It’s a good thing Lee Sisson knows quite a few folks. One of his many friends came to his aid as he was struggling through a less-than-stellar practice and the advice paid off in spades for Sisson, who took control after the first day of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open on Lake Texoma.
“It really pays to have a lot of friends,” the Winter Haven, Fla., pro said. “I was out there not doing well (in practice), and a buddy of mine said ‘have you tried one of these?’ I said I hadn’t and that I didn’t have any and he threw me one and I started catching them.”
Sisson declined to reveal what his pal tossed him, but it helped him catch 10 pounds, 10 ounces, enough for a slight advantage at the Central Open finale. Sisson’s five-fish limit was one of only three registered on Thursday. He has his sights set on qualifying for the 2011 Elite Series, which kicks off in his home state. For that, he would have to move into the top seven in the Open points standings. He entered the tournament in eighth.
“Next year would be the year for me to get into it,” he said. “This one’s for the old guys!”
Sisson – and the other 163 pros – are vying for the top prize of around $40,000.
Behind Sisson was Mike Pharr of Shreveport, La. The fireman and part-time bass pro managed to land three fish that weighed 9-13. The three fish were a disappointment — he was catching more fish in practice and Pharr said he was looking at nearly 15 pounds a day during practice.
Pharr caught his fish using an Omega football jig and a Tru-Trac spinnerbait. He’s looking forward to the stormy weather that’s forecasted to roll in on Friday.
“Maybe it (the weather) can make it better,” he said. “My fish are all in 5- to 6-foot of water and I think that would push them shallower.”
In third was former Elite Series pro Jay Fuller of Newcastle, Okla., with 9-12 while Aaron Johnson of Bossier City, La., was fourth with 9-4. In fifth was Dean Alexander of Florence, Texas, with 8-14.
While a victory in the tournament is at stake, many anglers are most interested in obtaining one of two Classic berths up for grabs here. Craig Schuff of Watauga, Texas, lessened his substantial lead by only registering 2-11 Thursday, putting him in 85th place at the tournament. That leaves the door open for a host of anglers including Keith Combs, who was sixth after 8-12 on Thursday.
In the co-angler division, Travis Gray of Princeton, La., took the lead with a three-fish limit that weighed 8-5. Gray, who owns a 20-foot Skeeter, is competing for a top prize of a fully rigged ZX 190 Skeeter with a 150-horsepower Yamaha outboard.
“I made three lucky casts and got three fish,” he said. “It wasn’t anything special.”
Behind Gray was JC Thompson with 7-11 and in third was Darin Comstock of Denison, Texas, with 7-9.
The public is invited to watch the outcome of the Texoma event from Highport Marina, 120 Texoma Harbor Drive, Pottsboro, Texas. Boats will take off at 7:30 a.m. CT each day. Weigh-ins are set to begin at 3:30 p.m. CT. All events are free and open to the public. The host sponsor of the Texoma event is the Denison Chamber of Commerce, www.denisontexas.us.
Daily results and photo galleries will be available at www.Bassmaster.com. The Classic and Elite invitations will be awarded Saturday, Oct. 23, after the final weigh-in. That also will mark the end of the entire 2010 Open season.
Bassmaster Open Title Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
Bassmaster Open Official Sponsors: Toyota Trucks, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha and Mercury
Bassmaster Supporting Sponsors: Humminbird, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats and Triton Boats
About BASS
For more than 40 years, BASS has served as the authority on bass fishing. The organization advances the sport through advocacy, outreach and its expansive tournament structure while championing efforts to connect directly with the passionate community of bass anglers through its Bassmaster media vehicles.
The Bassmaster brand and its considerable multimedia platforms are guided by a mission to serve all fishing fans. Through its industry-leading publications Bassmaster Magazine, BASS Times and Fishing Tackle Retailer; comprehensive Web properties in Bassmaster, BASSInsider webite, and ESPN3 webite, and ESPN2 television programming, Bassmaster provides rich, leading-edge content true to the lifestyle.
BASS oversees the prestigious Bassmaster Tournament Trail, which includes the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Opens, BASS Federation Nation and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bassmaster Classic.
BASS offers an array of services to its more than 500,000 members while spearheading progressive, positive change on issues related to conservation and water access. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.By: BASS Communications / BASS
