JASPER, Texas (Jan. 24, 2014) – Due to a winter storm and dangerous icy road conditions, day two of the Rayovac FLW Series at Sam Rayburn Reservoir has been canceled. Weather permitting, competition will resume as scheduled Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. at the Umphrey Family Pavilion. Saturday’s final weigh-in, originally slated to be held at the Walmart in Jasper, will remain lakeside and the champion will be crowned at the Umphrey Family Pavilion in Brookeland.
“Obviously, the safety of our anglers is always our first priority,” said Rayovac FLW Series Tournament Director Ron Lappin. “It rained for three hours last night, and then the temperatures dropped into the lower 30s. Then, we got hit with a winter storm and it dumped 4½ inches of snow on us. The roads were incredibly icy. We could hardly drive to the ramp this morning at 4 a.m. to make a decision. I couldn’t imagine trying to pull a boat. It was just too dangerous.
“We’ll continue to monitor the weather throughout the day to ensure that conditions are safe to continue fishing Saturday.”
Due to the cancellation, the entire field of 112 pros and 112 co-anglers will advance to Saturday’s final day of competition. The champion will be determined by the heaviest accumulated two-day total weight from Thursday and Saturday.
Pro Ray Hanselman of Del Rio, Texas, led the field after day one with a five-bass limit weighing 21 pounds, 5 ounces. Right behind Hanselman is Chevy pro Jay Yelas of Corvallis, Ore., who brought five bass to the scale weighing 18-8. Hanselman will hold a 2-pound, 12-ounce lead heading into the final day of competition.
Anglers will take off from the Umphrey Family Pavilion located at 5438 RR 255 W. in Brookeland, Texas, at 7:30 a.m. Saturday. Saturday’s final weigh-in, originally scheduled at Walmart in Jasper, will now remain lakeside at the Umphrey Family Pavilion beginning at 3 p.m. Takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public.
Pros are fishing for a top award of $40,000 plus a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard if Ranger Cup guidelines are met. Co-anglers are casting for a top award consisting of a Ranger Z117 with 90-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $5,000 if Ranger Cup guidelines are met.
The Rayovac FLW Series consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western. Each division consists of three tournaments and competitors will be vying for valuable points in each division that could earn them the opportunity to fish in the Rayovac FLW Series Championship. The 2014 Rayovac FLW Series Championship is being held Oct. 30-Nov. 1 on Wheeler Lake in Rogersville, Ala.
The Rayovac FLW Series tournament on Sam Rayburn Reservoir is being hosted by the Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn Chamber of Commerce.