Apperson Ahead on Fort Gibson
Oklahoma pro cracks 19 pounds to take the lead on day one (updated)
Charlie Apperson, of Jay, Okla., embraced two of the early predictions — one positive; the other, not so much — to sack up 19 pounds and lead day one of the Costa FLW Series presented by Lowrance on Fort Gibson Lake.
Many expected an early topwater bite to offer anglers the chance to put some weight in the livewell within the first hour. Apperson found this to be true.
He also found truth in the prediction that the day would get tougher as it unfolded. The cold front that arrived before the tournament left high, bright skies and windy conditions in its wake.
This, coupled with the fact that the summer-fall transition has the fish mostly scattered, presented anglers with daunting conditions that had a lot of competitors scratching their heads.
“I caught two of my biggest fish on topwaters (a buzzbait and a Heddon Zara Spook) early and then it was just a grind after that,” Apperson says. “I caught two on a Gene Larew Biffle Hardhead with a Biffle Bug and one on a Senko.
“I had seven keepers today. I think the key was getting that early morning bite. I’ll be in an early flight tomorrow, so it might be a little different.”
Apperson says he scored his early topwater bites by targeting fish that were chasing shad around rocky shorelines.
One of the story lines playing out this week is declining lake level. Fort Gibson was right around normal pool at the start of day one, but that’s down about a foot from earlier in the week.
This drop took a lot of shoreline cover out of play and Apperson had to adjust for this change.
Although he found fish in the Grand River during practice, Apperson elected to forego those options and remain in the lake. He remained in one general area not far from the launch site at Taylor Ferry.
“It was pretty much one an hour,” says Apperson. “It seems like if you got it in front of one, he’d eat it.”
Top 10 pros
1. Charlie Apperson – Jay, Okla. – 19-0 (5)
2. Brett Brumnett – Wagoner, Okla. – 17-15 (5)
3. Zack Birge – Blanchard, Okla. – 17-8 (5)
4. Derek Fulps – Broken Arrow, Okla. – 17-7 (5)
5. Shonn Goodwin – Moore, Okla. – 16-12 (5)
6. T.R. Andreas – Kerrville, Texas – 16-8 (5)
7. Earl Hoskins – Burns Flat, Okla. – 16-8 (5)
8. Bradley Hallman – Norman, Okla. – 15-3 (5)
9. Tommy Biffle – Wagoner, Okla. – 15-0 (5)
10. Jeff Sprague – Point, Texas – 14-15 (5)
Phillips’ diligence delivers co-angler lead
Despite a day of inconsistency, Branson Phillips kept his head in the game, caught a limit that weighed 13-8 and grabbed the day-one lead in the co-angler division. Relying on one jig all day, he says his patient presentations made the difference.
“It was just fishing slow and ‘finessey’ out of the back of the boat,” Phillips says. “The bites were really random; there was really no reason why. My boater didn’t catch them; I just happened to throw in front of the fish at the right time.
“I broke off a big one early that might hurt me in the long run. But I just stayed after it and kept a positive mental attitude. It was just a fish here and a fish there.”
Phillips opted to withhold his jig color and trailer details, but notes that a slow, dragging presentation was essential to his success.
Top 10 co-anglers
1. Branson Phillips – Broken Arrow, Okla. – 13-8 (5)
2. Tate Brumnett – Wagoner, Okla. – 12-8 (4)
3. Luke Frazier – Skiatook, Okla. – 12-2 (4)
4. Steve Baskins – Owasso, Okla. – 12-2 (5)
4. Richmond Robinson Jr. – Carter, Okla. – 12-2 (5)
6. Jonathan Wegrzyn – Aurora, Mo. – 10-4 (5)
7. Brett Rachal – Monroe, La. – 9-11 (4)
8. Michael Allbright – Athens, Texas – 8-14 (3)
9. Jerry Corbett – Chouteau, Okla. – 8-11 (4)
10. Scott Pickett – Chandler, Texas – 8-10 (4)
Tournament Details
Format: All 112 boaters and co-anglers will compete for two days. The top 10 boaters and co-anglers based on cumulative weight after two days of competition will advance to the third and final round, with the winner determined by the heaviest cumulative three-day weight.
Takeoff Time: 7:30 a.m. CT
Takeoff Location: Taylor's Ferry North, Dock Road, Wagoner, OK 74467
Weigh-In Time: Days one and two at 3:30 p.m. CT, 4:30 p.m. CT on day three
Weigh-In Location: Days one and two at Taylor's Ferry North, Dock Road, Wagoner OK 74467, day three at Walmart, 410 S. Dewey Ave., Wagoner, OK 74467