Day One: An Elite angler’s analysis

A drawdown at Lake Wylie kept weights down on Day One of the Bassmaster American, but a local pro said to expect a better day Friday.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A drawdown at Lake Wylie kept weights down on Day One of the Bassmaster American, but a local pro said to expect a better day Friday.

 Bassmaster.com asked rookie Elite angler Britt Myers to assess the second Major of the season on his home lake.

 "I think they pulled the water a ton yesterday, that's why so many guys had a great practice yesterday," Myers said. "Today, even the guys close to the river couldn't feel it. They didn't pull any water. That was the key. I think they'll definitely pull water tomorrow. They usually don't go two days in a row without pulling any water."

 That will heat the fishing back up, he said. With water levels drawn down 6 to 8 inches, Myers said the bass pulled away from shoreline cover and made weights Thursday lower than he anticipated. He thinks it will now take 24 pounds to make the cut to Saturday's top 12.

 "There's a lot of 9-, 10-pound bags," he said. "Typically, that lake can produce a lot better fish than that. It makes it tough, but it makes it interesting. If they pull tomorrow, some of the guys in the river will catch them. And the structure fishermen will catch them, but the guys fishing schools will struggle."

 Myers said Thursday's poor day should not make an angler who did well in practice change his pattern.

 "I think you stick with what you did, because today was a very off day," he said. "Tomorrow you can go to those same exact places and you might catch 15, 18 pounds. They'll be somebody down there in the 30th range who jumps up there and makes the cut."If that's Jason Quinn, Myers said to watch out. Quinn is 32nd with 9-02, but he's on his home lake.

 "He could very well come in with an 18-, 20-pound bag tomorrow doing the same thing he did today," Myers said. "And it wouldn't surprise me. He knows where they live. He's fishing schools and if he starts getting the bite, it can get ugly quick."Dean Rojas, 38th with 7-12, is also one who could jump up and make the cut, Myers said."He didn't have a big bag today, but he's fishing up in the river," Myers said.Every angler walking across the stage said the key is getting that one big bite. Missing it could mean missing the top 12, Myers said."There'll be a lot of guys at 11 pounds who may come in with 8 tomorrow because they didn't get that bite," he said. "They live deep and they live shallow here. The key is to get as many bites as you can, that way you can cull through them and get your limit."