HOUSTON, Texas — After Day 1 at the 2016 Bassmaster Classic on Grand Lake, Edwin Evers was in 13th place – 7 pounds, 2 ounces out of first place. So Evers was feeling somewhat comfortable being in 13th place after Day 1 this year, and only 5 pounds out of first.
However, neither Evers, nor leader Brent Ehrler, or anyone else is particularly cozy where they are after the first day of the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
“It’s a time of year when there’s a little bit of everything going on,” Evers said. “Lake Conroe never got very cold this year. When that happens, fish just trickle up to spawn – during the new moon in January, during the full moon in February. So you don’t have a lot of fish anywhere.
“That’s why you’re going to see a lot of flip-flopping in the standings. It’s just a one fish here, one fish there type of deal.”
You’ve got anglers concentrating on spawning fish, like Ish Monroe, who’s in 11th place with 19-4 and anxious to get started on Day 2.
“I think the biggest wave is showing up right now,” Monroe said. “I went to areas today where there were no beds (Wednesday), and there were beds everywhere. I’m excited.”
And you’ve got guys like Clifford Pirch, who is in fifth place with 20-11 and caught bass in all three phases.
“I have three things going,” he said. “They’re each targeting different depths and a different style of fishing. I had a couple of pre-spawn fish. I had a couple of spawning fish, and I had probably a little heavier percentage of post-spawn fish.”
Throw in the fact that some prime areas were practically unfishable Friday because of the wind, and you’ve got a formula for an unpredictable Day 2. It’s kind of like the NCAA basketball tournament where the theme is survive and advance.
Probably half the 52-man field survived on Day 1, maybe more. Jason Christie said at media day Thursday, “The good thing about this place is after the first day, if you’ve only got 12 pounds, you’re not out of it.”
Christie did better than that with 15-3, which put him in 22nd place. If you strictly apply Christie’s 12-pound remark, that would extend all the way down to Bill Lowen, who is in 30th place with 12-3.
Everyone knew going in what one big bite could do in this tournament. Brent Ehrler demonstrated it with his big bass of the day weighing 9-12 that anchored his first-place total of 23-3.
There were seven 20-pound bags caught Friday, and James Elam did it with only four fish. You can do that at Lake Conroe, when you’ve got a 7-11 and a 7-4 like Elam had.
“The weights should go up Saturday,” Evers said. “You’re going to be able to fish better, if the wind lays, and it will open up a lot more of the lake. But none of us are getting a lot of bites. I could easily be one of those guys that has 12 pounds tomorrow.”
The only thing that would be surprising about this Classic at Lake Conroe is if one angler puts together three-straight 20-pound bags and runs away with the tournament. More likely is daily flip-flopping in the standings, which were predicted before the tournament and appear even more likely after Day 1.