Shaw slides ahead on Day 2 at Okeechobee
CLEWISTON, Fla. – Day 2 of the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats (https://majorleaguefishing.com/circuits/series/) Southern Division event on Lake Okeechobee (https://majorleaguefishing.com/events/2026-01-29-lake-okeechobee/) was a stark contrast to Day 1. Today, anglers found it much easier to reach their limits, and the quality of fish improved significantly. However, the competition remained fierce, and only two anglers managed to stay on track: Banks Shaw and Kyle Cortiana.
Shaw, with a weight of 18 pounds, 3 ounces, moved into the lead from second place with 35-9. Cortiana, who weighed in at 17-15, also improved from Day 1 and moved up to second place with 35-1, just 8 ounces behind Shaw. This close margin kept the competition intense.
Behind the leaders, the rankings shuffled significantly. Val Osinski caught 17-3, rocketing from 20th to third place. In contrast, Day 1 leader Joel Richardson managed only 8-7, falling to fourth place. Tyler Nekolny moved up to fifth place but is still nearly 8 pounds behind Shaw and Cortiana. Tomorrow, when the Top 25 take on Day 3, anyone in the running will have a chance to dethrone Shaw, but Cortiana is the only pro who doesn't have a challenging mountain to climb.
On the co-angler side, Bob Morin has been consistent, limiting two days in a row and catching 11-10 today for a total of 21-14. Ryan Yarian, who caught one fish on Day 1, had a limit of 16-4 on Day 2, bringing his total to 18-9. This puts Yarian in second place.
Shaw's Performance: Business as Usual
The past two years have seen a surge in restrictions on forward-facing sonar in bass fishing. Whether intentional or not, these changes have coincided with a time when using this technology is more challenging. Fish that are best targeted with LiveScope are now more accustomed to being hunted. The theoretical challenge of having only three hours to fish precisely could be a significant hurdle for many anglers. Today, Shaw didn't even need all three hours before he started scouting.
"I definitely think I'm figuring it out more," Shaw said. "I planned to turn my 'Scope on a little later, at 11 today, and caught all five of my fish. Then I went to fish some new water and lost a 5-pounder near the boat."
Shaw's efficiency left some room for improvement, which has him eager to have a completely clean day. "It was a good day, but I lost some good ones; definitely not as good of a day as it looks," he said. "I should have had 22 or 23 pounds, but it is what it is. I have some big ones found. If I could get two or three big bites, I could have a really, really good day."
Fishing mostly alone in his primary area, Shaw is in close proximity to some large fish, which is evident in his results. "It’s right in my wheelhouse. I’m just fishing some steeper banks," he said. "There are fish sucked to the banks, snaking around, and sitting on isolated pieces of grass."
While Shaw caught some fish without his forward-facing sonar on Day 1, he acknowledges that getting the really big ones to bite is a task best suited to modern sonar. "I can definitely get bit, it’s just a lot harder to target the really big ones," he said. "I do not think they’re that smart, they’re just in some weird little mood right now. But, they’re definitely super hard to catch – probably some of the toughest fish to catch I’ve ever fished for."
Cortiana Overcomes Mechanical Issues
Cortiana, just ounces behind Shaw and chasing his third Toyota Series win in three years, faced trolling motor issues on Day 2. "I had four, maybe five, at about 9 a.m., and my trolling motor went out," Cortiana said. "While it went out, a big one ate my worm. I was like ‘I think one is on my worm,’ but I was still messing with the trolling motor. I stood back up, set the hook, and it burns at me like 100 miles an hour and comes off under the boat. It was a big one. So, my trolling motor broke and I lost a big one all at the same time."
Despite the setback, Cortiana managed to catch a 4-pounder, lose another good one, and cull during his forward-facing sonar period with a balky trolling motor. Fishing a BOOYAH Flash Point Deep and a Texas-rigged YUM Thump’n Dinger, Cortiana managed to patch together 20 keepers but also lost three big fish. On Day 3, with a fixed trolling motor, Cortiana has the best shot of anyone to chase down Shaw. However, he's not counting his chickens by any means.
"I think we both have lost fish each day, so, if we get the same amount of bites, whoever fishes the cleanest wins," Cortiana said. "But, that’s if we get the same bites we’ve been getting. This lake is fishing so tough, I’ve been completely blessed to get the bites I’ve got. I’ve been watching other people not catch fish all day."
Top 10 Pros
- Banks Shaw – 35-9 (10)
- Kyle Cortiana – 35-1 (10)
- Val Osinski – 28-1 (9)
- Joel Richardson – 27-13 (10)
- Tyler Nekolny – 27-12 (10)
- Alex Terescenko – 26-10 (8)
- Adriano Theriot – 26-3 (10)
- Charles Abshire – 26-1 (9)
- Doug Wooldridge – 25-11 (10)
- Brian Holder – 25-5 (10)
Complete Results: https://majorleaguefishing.com/events/2026-01-29-lake-okeechobee/results/
