Kicking off the season in Florida is a tradition in tournament bass fishing that has stood the test of time, and has Rapala Bassmaster Fantasy Fishing players licking their chops to see if the big girls show up to play while most of the country is still hunkered down with ice or cold winter conditions. I predict we will see plenty of big bass brought to the scales at the Big O and I think most of them will fall to power fishing techniques in and around heavy cover.
We will be kicking the Bassmaster Elite Series season off on Lake Okeechobee for the first time in six years. While the Big O is in the heart of Florida, it doesn’t always fish like some of the other popular tournament venues in Florida. For starters, it lacks the depth, contours, offshore structure and shell beds Harris Chain, Toho and the St Johns River offer. On top of that, recent tropical storms have filled the lake to record highs and knocked back much of the submerged vegetation that Okeechobee is known for.
Less options for grass and limited offshore options will likely stack up the field into key areas and might make the Big O fish a bit small. Also, the lack of submerged vegetation and higher water will make the water clarity much more volatile if we get strong winds during the event.
On a positive note, the extended forecast shows a subtle cool front followed with stable warming weather into the competition days which should make for some very good fishing for the shallow water power fishing anglers. The fishing should be pretty wide open – everything from covering water with bladed jigs and weedless swimbaits, to picking apart emergent vegetation with senkos and flipping baits should be in play.
BUCKET A: JOHNSTON
If you look up the Johnston brothers’ Bassmaster history on Lake Okeechobee you won’t find much for data, but they both have quite a bit of tournament history and success. Not to mention, Cory Johnston typically has a strong start in Florida. He’s comfortable around heavy vegetation as well as a strong sight fishing angler.
The other Johnston
You can copy and paste everything said in the above paragraph for Chris Johnston, just at a slightly higher player percentage than his brother. It can be tricky to pick the right Johnston when they are in the same bucket, but I think this week they both will be strong performers.
BUCKET B: HACKNEY
There are several factors that make me feel good about Greg Hackney for the Big O. Hackney has been getting off to hot starts the last few seasons, and the stars are lining up for a bite that will suit him well. If that is not enough, three of Hackney’s Bassmaster finishes on Okeechobee are Top 10s.
Okie on Okee
Bradley Hallman is returning to the Bassmaster Elite Series and gets to kick things off on a venue where he has a tour level win and he will likely be able to make good by locking a Big Bite Baits BFE in his hand. I look for Hallman to get off to a good start in Florida.
BUCKET C: MARTIN
Sometimes it’s better not to overthink things and not worry if anyone calls you captain obvious, but Scott Martin likely has more days on Lake Okeechobee than the rest of the 103 Elite Series anglers combined. While he doesn’t win every event, his track record of top 20 finishes is superb. In the end, percentages don’t matter much in fantasy fishing, it’s about how many points you score.
Bank on a flipper
The Big O really seems to be setting up for how Hunter Shryock likes to fish – big weights on big rods in heavy cover. Shryock is also not afraid of sight fishing if that opportunity presents itself.
BUCKET D: HERREN
Matt Herren is a veteran power angler who has been around the block and has seen different versions of Okeechobee over the years. Some of those events have been good for him, some not so much, but the way this event is setting up, it should play to his confidence techniques. Herren is coming off a subpar 2022 and I think this could be a statement event for him to open 2023.
Don’t overlook Florida Royalty
If I am being completely honest, based on history Cliff Prince is probably the smartest pick in bucket D, but I wanted to save some chalk for higher buckets. The Prince of Palatka has a solid resume on the Big O.
BUCKET E: KENNEDY
If you have followed Fantasy Fishing for any length of time, you probably already know that picking Steve Kennedy can be a risky proposition. When Kennedy is good, he is really good, but when he is off the mark, it’s a bad deal for your Fantasy team. More often than not it is feast or famine for this Auburn Tiger super fan. I have a good feeling we will be hearing War Eagle on Sunday from Kennedy.
Little guy with a big stick
There is not a lot of data that suggests Wes Logan would be a strong pick on the Big O, but if you recall the success Logan had on Guntersville flipping and punching, it starts to make sense. On top of that, Logan loves throwing a swim jig on a big rod and braid, so all that stuff should be in play at Okeechobee for the season kick off.
Mercury Bassmaster Drain the Lake Challenge
Now onto season three of the Mercury Bassmaster Drain the Lake Challenge. This additional fantasy fishing game not only offers a fresh way to play the game, but a completely separate prize pool. Drain the Lake is an elimination or survivor style game where you can only use an angler once all season.
One key difference between this season and last is 2023 brings a bigger Elite field to choose from. Now we have 10 events and 104 anglers. You will need to use up 80 of the 104 anglers plus a few Bassmaster Classic anglers throughout the season, so plan accordingly. Do you want to use a Johnston brother who is great at sight fishing in Florida or do you want to save him for a smallmouth event at the end of the season?
Here is my Lake Okeechobee Drain the Lake roster:
• Scott Martin
• Brandon Lester
• Greg Hackney
• Cliff Prince
• Kyle Welcher
• Matt Herren
• Drew Cook
• Scott Canterbury
