Behind the scenes

Jeff Kriet uses his boat’s bilge pump to add water to his bag before heading to the scales.

Anglers line up along the bank of Muskogee’s Three Forks Harbor to begin bagging their bass for the weigh-in.

Central Open anglers stand at the tanks waiting to go on stage Thursday in Muskogee.

Eighty-degree weather and sunshine attracted a crowd for the Day One weigh-in at Three Forks Harbor.

Day One leader Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., pulls one of his five-bass limit from his livewell.

Tommy Biffle and Janet Parker discuss their competition days on the Arkansas River, which left them holding the top two spots in the standings.

Clark Reehm, formerly of Russellville, Ark., now of Lufkin, Texas, displays his best fish among four that weighed 8-4 and left him in 32nd place after Day One.

Four-time Bassmaster Classic champion Rick Clunn had a five-bass limit that weighed 12-11 and put him in sixth place.

Dewayne French is in third place after Day One with a five-bass limit that weighed 14-13.

The first flight hits the shores of Three Forks Harbor Thursday and prepares to go to the scales.

It’s a bit of an uphill climb from the Arkansas River waters of Three Forks Harbor to the weigh-in scales, but that’s a small inconvenience in a superb facility.

Day One leader Tommy Biffle’s catch of 18-12 goes through the inspection process at the scales.

Central Open anglers are lined up at the holding tanks waiting to go on stage for the weigh-in.

An angler checks out his pairing to Friday on the B.A.S.S. information board.

Although it wasn’t hot Thursday, a pair of anglers chose to get wet in bagging their catch for the weigh-in.

Janet Parker of Little Elm, Texas, displays one of the bass that helped her take second place on Day One with a total of 15-2.

Jeff Kriet pulls a bass from his livewell in preparation for the weigh-in. Kriet was one fish short of a limit Thursday and stands in 35^th place with 8-4.

Jeff Kriet wrote his flight’s check-in time on his hand near his watch, just to make sure there would be no confusion in the heat of battle.

Michael Randolph caught only three bass Thursday, but they weighed 7-2 and put him in 52nd place.