Webb Starts Strong with 26-15 on Sam Rayburn
BROOKELAND, Texas – Lately on Sam Rayburn you’d expect Derek Mundy to be setting the pace with 26 pounds, 7 ounces, but that was not the case on Day 1 of the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. event. Instead, Glen Webb of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, popped 26-15 and is in the lead at the opener of the Southwestern Division Presented by Outlaw Ordnance. With Mundy ounces behind him and the entire Top 10 with 18 pounds or better, Webb may have to keep up the pace – if he can, we might have a Texas-sized slugfest on our hands.
“Man, I sure hope so,” Webb said about the prospect of replicating his Day 1 success.
“I had a really good day yesterday practicing. I had pretty close to the same weight yesterday and I kind of let them be,” Webb said. “So, I am hoping maybe they’ll stay the night and stay there tomorrow.”
Webb believes there’s still plenty of opportunity for another big bag on Day 2, having taken his foot off the gas late in the day to ensure the spot had ample opportunity to reload.
“There was a pretty good while today where I kind of hung back and let my co-angler do his thing,” he said. “I’ve seen some really big fish coming up in there and moving up later, on in the day.”
Webb employed a methodical strategy to catch his Day 1 bag. After about a 15-minute run to his starting spot, Webb set up shop for the day, getting to work on his nearly 27 pound stringer with a steady bite.
“I caught all the fish that I weighed today probably within, I don’t know, maybe a 400-yard stretch. About 400 yards long and maybe 200 yards wide. I really caught them all day. I was just kind of gridding it back and forth using live sonar.”
When asked about the techniques utilized for his Day 1 success, Webb stated he caught several fish on a Carolina rig while his big bites were the product of an umbrella rig.
Even though Webb’s bite was relatively consistent throughout the day, he expressed the importance of favorable timing and conditions in his areas to trigger a larger bite.
“Middle of the day we got wind about, maybe 5 to 10 mph, and when that happened it really turned them on it seemed like,” Webb said. “I think right at 12 o ‘clock is right when I caught the biggest one.”
Top 10 Pros
1. Glen Webb – 26 – 15 (5)
2. Derek Mundy – 26 – 07 (5)
3. Jamey Cole – 22 – 11 (5)
4. Brian Schott – 21 – 04 (5)
5. Brett Cannon – 20 – 07 (5)
6. Aaron Johnson – 19 – 11 (5)
7. Jake Ormond – 18 – 13 (5)
7. Jack York – 18 – 13 (5)
9. Nick LeBrun – 18 – 04 (5)
10. Jim Moynagh – 17 – 14 (5)
Hardaway Tops a Tight Race for Strike King Co-Angler Lead
In just his second Toyota Series-level event, 17-year-old Brody Hardaway of Broken Bow, Oklahoma sits atop the leaderboard of the Strike King Co-Angler division after Day 1. His five-fish limit of 16-15 topped a trio of 16-pound bags huddled at the top of the leaderboard.
After an early day adjustment to a crankbait initiated by Hardaway’s partner, Longview, Texas pro Brian Schott, both anglers were able to capitalize to land in the Top 10 of their respective divisions. In fact, Schott is sitting in fourth place for the pro division with a 21-pound bag of his own.
The duo targeted both deep and shallow bass with their cranking approach, with Schott lending a hand, supplying Hardaway with the crankbait of choice and offering some pointers. Hardaway jumped on the opportunity to learn from a more experienced angler.
“I learned a lot today,” said Hardaway.
Top 10 Strike King Co-Anglers
1. Brody Hardaway – 16 – 15 (5)
2. Duane McDaniel – 16 – 05 (5)
3. Phillip Hudnall – 16 – 04 (5)
4. Zack Nick – 13 – 09 (5)
5. Levi Thibodaux – 13 – 04 (5)
6. Julien Raymond – 13 – 02 (5)
7. Charles Jones – 12 – 12 (5)
8. JJ Matzke – 12 – 00 (4)
9. Scott Parsons – 11 – 15 (5)
10. John Hatton – 11 – 14 (4)
10. Dustin Thomas – 11 – 14 (4)