St. Johns: Day One on the water

Elite Series pro Keith Combs stops his boat to set up on a fish on Day One of the 2012 St. Johns River Showdown.

After setting up, Combs makes a pitch to a fish on a bed. 

Steve Kennedy and Todd Faircloth started their day fishing on a large flat. 

Kennedy was covering water, but would slow down as he was able to sight fish.

Kennedy and Faircloth were sharing an area, but keeping a reasonable distance from one another. 

Faircloth pulls a keeper from the grass. 

Faircloth swings the fish safely aboard. 

Faircloth moves to the back of the boat to place the fish in the livewell. 

Faircloth places his two smallest fish on a culling beam. 

Faircloth makes his culling decision and throws back his smallest bass. 

Kevin Short makes a cast on Day One of the St. Johns River Showdown. 

Andy Montgomery relaxes with his rod on his shoulder, as he looks for bedding fish. 

Montgomery was sharing water with several anglers, including Alton Jones. 

Ott DeFoe points out a fish on a bed to his roommate, Andy Montgomery. For several minutes, DeFoe had tried to catch the small keeper but failed. 

Alton Jones boats his second keeper fish of the day. 

Jones lowers his profile and sets up on another fish on a bed. 

Ott DeFoe shields his eyes from the glare of the sun, as he scouts bedding fish. 

DeFoe spots a fish on a bed and uses a push pole to quietly move the boat backward. 

Andy Montgomery successfully catches the bass that had eluded DeFoe. 

Chad Griffin tries to get a better view of a fish on a bed. 

Griffin decides to give the fish a try and makes a pitch into the bed. 

Griffin was quickly rewarded with a keeper fish. 

While Griffin was boating his fish, Ott Defoe was putting another keeper in the boat. 

Griffin had an early limit and was culling. 

Five boats were sharing water in this area of Lake George.