Lee leads at Havasu

Limits limited by tight-lipped bass

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – It didn’t take much weight, but it took all the effort in the world for Robert Lee to gain the day-one pro lead in the Stren Series Western Division season opener on Lake Havasu.

Lee, a well-heeled pro out of Angels Camp, Calif., caught a limit weighing 14 pounds, 12 ounces and established a decisive 1-pound, 4-ounce lead over second-place Matt Newman. It was decisive because just nine anglers caught five-bass limits Wednesday, which kept weights down significantly and the leaderboard very tight.

Weather conditions were sunny, warm and dead-calm Wednesday on Lake Havasu, which made for a pleasant day on the water. However, it’s still early in the spring season and the water’s still cool, and the bass just haven’t quite moved up into prime fishing position yet. Lots of pros came in with a bass or two, but limits were an extremely tall order.

Lee reported having a “terrible practice,” but managed to find an area holding smallmouths during the last two days before competition. Today he hit the area first thing and had little success early, but then he said he “figured something out.”

“Once I figured it out, I had seven bites in about four or five hours, and they were good ones,” he said. “Basically, it’s just what the fish were holding on, which is a certain type of structure. The real key is where you threw your bait.”

Given the demanding fishing, it’s no surprise that most anglers were just as tight-lipped as the fish regarding their successful techniques. Lee said he caught his limit – all smallies – on reaction baits and plastics, but specified that he had more success with crankbaits and a Gitzit.

“I’ve never really caught (smallmouths) here before, so I didn’t know if they could be caught like that,” he said. “But I’ve caught them like that in Michigan, so why not?”

Tomorrow, Lee hopes the wind picks up because he says it will only help out his smallmouth pattern.

“I want it windy; I’m hoping it blows 20 mph,” he said. “It’s too nice for smallmouth, and that’s what I like to fish.”

Newman holds tight for second

Where a lot of anglers reported running-and-gunning in search of an elusive bite, Newman said he stayed on one spot most of the day to catch his second-place, 13-pound, 8-ounce limit.

“It’s a big area. I just found a sweet spot right on it,” said Newman, who caught one smallmouth and four largemouths on both finesse and reaction baits. “It’s pretty clear water where I’m fishing. There are quite a few boats there, but no one else caught one.”

The pro from Agoura Hills, Calif., also reported having a disappointing practice session and was surprised by his performance in competition Wednesday.

“I prefished for quite a while, and I never had a quarter of the weight I had today,” he said. “I never would have guessed it. After my first fish, I was like, `All right. That’s all I need.'”

Walker third

Jimmy Walker of Alpine, Calif., grabbed the third pro spot in tight position behind Newman with a five-bass weight of 13 pounds, 6 ounces.

“I had one spot that was pretty good. I just hope I didn’t wear it out,” he said.

Walker said he threw hard baits early, then switched to jigs and worms as the day wore on.

“Every place we went, it seemed like we caught one here and one there, but I didn’t catch anything after noon,” he said. “It’s very tough fishing, but if you just keep throwing at stuff, eventually you’ll catch some fish.”

Walker also pointed out that warmer temperatures could spur the bite as the week unfolds.

“When I got here, the water was, like 47 degrees,” he said. “Now, I’m seeing 55 and 56 degrees, so things should start happening.”

Trusso hooks big bass, lands fourth

Pro Brian Trusso of Covina, Calif., caught a 4-pound, 4-ounce kicker largemouth that won a share of the day’s Snickers Big Bass award, worth $375. The fish anchored a three-bass stringer that gave him fourth place with a weight of 11-1.

“Let’s put it this way: I’ve been fishing pro since 1983 and I’ve had many shots where I’ve been close to cashing a check but haven’t been able to do it no matter how hard I tried,” he said. “Today, I had no expectations going into the day and then I basically have the best day I’ve ever had.”

Trusso said he caught his fish on reaction baits in a spawning area next to deep water.

Coleman comes unstuck for fifth

Pro Aaron Coleman of Oakland, Calif., took the fifth position with a five-bass weight of 11 pounds even, and he did it under even more adverse circumstances than most Wednesday.

Coleman got his boat stuck on a sandbar among some tules early in the morning and had to wait three hours for help to arrive. After the tournament crew arrived to provide aid, he went out caught his limit.

“It was a superior test of faith,” Coleman said. “I could have lost my head and came in with nothing, but I kept it together and somehow managed to scratch out a limit.”

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top 10 pros after day one at Lake Havasu:

6th: Brent Lyon of Reno, Nev., four bass, 10-9

7th: Jason Borofka of Salinas, Calif., four bass, 10-7

8th: Wayne Crowder of Orem, Utah, five bass, 10-2

9th: Mark Meddock of West Sacramento, Calif., four bass, 10-1

10th: David Kromm of Kennewick, Wash., five bass, 9-13

Gary Key of Phoenix shared the Snickers Big Bass award and earned $375 for his fish weighing 4 pounds, 4 ounces.

Iloski tops co-anglers

Mike Iloski of Escondido, Calif., leads the Co-angler Division with four bass weighing 8 pounds, 9 ounces.

Second place went to co-angler Randy Bruno of Huntington Beach, Calif., for three bass weighing 8 pounds, 7 ounces.

John Rickicke of Phoenix grabbed the third co-angler slot with four bass weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces.

Travis Jarvis of Caldwell, Idaho, and Bill Tyger of Buckeye, Ariz., rounded out the top five co-anglers. Jarvis caught three bass weighing 7 pounds, 4 ounces and Tyger landed three weighing 7-2.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers:

6th: Josh Moreno of Hemet, Calif., three bass 6-6

7th: Terrence Rath of Lake Havasu City, four bass, 6-0

8th: Cody Meyer of Grass Valley, Calif., three bass, 5-14

9th: Jim Wickham of Morristown, Ariz., two bass, 5-13

10th: John Madden of Brentwood, Calif., one bass, 5-12

Madden also earned the day’s Snickers Big Bass award on the co-angler side, worth $250.

Day two of Western Division competition at Lake Havasu begins as the full field of 200 boats takes off from Lake Havasu State Park at 7:30 a.m. Mountain time Thursday for the second half of the opening round. Following tomorrow’s action, both fields will be cut to the top 20 anglers apiece based on two-day total weight.