TTBC Watch List: Who’s Favored?
Biobor pro Chris Brasher is a definite favorite on Conroe this week in the TTBC due to his deep experience with the lake. (PAA: Chris Dutton)
PAA Communications
CONROE, Texas – The last time Harold Allen saw Lake Conroe was more than a month ago, so he’s not entirely certain about what to expect in this week’s Toyota Texas Bass Classic.
The lake has been off-limits to the 50 competitors in the tournament that begins Friday morning. The field will have three days of practice followed by the U.S. Reel Pro-Am on Thursday, then begin competition Friday morning. After two days the field will be cut to the top 10 for the final round, and the winner crowned Sunday evening.
Lake Conroe has experienced low water levels this year due to the drought, which Allen said will play a significant role. The anglers will have to be cautious about navigation and not exceed a TTBC-mandated 4,500 RPM speed for safety. From a fishing standpoint, docks and shorelines are high and dry.
“It is low, but I think the tournament will be interesting,” said Allen, who lives in Shelbyville, Texas. “We’ll all adjust and do what we think’s best to try to catch some. It looks like the weather may give us some wind the first part of the week and then possibly change a little bit, too.”
Wind is a fisherman’s friend because it stirs up the water in shallow areas and diffuses sunlight by creating waves. This helps bass have the advantage over baitfish and gives anglers an advantage since the bass may be more aggressive.
“I think the cooler weather should help the bite and maybe bunch the fish up a little bit,” Allen said. “Any little bit of change in the weather is going to help. The water’s probably dropped a little bit more since the off-limits, too, but we’ll be able to catch a few.”
A few other names to watch this week:
Chris Brasher of Spring, Texas, has fished on Conroe for years and won numerous tournaments there. He’s as familiar with the lake as anyone and may well be one of the odds-on favorites to take home the TTBC title.
Gary Klein of Weatherford, Texas, has competed professionally for more than 30 years and also knows Conroe’s potential. Klein is smart, wily and has seen drought situations affect lakes this way before, so he’ll put his years of knowledge to good use.
Mike Iaconelli of Pittsgrove, N.J., was the 2010 TTBC runner-up and has a hankering to put that behind him. Iaconelli is a “seat of the pants” type angler who takes advantage of what is offered – some call that junk fishing – but equally adept at establishing and working a pattern to its fullest. He also landed a 9 pound, 2 ounce largemouth in last year’s tournament that was the biggest of the event.
Dave Lefebre of Erie, Pa., won the 2009 TTBC and is fired up about returning this year for another shot at the title. He finished fifth last year and is keen on trying to find areas other anglers overlook.
Gary Yamamoto of Palestine, Texas, looks to continue his hot ways after a strong season on the Walmart FLW Tour and Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series. He earned an FLW final-day cut on the tough Red River in spring and then was in contention for the PAA title at Neely Henry in August. Yamamoto’s relaxed approach belies his intensity and determination.
David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., is the defending FLW Tour Angler of the Year and adept at offshore cranking, which may well play a big role this week. Dudley’s ability to focus and hunker down on a spot could be an advantage, too.
Kevin Vandam of Kalamazoo, Mich., is the defending Bassmaster Elite Series Angler of the Year and, like Dudley, quite comfortable with offshore cranking. That’s one of his favorite things to do so he’ll be checking anything deep, looking for shad and then heading elsewhere if the big bass aren’t there.
For more information about the tournament, outdoors expo and country music concerts this week, visit www.ToyotaTexasBassClassic.com
Brasher is a favorite of mine because I have fished with him for a while and Know that he has great knowledge of the offshore areas that hold fish and are often overlooked by others who have not fished this lake regularly. Good Luck Chris.