2009 Central Opens: Sam Rayburn Day One on the water

Co-angler Gary Robichaeux works the topwater bite to success early on Day One.

Gary Robichaeux immediately hooks up on another fish but is unable to get it to the boat.

Thomas Loving adjusts his electronics as he and his co-angler John Fain work heavy mats of grass on a large flat.

Pro Keith Caka and Duane Hill work hard to get their limits. The co-angler limit for this tournament is three fish as the pros remain with the usual five.

An alligator takes a nap on a grass mat as anglers fish around him.

Bassmaster Elite pro Yusuke Miyasake employs the same tactics as many of the other anglers, targeting bass in the grass.

Miyasake uses his skill to make long casts and retrieves as he protects an area that produced bass earlier in the morning.

Bassmater Elite Series pro Jimmy Mize hooks into a fish that tries to bury him in the grass mats.

With a 14-inch minimum length limit on Sam Rayburn, many of the bass caught are immediately released.

Pro Zachary King concentrates on a grass flat near a ledge in the upper part of the lake.

Pro Brent Brussard looks over a large area of matted grass, consistently targeting certain areas with a light touch.

Brussard's persistence pays off as he is able to boat a keeper only a few casts later.

Pro Tony Cachere makes a long cast to an area where bass were schooling, but is unable to hook up.

Pro Kris Wilson and his co-angler David Reed II were the last boat out today, but said they valued the extra time and thought it would help their bite.

Pro Lance Vick works a large flat which produced fish for him earlier in the day.

Later in the morning many boats were making moves from the shallow grass flats down the lake toward humps and other structure, looking for heavier bass.

Pro Chris Burnham pays close attention to his electronics as his co-angler Kirk Boyd makes casts into shallower water.

Pro Ed Whaley and his co-angler Zack Keithley work around structure near a drop-off.

Pro Derek Allen works a bait erratically as his co-angler concentrates on a deeper ledge. As the sun got higher, many of the anglers left the grass to try other structure.