come across a bedding fish I will try to catch it, but I won’t be looking for them. I’ll be looking for feeding fish – pre-spawners.”
Williams followed his 3rd place at Toho with a 39th place finish in March on Smith Lake, then rebounded strongly with an 8th place finish on Lake Norman, near his home, in October to wrap up the AOY title.
However, while the cold front helped him on Toho back in January, a severe cold front that moved across Lake Norman probably cost him a slot in the field for the 2015 Bassmaster Classic on South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell next month. After catching five-bass limits weighing 14 pounds, 1 ounce, and 13 pounds, 5 ounces, the first two days, Williams managed only three keepers weighing 4 pounds, 13 ounces, on Sunday after the Saturday night cold snap.
So, even though the situation on Toho will be drastically different from a year ago, Williams is looking forward to it.
“I always enjoy leaving 20-degree weather and going somewhere that I can enjoy 70-degree weather,” he said.
2015 Bassmaster Southern Open #1
Jan 15-17, 2015
Lake Tohopekaliga
Big Toho Marina
