Second fog delay lifted, Bassmaster Classic anglers released

B.A.S.S./David Hunter Jones

The second fog delay in as many days has been lifted, and the 2011 Bassmaster Classic field is set to leave the docks at 9:45 a.m.

After an almost three-hour fog delay, B.A.S.S. officials told the Bassmaster Classic anglers to crank up their boats and prepare to blast off at 9:45 a.m., NorthCarolinaSportsman.com has learned.

“It’s breaking a little bit,” Louisiana's Bruce McDonald said by cell phone. “At 9:45 we’re out of here.”

That doesn’t mean the fog has completely cleared, however.

“It’s still a little socked in, but everything is on a go,” McDonald said. “You can see the (Lapalco Boulevard) bridge a little bit (from the Bayou Segnette State Park docks).McDonald estimated visibility to be about a quarter of a mile.”

The delay probably means the crowd that fished Venice yesterday won’t have time to make the run, although several of the pros said they would run down river even if they only had an hour to fish.

However, if a number of those anglers decide to stay closer to the launch site, it could have a real impact on the leaders – the top three of whom are sharing an area in Lake Cataouatche’s Tank Pond.

The weigh-in time has not been changed, so doors to the New Orleans Arena will open to the public on schedule at 3 p.m.

Updates on the Classic will be posted regularly on the dedicated Bassmaster Classic Updates section.