Olson Out in Front at Clear Lake
Oregon pro weighs in 25 pounds on day one of Western Division event
Lane Olson’s morning began with a productive tone, but it was that rare instance of double lightning strikes that propelled him to a leading weight of 25 pounds on day one of the Costa FLW Series Western Division event, which is presented by Ranger Boats and hosted by Konocti Vista Casino Resort & Marina.
Fishing protected pockets in the south end of the lake, the Forest Grove, Ore., pro quickly put five keepers in the boat and then started methodically seeking upgrades. It’s said luck occurs when opportunity meets preparation, and Olson fulfilled his end of the deal.
“I had a limit by about 8, and I was just running around trying to catch 2 1/2- to 3-pounders,” Olson says. “I pulled into a pocket about 9 o’clock and caught a 6 1/2-pounder, and five minutes later, I retied, threw back out there and popped that 8-11.”
Notably, Olson’s second kicker is tied for big bass with a fish of the same weight caught by second-place Joe Uribe Jr., who trails the lead by 2-8.
Olson says he attributes his nearly back-to-back big-fish catches to location. The docks he fished were likely to see big bass coming and going.
“That was a major spawning cove,” Olson says. “I caught that first big one coming out, and that bigger one was coming in.”
Olson says he fished a mix of docks, rocky shoreline and some offshore spots. His game plan centered on a highly mobile strategy.
“I really ran around today; I burned almost a whole tank of fuel today,” he says. “I ran a lot of water and fished it really fast.
“The docks with the wooden posts have been the key. You can catch some on metal docks, but the bigger ones have been on wood. I’m really not sure why. They just seem to relate better to them.”
Olson kept the details of his bait selection confidential, but he says that finesse rigs caught all of the shoreline fish, while a soft plastic picked up one of his weigh fish over deep rocks.
A stormy weather system that passed through the area yesterday left residual rains and dropped air temperatures several degrees. Olson says he didn’t let the conditions rattle him.
“I really didn’t change anything,” he says. “I’ve been practicing since Saturday, and I’ve been doing the same thing all week. I didn’t even practice yesterday because I didn’t want the weather to mess with my head. I just went out today and went fishing.”
Top 10 pros
1. Lane Olson – Forest Grove, Ore. – 25-0 (5)
2. Joe Uribe Jr. – Surprise, Ariz. – 22-8 (5)
3. Travis Archer – Covington, Wash. – 21-2 (5)
4. Wayne Breazeale – Kelseyville, Calif. – 20-14 (5)
5. Justin Kerr – Simi Valley, Calif. – 19-11 (5)
6. Jordan Collom – Temecula, Calif. – 19-10 (5)
7. Bryant Smith – Roseville, Calif. – 19-9 (5)
8. David Valdivia – Norwalk, Calif. – 19-3 (5)
8. Jeff Michels – Lakehead, Calif. – 19-3 (5)
10. Cory Hoopes – Malad, Ida. – 18-15 (5)
Parks leads all co-anglers
Jesse Parks of Avondale, Ariz., leads the co-angler field after catching a limit worth 17 pounds, 13 ounces on day one. Hanging on to the first-place spot will be a challenge, however, as five other anglers all are within a pound of Parks going into Friday's second round.
Editor's note: It was originally reported that Tara Borofka was the leading co-angler after Thursday's weigh-in. Borofka's unofficial weight was 18 pounds, 4 ounces. However, she was later penalized for bringing six fish to weigh-in, and her weight was docked by 2 pounds. Jesse Parks is the official co-angler leader. Borofka is in sixth. The change in standings was not made until sometime Friday. We apologize for the mistake.
Top 10 co-anglers
1. Jesse Parks – Avondale, Ariz. – 17-13 (5)
2. Logan Huntze – Discovery Bay, Calif. – 17-6 (5)
3. Joe Bolen – Durham, Calif. – 17-1 (5)
4. Jack Farage – Discovery Bay, Calif. – 17-0 (5)
5. Cody Steckel – Las Vegas, Nev. – 16-12 (5)
6. Tara Borofka – Salinas, Calif. – 16-4 (5)
7. Travis Williams – Bethel Island, Calif. – 16-1 (5)
8. Bryan Lutz – Clearlake Oaks, Calif. – 15-13 (5)
9. Andrew Wallar – Lakeport, Calif. – 15-11 (5)
10. Doug Hutchison – Santa Rosa, Calif. – 15-10 (5)
10. Michael Walsh – El Cajon, Calif. – 15-10 (5)