Hallman, Lane Are Tied Atop Leaderboard in Opening

What many thought would be a tournament featuring the skills of offshore anglers has turned into a shallow-water chess match where every bite is critical.

The opening event of the PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series presented by Carrot Stix got underway Thursday on Cherokee Lake, with noted power anglers Bradley Hallman of Oklahoma and Bobby Lane of Florida tied for the lead with 15.57 pounds.

The field struggled throughout the day, with reports of early bites and then midday lulls before some activity later in the afternoon. Baitfish are thick in the pockets of Cherokee Lake, a 28,000-acre impoundment of the Holston River. Hot temperatures and little water movement didn’t help Thursday.

But Hallman and Lane figured it out, along with 10 other anglers who cracked double-digit weights.

“I’m excited because I’ve had a tough year,” said Hallman, who is sponsored by Anglers Inn International. “It was a great day. I caught a few early and then had a long dry spell, but had my limit by 10:30 a.m.”

Hallman was throwing topwater baits early, then switching to jigs and Carolina-rigged plastics. Lane, sponsored by Spiderwire, fished half of last Sunday’s first practice day and caught a 4-pounder that keyed him in on a few clues he developed the remaining two days of practice.

“Monday I duplicated what I did and then Tuesday I ran and looked around at different things,” Lane said. “The longer practice went on it just got easier. I do have a pattern figured out but I hope it’s enough to hold up.”

Lane is throwing a buzzbait early and mixing in a frog, along with some sight-fishing. Cherokee’s banks are clear in some areas, giving him a good look at shoreline cover.

“They’re not bedding but they’re just cruising the bank and when they come up (on a bait) they’re not committing to it,” he said. “I’m having to get on my knees, be very quiet and make long casts to them. The water’s so clear that if there’s a bush or something, I can see them from a distance.”

Largemouths dominated the catches, although Dick’s Sporting Goods pro Shaw Grigsby of Florida weighed in four spotted bass and Chevy pro Dave Lefebre of Pennsylvania targeted smallmouths. Lefebre had two in his bag and said he lost three others.

Hallman said the standings could be mixed Friday after the field got a better look at conditions the first day.”Day 2 is always the tell-tale day in these deals,” he said.

Tournament facts: The tournament is the first of four in the PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series presented by Carrot Stix this season. The winner will earn $10,000 and a new Phoenix 719 powered by a Mercury 225 Optimax engine and outfitted with a T-H Marine Atlas Jackplate. Eligible anglers also may benefit from the Bass Pro Shops Tournament Rewards and Phoenix Boats First Flight bonus payout programs.

Daily launches and Friday’s weigh-in will be at Cherokee-Hamblen County Park. Saturday’s final weigh-in featuring the top 30 pros will be held at the Bass Pro Shops in Kodak, Tenn., and will be streamed live on AnglersChannel.com via FishPAA.com. Launches and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

PAA Sponsors: The PAA Tournament Series is sponsored by Bass Pro Shops, E21 Carrot Stix, Laser TroKar, Markel Insurance, Phoenix Boats, Nitro Boats, T-H Marine, Fishouflage, SolarBat, U.S. Reel, Sign Designs, BoatU.S. Foundation, Mercury Marine and Jasper Engines and Transmissions.

Day 1 Standings, Unofficial
Top 30 anglers from Day 1 of the PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series presented by Carrot Stix. Due to technical difficulties at the weigh-in site, Day 1 standings still are unofficial. PAA staff is working to finalize the standings. A correction in penalty assessments for dead fish resulted in a tie for first place.

By: Alan Clemons