Pro Kevin Johnson of Valencia, Calif., landed five bass weighing 16 pounds, 4 ounces Wednesday to lead day one of the FLW Series National Guard Western Division tournament on Lake Mead. He holds a narrow 8-ounce lead in the tournament featuring 99 pros and 99 co-anglers representing 13 states and Japan.
“I think there is a new wave of spawn moving up,” said Johnson, who is fishing in only his fifth FLW event. “I caught both spawn and post-spawn fish today, my big female was post-spawn and my big male was spawn. I am using a lot of reaction type baits covering as much water as I can with my trolling motor on high”
Johnson remained tight lipped about the exact area and types of baits he is using. Currently he is in a key area pretty much to himself and hopes the fish will keep replenishing themselves for the rest of the week so he can hold on and make the crucial top-5 cut on Friday. He indicated that he had his limit by 10:30 and left the area in order to help protect his spot.
On a day when the wind kicked up significantly at about noon, Johnson felt the area he was fishing was not affected. For many others it was a different story and prompted one angler to say that “fish were hard to come by in this pond”. Many of the anglers brought in a mixed-bag of small- and largemouth bass; however, Johnson was alone with an all largemouth stringer.
Local anglers Derek Yamamoto and National Guard pro Tim Klinger, both of Boulder City, Nev., trail Johnson in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots each with five bass weighing 15-12 and 14-9 respectively.
Both men were pleased with their efforts and felt that home town advantage had definitely made a difference. They both claim to have plenty of spots left to fish the rest of the week. Klinger will spend tomorrow running the banks using jigs and tubes.
Rounding out the remainder of the top-10 pros after day one at Lake Mead are:
| 4th: | Todd Woods | Murrieta, Calif. | five bass | 14-1 |
| 5th: | Cameron Smith | Dana Point, Calif. | five bass | 13-11 |
| 6th: | Justin Kerr | Simi Valle, Calif. | five bass | 13-6 |
| 7th: | National Guard pro Brent Ehrler | Redlands, Calif. | five bass | 13-5 |
| 8th: | Tom Pryor | Kingman, Ariz. | five bass | 12-10 |
| 9th: | Michael Tuck | Antelope, Calif. | five bass | 12-8 |
| 10th: | Duane Dunstone | Reno, Nev. | five bass | 12-7 |
Overall there were 435 bass weighing 876 pounds, 10 ounces caught by 97 pros Wednesday. The catch included 78 five-bass limits.
In FLW Series competition, pros are competing for a top award of up to $56,000 plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for a shot at the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing.
Duaine Cowley of Boulder City, Nev., leads the Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 11-4 followed by Jessie Forthun of La Mesa, Calif., in second place with five bass weighing 11-2.
“I was using a variety of styles and baits in a variety of depths; each fish was caught a different way” said Cowley, who is fishing in only his second FLW event. “I caught one on a drop-shot, one using a senko, and my big three and a half pounder came using a jig. I had two smallmouth and three largemouth today.
“After the wind came up the bite got really tough. We were running and gunning all day long, mostly around the shady side of boulders.”
Cowley caught his bass while fishing with pro Cody Meyer of Grass Valley, Calif., who is currently in 22nd place with five bass weighing 10-15.
The remainder of the top-10 co-anglers are:
| 3rd: | Devin McDonald | Las Vegas, Nev. | five bass | 10-15 |
| 4th: | Roy Desmangles, Jr. | Lincoln, Calif. | five bass | 10-14 |
| 5th: | Ken Streeby | Jackson, Calif. | five bass | 10-5 |
| 6th: | Don Hilton | Las Vegas, Nev. | five bass | 10-1 |
| 7th: | Tony Zanotelli | Redding, Calif. | five bass | 9-12 |
| 8th: | Whitney Uyeda, | Buellton, Calif. | five bass | 9-9 |
| 9th: | Larry Wilson | Poway, Calif. | five bass | 9-8 |
| 10th: | Rob Bogin | Simi Valley, Calif. | five bass | 9-6 |
Overall there were 233 bass weighing 413 pounds, 9 ounces caught by 86 co-anglers Wednesday. The catch included 18 five-bass limits.
Co-anglers are competing this week for a Ranger 177TR with a 90 horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard motor as well as valuable points that could help them qualify for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup.
Anglers will take off from Callville Bay-Forever Resorts-Concessioners of NPS located in Las Vegas at 7 each morning. Thursday and Friday weigh-ins will also be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Henderson Civic Center located at 200 S. Water Street in Henderson beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will be treated to a Family Fun Zone prior to Saturday’s weigh-in from noon to 4 p.m. There will be a drawing for a $300 Cabela’s gift card and drawings for rod and reel combos will be held every 30 minutes during the event. Activities in the Family Fun Zone include a Ranger boat simulator and assorted fishing-themed games. All activities are free and open to the public.
Coverage of the Lake Mead tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS. “FLW Outdoors”, will air June 13 from 12:30 to 1:30 ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to approximately 500 million households worldwide.
ABOUT FLW OUTDOORS
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 189 tournaments in 2010. For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000.
