It should come as no surprise, at least to me, that Stephen Browning has taken the lead. Browning calls himself a “grinder,” and to him that means grinding it out in the toughest of fishing conditions. The reason why is Browning honed his skills early on fishing under the tough conditions of the Arkansas River in his native state.
Dirty water, cold water and tough fishing are the conditions under which he learned his craft. Those conditions are currently in play on Grand Lake. Where Browning is fishing is unknown, however there is plenty of river-type water that suits his grind-it-out style of fishing.
Here’s another consideration. Since February’s break in the Elite Series, Browning has been competing. And winning. He won the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Central Open held last month on Ross Barnett Reservoir in Mississippi. And guess how he won that? By grinding out daily limits, coming from fifth place, to win the tournament using a bladed jig to catch prespawn largemouth.
Browning also competed last week not far from here, at the Central Open held on the Arkansas River near Muskogee. The point is that whatever he learned there could be a factor in his early success today. Either way, Browning has been in game mode since February, certainly a plus when you stay well tuned all the time.