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Livesay lands ’em at Ross Barnett

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Photography by
Andy Crawford
Bassmaster Elite Series pro Lee Livesay weighed in 25-12 on day one of the St. Croix Bassmaster Central Open presneted by Mossy Oak Fishing. That put him 13 ounces out of the lead, so we were waiting for him when he arrived at the huge flat on which he caught his fish yesterday.
Livesay poled down and started working the edge of a mixed grass flat composed of eel grass, lilies and hydrilla.
Fellow Bassmaster Elite Series pro Darold Gleason also eased into the flat, which was definitely not a secret. There were about 40 boats working a quarter-mile stretch of the flat.
Anglers bunched up in certain parts of the flat, seemingly gunnel to gunnel. Most poled down, so it wasn’t as big of a circus as one would expect.
Livesay would work the edge of the vegetation, and then make a cast or two into the salad with his Carolina rig.
Livesay’s first strike of the day came on the edge of the grass.
It wasn’t the 5-pounders he caught on Day 1, but it was a keeper that broke the ice.
Darold Gleason was anchored about 50 yards away from Livesay, fan-casting around his boat.
Another angler who was poled down on the other side of Livesay hooked up early.
He was soon swining a solid keeper into the boat.
Gleason soon was fighting his first bass to the boat, as well. As was Livesay, Gleason was dragging a Carolina rig.
Gleason was on the board with a 2-pounder.
Another competitor slid deep into the vegetation, a move that paid off for his co-angler.
Livesay made a cast into the vegetation and was soon wrestling another keeper to his boat.
The Elite pro showed the scent he was using on his Carolina-rigged plastic worm.
The bite wasn’t crazy fast, but every now and then someone on the flat hooked up. Here, Gleason’s go-angler pulls his first fish of the day to the boat.
Eel grass floated by after being chopped up by the trolling motors.
Another co-angler hooks up with a nice keeper bass about 60 yards from Livesay’s position.
There were hunters other than humans working the flat.
Some anglers decided to leave the crowd mid-morning. While most idled out of the stump-dotted flat, some anglers took a risk and hopped on plane.
After numerous unproductive casts, Livesay hooked up — again, after casting into the vegetation.

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