Post-Freeze Warm-Up Should Have Fishing Back To Normal For Toho Marine Elite One Man Tour

Although a massive winter cold front this week sent temperatures plunging below freezing even down into Florida, things should warm up enough to have fishing back to normal by the launch Saturday of the 2014 Toho Marine Elite One Man Tour tournament on Lake Tohopekaliga, said tournament director Bob McDaniel.

“We had a really cold day yesterday, but it is 53 degrees today and it’s supposed to get up into the 70s tomorrow and Friday,” McDaniel said. “The water got a little colder, but I think things will pick up by Saturday.”

The bass in Toho are still in transition, he said.

“They are pretty much in pre-spawn mode and you can find them both in the open water or in the shallows but anytime now they will probably switch over the the spawning mode. The open water fishermen and the flippers are doing equally well.”

This is the second year Toho Marine has sponsored the Elite One Man Tour, McDaniel said.

“We did really well last year. I think we averaged 25 to 30 boats a tournament and everybody we talked to was very pleased with the trail. It looks like we are getting a lot of the same anglers back and hopefully some additional ones. We’ve picked up a couple of new sponsors this year, too.”

The entry fee for the tournaments is $100, with a 100 percent payback based on the number of entries, plus two big fish spots, McDaniel said. The points champion will win free entries to the monthly tournaments for the following year. Each angler also pays a one-time $25 membership fee.

“Anglers can sign up by mail to Toho Marine, if it gets in on time, or they can pay cash at the ramp. It’s too late to mail an entry in for this tournament Saturday, so anyone who has not sent an entry in yet will have to pay at the ramp.”

McDaniel said the entry fee for the two-day Classic at the end of the season is $200, with a 100 percent payback based on the number of entries.

“There will also be a lot of bonus prizes and giveaways provided by the sponsors, rods and reels, that sort of thing,” he added.

On the tournament website McDaniel and co-director Jimmy Murphy listed the following four reasons for anglers to fish the Toho Marine Elite One Man Tour:

1. You need to land your own fish since you won’t have a partner to net it for you.

2. You make all the decisions on what spots to fish, how long to fish that spot and when it is time to move on to a new spot.

3. You can’t blame your partner if your day doesn’t turn out as planned.

4. You get to keep all the prize money.

The series kicks off the 2014 season Saturday our of Red’s Fish Camp, followed by tournaments Feb 8, Lake Okeechobee/Scott Driver; March 22, Lake Harris/Buzzard Beach; April 19, Lake Kissimmee/Camp Mack; May 24, Lake Istokpoga/Hwy 98 Ramp; June 21, Lake Harris/Buzzard Beach; July 19, Lake Kissimmee/Camp Mack; and Aug. 23, Lake Okeechobee/Scott Driver; with the Classic, Nov. 7-8, Lake Toho/Red’s Fish Camp.

 

Toho Marine Elite One Man Tour

Sat, Jan 11, 2014

Lake Toho

Red’s Fish Camp

http://www.tohomarine.com/index.php/tournaments/toho-elite-one-man.html