Johnson grabs Lake Mead lead

Amidst blustery conditions, California native grabs top spot at FLW Series Western Division event with day’s only 16-pound catch

LAS VEGAS – Although the winds blew hard starting in the early afternoon hours, reaching gusts upwards of 25 mph, the rough conditions certainly didn’t affect Kevin Johnson of Valencia, Calif., one bit. Recording a total catch of 16 pounds, 4 ounces, Johnson finished the day in first place, 8 ounces ahead of his nearest competitor.

While the overall weights were surprisingly large (relatively speaking) given the conditions and historical Lake Mead catch records, Johnson said he wasn’t surprised at all by his own weight totals.

“Yeah, it was a very good day for me,” said Johnson. “But I was here three weeks ago and weighed in 17 pounds in a team tournament. I knew that those same fish were going to be gone or I was really going to catch them today. If I came back with less than 12 pounds this afternoon, I was going to be disappointed.”

Unlike many of the pros, Johnson caught largemouth bass exclusively.

“They’re all largemouth bass and they’re all big,” said Johnson of his catch. “I caught nothing less than 2 1/2 pounds all day. I’m pretty pleased.”

Although Johnson didn’t want to reveal too much about his prime fishing location, he did let on that he doesn’t have a lot of company.

“I’m basically fishing a small bay and there was only one boat in my area all day,” said Johnson. “I caught my fifth fish at 10:30 a.m., left the area and did some sight-fishing the rest of the day. But I think I learned something after catching my third keeper. That third fish gave me a good clue as to how the fish are positioning themselves.”

Johnson said he targeted largemouth bass using a variety of reaction baits while staying constantly on the move.

“I’m covering a lot of water,” he said. “I had my trolling motor on high all day.”

Unlike some competitors, Johnson said that the windy conditions didn’t really bother him.

“It was definitely breezy from the get-go,” said Johnson. “But even if it blows really hard, I can still get to my spot.”

So what’s so unique about that spot?

“I really think the fish are replenishing themselves in that area,” he said. “And if that’s the case, if that spot holds up, I really like my chances. If I wind up having that area to myself all tournament, I think I’ll be in pretty good shape.”

Yamamoto claims second place overall

While Derek Yamamoto occasionally has trouble getting out from under the shadow of his famous father – bass-fishing icon and expert fishing lure manufacturer Gary Yamamoto – today’s tournament left little doubt that the younger Yamamoto is one heck of a fisherman as well.

Using a total catch of 15 pounds, 12 ounces, Yamamoto remained within striking distance of first-place after turning in one of the better performances of his career.

“The lake has just been amazing the past couple of months,” said Yamamoto. “It was good fun out there today. But that said, the lake was still a little finicky. I didn’t catch fish exactly as I though I would today and wound up doing a little more sight-fishing than I had planned. But it turned out okay, I guess. I’m happy.”

Yamamoto, who currently hails from Boulder City, Nev., said that he really mixed it up today, throwing at least six different baits.

“I was mostly fishing shallow,” he said. “And I wound up catching fish on a little bit of everything. Like I said, it didn’t go exactly as I had planned.”

In the end, it didn’t matter much whether or not the day went exactly as planned as Yamamoto now finds himself in second place overall and gunning for a tournament title.

“I think my goal tomorrow is to run around and find a few more spots to stay competitive,” said Yamamoto.

Klinger right in the mix as expected

Heading into the tournament, most would have predicted that Tim Klinger of Boulder City, Nev., would have a strong say in the final outcome of the Lake Mead event. And not surprisingly, Klinger did nothing today to change that perception.

Bolstered by a total catch of 14 pounds, 9 ounces, Klinger remains in strong contention for a title.

“I had a pretty good day,” said Klinger. “I have a lot of good spots and I’m doing a lot of sight-fishing. I’m basically moving as fast as I can.”

Klinger said he’s using a combination of jigs, tubes and drop-shots while relying primarily on sight-fishing techniques to land the majority of his catch.

“Like I said, I have a lot of spots – too many you could say. Although on this lake, you can never really have too many,” said Klinger. “The key is just making the right decisions, knowing exactly where to go and where not to go.”

Woods makes top-five appearance

On the strength of a 14-pound, 1-ounce catch, Todd Woods of Murrieta, Calif., finished the day in fourth place.

“I’m just having a great time,” said Woods. “I caught my limit by about 9 a.m. The good thing is that the wind really doesn’t bother me. I’m catching them if the wind blows from the north, if it blows from the south or is really calm. We really caught a lot of fish today. It was just one of those days.”

Like Klinger, Woods said he’s moving around quite a bit as well.

“I probably have about 40 spots and I only fished seven of them today,” said Woods. “Basically, I’ll run around, drop my trolling motor, make about seven casts and if I don’t get a bite, I’ll move on. And I’m going to do a lot more moving around tomorrow as well.”

Woods said that he’s targeting smallmouth bass on rock flats and largemouth bass on deeper rock with predominant shade cover.

“To win this tournament, I really think you’re going to need a mixed bag,” he said.

Best of the rest

Cameron Smith of Dana Point, Calif., rounded out the top-five pro competitors after recording a total catch of 13 pounds, 11 ounces.

Cowley nails down top spot in Co-angler Division

Duaine Cowley of Boulder City, Nev., took over the top spot in the tournament after compiling a healthy 11-pound, 4-ounce stringer in today’s Lake Mead competition. And he couldn’t have been happier.

“It feels great considering how I did last year,” said Cowley. “But it’s going to take three days in a row of (this weight) to win this.”

Cowley said that he used a combination of drop-shots, Senkos and jigs to land the majority of his catch – which, like many anglers, was a mixed bag of both smallmouth and largemouth bass.

“The key for me was targeting the shady side of boulders in about 4 to 18 feet of water,” said Cowley of today’s strategy.

And going forward?

“I live here in Boulder so as long as my pros stay in water that I know, I think I can do well.”

Best of the rest

Jesse Forthun of La Mesa, Calif., finished the day in second place after recording a total catch of 11 pounds, 2 ounces.

Third place belonged to Devin McDonald of Las Vegas, Nev., who turned in a catch of 10 pounds, 15 ounces.

Roy Desmangles, Jr., of Lincoln, Calif., finished in fourth place with a total catch of 10 pounds, 14 ounces while Ken Streeby of Jackson, Calif., rounded out the top-five with a catch of 10 pounds, 5 ounces.

FLW Series action continues at Thursday’s takeoff, scheduled to take place at 7 a.m. Pacific time at Callville Bay-Forever Resorts Marina, located at the Lake Mead Recreational Area in Las Vegas, Nev.