Modrak makes big move to 2nd
Second-place pro Mark Modrak rotated between a crankbait, dropshot and tube on day two. Credit: David A. Brown
July15, 2011 by David A. Brown, FLW Outdoors
TRENTON, Mich. – The day got off to a dicey start for EverStart Central Division anglers on the Detroit River, but once the weather stabilized, area waters produced a round of fishing action that overshadowed yesterday’s impressive opening round.
Day two dawned with a fiercely intense sunrise, but low-hanging clouds closed in and dimmed the skies as a rain storm moved through the area. Some areas of the Lake St. Clair-Lake Erie region saw showers, while other parts dodged the wet stuff.
The dim conditions deprived some anglers of early bites, as their fish seemed less active in the low light. However, skies started clearing by mid morning and competitors enjoyed a day that exemplified the bass machine that is the Detroit River region. Both pro and co-angler divisions exceeded their day-one stats in limits, number of fish caught and total weight.
Mark Modrak, of China Township, Michigan, had the biggest day-two move among the top-10 finalists by catching the day’s second heaviest bag (20-15) and improving from 15th place to second with 38-8. Modrak depended on a dynamic approach system with a trio of baits. He fished a Strike King Series 5 crankbait, a dropshot with Berkley 3-inch Fry and Lunch Money tubes with ¼- to 5/16-ounce KMR leadheads.
“I’d catch a couple of fish on one and when they’d shut down, I’d switch up and just kept rotating around,” he said. “I caught (weight fish) on every one of those baits. My co-angler was trying to keep up with me, but it wasn’t happening.”
Modrak found his fish on a little gravel bar in the St. Clair River. “It’s shallow, but the fish are there because of the river current. I went to the same spot yesterday, I caught almost 18 pounds and I left. I didn’t stay because I figured if I could catch 18 a day, I should be able to make the cut.
“I spent about an hour and a half there and I caught a couple small fish. Once I weeded them out, the big ones started biting.
Category: Tournament News
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
