Rain, clouds and wind set the stage for Day 1 of competition in the Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Southwestern Division event on Lake Texoma – which is presented by Abu Garcia and hosted by Discover Durant. With much of the chatter around this tournament hinting at a tough bite, so far today it seems like things are going as expected.
Our on-the-water team saw plenty of pros covering water early with crankbaits, vibrating jigs and jerkbaits in hand with little success. Though, the majority of them also report that the afternoon bite has been the best window for success.
The only angler we’ve come across that has a limit in the boat by noon was Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit pro Evan Barnes, who is sitting on a 16-pound limit. He and Strike King co-angler Billy Sammons were catching fish (mostly smallmouth) with ease when our crew rolled up on them. While 16 pounds isn’t close to what Texoma is capable of, if things are as tough as they appear then Barnes will be sitting nicely on the leaderboard.
As the clock rolled closer to noon, more anglers were spotted throwing an umbrella rig, which isn’t a shock considering the water temperature across a good portion of the lake is still in the low 50s. If there’s a tool to bust a big bag on Texoma right now, an A-rig just might be it.
The good news is that the rain has let up and the sun has popped out, which should make both the anglers and bass happy. If the afternoon is when things start happening for the anglers, then the sun should definitely help things.
Here’s a look at our reports from Day 1:
Jason Conn – one keeper
Tommy Murray – one keeper
Chance Woodard – one keeper
Keith Combs – four “little” keepers early
Rodney Richards – two keepers
Jordan Collom – two keepers
Jake Ormond – one keeper
Hank Harrison – one keeper
Warren Kepke – one keeper
Rick Harris – two keepers
Trea Luedke – two keepers
Marco Vaca – three keepers (one is a 3-pounder)
Scout Echols – one keeper
There’s still plenty of fishing left, and the afternoon should be when plenty of anglers get right. Tune in to the weigh-in at 3:30 p.m. CT to see who sets the pace on Texoma.