Hallman Way in Front
Oklahoma pro tops 50 pounds in two days, extends his leads to 8 1/2 pounds
Take an extremely full Lake Okeechobee, put a 15 mph south wind on it one day, then flip the wind 180 degrees and propel it to 25 mph out of the north the next day, and what you have is something akin to a 467,000-acre washtub, spilling over at the sides and sloshing bass and bass fishermen back and forth.
This time around, the Walmart FLW Tour opener on Lake Okeechobee presented by Ranger Boats has not been about staking out a square-mile area in the Monkey Box and waiting for waves of big bass to funnel in hourly. This time around, the anglers have been tested by the biggest washing machine in the southern U.S., and the cold-water rinse cycle started today.
The angler who seems to be thriving in the sloshing is Bradley Hallman of Norman, Okla. Hallman is a former Bassmaster Elite Series pro who is off to a solid start in rekindling his pro fishing career on the Walmart FLW Tour in this event, which is presented by Roland and Mary Ann Martin's Marina and Resort and Hendry County Tourism and Development Council. After sacking up 25 pounds on day one, Hallman bettered that on a horribly gusty day two with 25 pounds, 7 ounces and now leads second-place pro Alex Davis by 8 1/2 pounds.
In all of the sloshing, Hallman has thrived by searching for stability – stability in water clarity, stability in cover and stability in presentation.
Hallman admits he was apprehensive when he started the day due to the high north winds pushing water into his primary area on the south end of the lake. But the first fish he landed was a solid 5-pounder, and it settled him down immediately.
“After that I hit a bit of a lull for a few hours,” Hallman says. “I was getting bites, but I just couldn’t get them in the boat. But I felt like the ones I lost were not really that big. Just getting bites helped keep my confidence up.”
At about 11 a.m. Hallman landed another 5-pounder and from there was off to the races with a 6- and then a 7-pounder.
“I did have to move around quite a bit more today to avoid the dirty water,” Hallman adds. “Honestly, I don’t even know which way the main lake is from where I’m fishing. All I know is some of the places I caught them yesterday definitely got dirty, and I had to keep moving to stay in clear water.”
Hallman’s primary technique for the last two days has been pitching. When the wind began gusting to 25 mph right off the bat this morning, Hallman turned his back to the gale, put down his Power-Poles and focused on what was in front of him.
“On a tournament on the Harris Chain years ago I learned that when the wind blows in Florida, you have to put your back to the wind and pitch with the wind,” he says. “It just allows you to present the bait so much more efficiently than trying to cross or go against the wind.”
Despite losing some of his water to mud today, Hallman feels confident about the coming days.
“I still have plenty of targets I haven’t fished yet,” Hallman says. “I found a way to deal with the wind today. Now I’m just hoping the water temperature doesn’t drop too much over the next couple of days.”
Read about the rest of the top five pros from day two: Top 5 Patterns from Lake Okeechobee Day 2
Read the day one headline story: Hallman Takes the Lead with 25
Top 10 Pros
1. Bradley Hallman – 50-07 (10)
2. Alex Davis – 41-15 (10)
3. Charlie Weyer – 34-6 (10)
4. Michael Neal – 32-06 (10)
5. Shinichi Fukae – 32-05 (10)
6. Brandon McMillan – 32-01 (10)
7. Joshua Weaver – 31-00 (10)
8. Ryan Chandler – 30-07 (10)
9. William (Billy) Shelton III – 30-04 (10)
10. Greg Bohannan – 29-08 (10)
Complete results – click here
Photo Galleries
Day 1 On the Water – click here
Day 1 Weigh-in – click here
Day 2 On the Water – click here
Day 3 Weigh-in – click here
Tournament Details
Presenting sponsor: Ranger Boats
Hosts: Roland and Mary Ann Martin's Marina and Resort and Hendry County Tourism and Development Council
Format: Walmart FLW Tour tournaments are four-day events. Co-anglers are randomly paired with pros and fish for two days, with the winner determined by heaviest cumulative two-day weight. All boaters fish the first two days as well, but only the top 20 after two days based on cumulative weight advanced to the third day. After three days, the top 10 anglers based on cumulative weight advance to the fourth and final day. The champion is determined by heaviest four-day total weight.
Takeoff Time: 7:30 a.m.
Takeoff Location:
Days 1 and 2: Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina and Resort, 920 East Del Monte Avenue, Clewiston, FL
Days 3 and 4: Clewiston Boat Basin & Launch, 709 Hoover Dike Road, Clewiston, FL
Weigh-In Time: Days 1 and 2 at 3 p.m.; Day 3 at 4 p.m.
Weigh-In Location:
Days 1 and 2: Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina and Resort, 920 East Del Monte Avenue, Clewiston, FL
Days 3 and 4: Walmart 2484, 1005 W Sugarland Hwy, Clewiston, FL
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