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Bobby Lane swings his first fish in the boat on Day One of the Sunshine Showdown.
Photo: James Overstreet
The fish was a welcome surprise for Lane, who suffered motor issues and was waiting on the service crew to get him going.
Photo: James Overstreet
Randy Howell perches atop the trolling motor bracket, trying to get a better look at a bedding bass.
Photo: James Overstreet
The rainy conditions weren't perfect for sight-fishing, but Howell stayed locked on a "8-pounder" that he could see on the bed.
Photo: James Overstreet
Dennis Tietje unhooks a male bass he caught from a bed early on Day One.
Photo: James Overstreet
Tietje casts repeatedly to a spawning bed, trying to get a bass to bite.
Photo: James Overstreet
Randy Howell tries to figure out how to unhook a gator that bit his jig.
Photo: James Overstreet
Randy Howell looks up after the gator gives a little snap and makes him jerk back.
Photo: James Overstreet
The gator, only about 3-feet long, gives a mighty splash.
Photo: James Overstreet
Howell finally is able to get his hands on the gator.
Photo: James Overstreet
Howell holds up the small gator before he releases it.
Photo: James Overstreet
Dennis Tietje reels down to an empty hook after a bedding bass swiped his plastic worm.
Photo: James Overstreet
Dennis Tietje shields his eyes, trying to get a better look at a bed beneath him.
Photo: James Overstreet
Pete Ponds works on a bedding bass, while Tietje works one in the background. Small ponds where fish are bedding were also full of Elite anglers.
Photo: James Overstreet
A hen wood duck watches the fishing from atop her box.
Photo: James Overstreet
Jared Lintner's Marshal proves there's about as much excitement to watching a sight-fisherman as there is watching paint dry.
Photo: James Overstreet
Shaw Grigsby, a noted sight-fisherman, casts to a bed in the back of a pond.
Photo: James Overstreet
All the ponds were crowded, like this one with Pat Golden and Grant Goldbeck fishing within a cast of each other.
Photo: James Overstreet
Pat Golden switches rods while working a "5-pounder" swimming around a bed.
Photo: James Overstreet
The Harris Chain of Lakes is connected with a myriad of canals like this one.
Photo: James Overstreet
Dennis Teitje idles past Grant Goldbeck in search of bedded bass.
Photo: James Overstreet
Howell moves into a canal, after foul-hooking an estimated 7-pounder while bed fishing. He was forced to return the fish to the water.
Photo: James Overstreet
Davy Hite hooks up with a bass in the lily pads, but loses it a few seconds later.
Photo: James Overstreet
Hite said the fishing was extremely slow and methodical.
Photo: James Overstreet
Hite casts a plastic worm and slowly moves it around lily pad stems.
Photo: James Overstreet
Mike McClelland casts to lily pads in the Dead River.
Photo: James Overstreet
Yusuke Miyazaki casts within a bed of lily pads, as Mike McClelland casts to the edge of the bed.
Photo: James Overstreet
Yusuke Miyazaki flips plastic worms to the lily pads in the Dead River.
Photo: James Overstreet
McClelland was leaving the area, but caught a 3-pounder and decided to stay longer.
Photo: James Overstreet
