LUKE CLAUSEN: Doing Some Work at the U.S. Open

Luke Clausen shows one of the baits that could come into play at this week's U.S. Open. Photo by Joel Shangle

October 14, 2019 • Luke Clausen • Angler Columns

This week I’m in Las Vegas. No, I’m not here to hit the blackjack tables or to see a show. I’m not down here for a Vegas-style bachelor party like in The Hangover.

I’m here to fish the WON BASS U.S. Open on Lake Mead.

This is the biggest bass tournament in the West, and this year, over 250 boats are competing for a top prize of $100,000 plus a brand new boat. Included in the field are great local anglers, regional pros, and quite a few of my fellow Bass Pro Tour anglers.

Besides myself, Josh Bertrand, Ish Monroe, Aaron Martens, Mike McClelland, Jared Lintner, Ish Monroe, Brett Hite, John Murray, and Roy Hawk are in the field. The past winners include Bass Pro Tour anglers Gary Klein, Martens, Murray, and Hawk.

I’ve been traveling to this event for the past several years and have had some success, but I’m still trying to get the win. I hope I can add my name to that previous winner’s list after this week.

Fishing in the Desert

Las Vegas is not known for bass fishing, but Lake Mead is an excellent venue for a tournament of this caliber. There are plenty of largemouth and smallmouth here, but it’s not what I would consider a great fishing lake.

What I mean by that is that nobody is going to catch big limits of bass all three days of the tournament. It just doesn’t happen on Lake Mead. It’s a lake that can be very fickle at times, and I’ve seen it where someone has a great first day and then comes to the scales with one of two fish on the second day. You’re never out of it on Mead, and a good weight will carry you way up the standings.

That’s what makes fishing here in the desert so unique. There are stretches of dead water, and then you may find the active fish in one small area. For a lake that’s as giant as Lake Mead, it can fish small, and with over 250 boats, you’re going to see quite a few anglers in the same areas.

It’s also not uncommon to see bighorn sheep, coyotes, burros, and other wildlife while you’re fishing. It is pretty crazy to think that this is happening a short drive from the craziness of Las Vegas.

A Unique Format and Bonus Prize

Another thing that makes this tournament so unique is that pros are paired with a co-angler (they call them AAAs) who fish with you for a day. The format is a shared weight, so you work as a team that day and fish for your combined limit of bass.

This adds a new dynamic to tournament fishing, and you start to work together to get the biggest weight you can. It is a fun way to fish, and I’ve met some great AAA’s in my time fishing the U.S. Open.

My primary sponsor, Bridgford Foods, is heavily involved in this event, and the entire Bridgford Foods team is here. We’re made up of professional anglers from the Bass Pro Tour and the new FLW Pro Circuit. As a bonus, if someone catches the new Lake Mead record smallmouth during the event, Bridgford will pay them $50,000.

This tournament runs for three days, and is a real test of your fishing skills and mental strength. You can go hours without a bite, but one decent bite on Lake Mead can change your event in a hurry. The U.S. Open is a one-of-a-kind event, and I think every tournament angler should experience it once in their life.