Day One on the water

Bill Lowen leaves the launch area and speeds alongside the Little Rock skyline. 

Chad Griffin had an early boat number and was one of the first boats to reach Murray Lock and Dam on the Arkansas River. 

Travis Manson said he broke off two crankbaits before he entered the lock. 

The lock at the Murray Dam begins to open as several boats wait to make their move up river. 

Joggers could look down from the Big Dam Bridge and view the Elite Series anglers that chose to lock up into the next pool above Little Rock. 

The flotilla of boats that had waited in the lock idle from Murray Dam. 

After reaching the main river channel, there was a flurry of water and horsepower as anglers took their hole shots. 

Jami Fralick started the morning fishing a long stretch of willow weeds along the main river. 

Bill Lowen fights a small spotted bass to the boat. 

Lowen said he had caught several quality spotted bass in practice. 

This was Lowen’s third keeper of the morning. 

Bobby Lane fishes near a large tree that was deposited on a rock jetty from earlier flooding on the Arkansas River. 

Edwin Evers speeds north on the Arkansas River. 

Arkansas native Greg Hackney has extensive experience fishing the Arkansas River. 

Edwin Evers was fishing just below Murray Lock and Dam early on Day One. 

Evers rod bows from the weight of something heavy on the other end. 

Evers gives a mighty tug and feels the disappointment of a large drum coming to the surface. 

Evers’ crankbait comes flying from the drums mouth. 

Ott Defoe fishes near the dam before entering the lock. 

Pete Ponds fishes near Murray Lock and Dam as his Marshal, Chris Mask looks on. 

Ott Defoe was the only angler in the field that chose to fish from an aluminum boat. 

Anglers begin to file into the lock. 

Skeet Reese was one of the last boats in the lock. 

Zell Rowland holds a rope as the water level in the lock begins to rise. 

The lockmaster takes a quick survey of the boats in the lock before releasing any water. 

Several anglers tied off to one another’s boats in the lock. 

Travis Manson ties off his boat as the water begins to rise in the lock. 

With the water level in the lock now matching the upper pool, the gates are swung open. 

John Crews stopped just a couple miles from the lock and began his day of fishing. 

A spectator watches Crews fish from the back porch of his home along the Arkansas River. 

Jami Fralick fishes in view of an Arkansas landmark, Pinnacle Mountain. 

Bill Lowen was fishing rocks and had to stop several times to re-tie. 

Campers stayed in the shade to watch Bill Lowen fish on a hot Arkansas day. 

Bobby Lane runs a crankbait along the edge of a rock jetty. 

Dave Smith makes a cast at the mouth of Palarm Creek. 

Zell Rowland was running from jetty to jetty on the main river channel. 

Rowland makes another cast at the end of a jetty. 

Casey Ashley said he was struggling to get a keeper bite, and only had one small fish.