Day 1 from Overstreet

The morning commute begins in Sturgeon Bay.

Photo: James Overstreet

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Randy Howell was enjoying his morning on the bay.

Photo: James Overstreet

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Nearby, Morizo Shimizu was boating his first bass.

Photo: James Overstreet

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After an unintended bounce off the windshield…

Photo: James Overstreet

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… he managed to get the fish into the livewell.

Photo: James Overstreet

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And yes, Randy Howell saw him catch that fish.

Photo: James Overstreet

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And so did Brandon Card.

Photo: James Overstreet

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It’s never good when you come back in just after take-off. That’s Mike Iaconelli’s boat coming off pad in the no-wake zone.

Photo: James Overstreet

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Mike Iaconelli had an early mechanical issue and was on the phone with the service crew.

Photo: James Overstreet

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The good folks from the Sturgeon Bay Police and Fire Department were out taking photos, too.

Photo: James Overstreet

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Dave Mercer, Davy Hite and Shaye Baker were on the water doing live reports.

Photo: James Overstreet

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The service crew made quick work of Iaconelli’s mechanical issue and he was quickly back out on the water.

Photo: James Overstreet

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Randy Howell was still looking for his first fish.

Photo: James Overstreet

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Iaconelli clears the no-wake zone and heads out to the big waters of Green Bay.

Photo: James Overstreet

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When we pulled up on Jeff Kriet he was fighting a fish to the boat.

Photo: James Overstreet

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He reaches down to set a waypoint on his electronics …

Photo: James Overstreet

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… pulls the fish to the surface …

Photo: James Overstreet

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… then into the boat.

Photo: James Overstreet

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Kriet has a lot of work to do this week to qualify for the 2016 Bassmaster Classic. He is currently in 48th place in the AOY point’s standings.

Photo: James Overstreet

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He was marking several fish and said he had lost two on this spot.

Photo: James Overstreet

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He straps down his gear …

Photo: James Overstreet

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… pulls his trolling motor …

Photo: James Overstreet

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... then makes a move to another waypoint.

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The move paid off quickly …

Photo: James Overstreet

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… and he boated another fish.

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The fish failed to measure …

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… and had to be released.

Photo: James Overstreet

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You can take a ride around this retired fireboat, or fish around it like Randy Howell.

Photo: James Overstreet

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As you can tell from the flag aboard this Coast Guard vessel, the wind has started to blow.

Photo: James Overstreet

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But it was still a great afternoon to find a place onshore to watch your favorite Elite Series angler fish.

Photo: James Overstreet

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Every wind indicator on this boat is telling the story of the afternoon winds that reached Sturgeon Bay.

Photo: James Overstreet

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It had been a slow day aboard James Elam’s boat.

Photo: James Overstreet

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But Elam was grinding away looking for a keeper bite.

Photo: James Overstreet

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Morizo Shimizu was busy trying to grind out a limit of fish.

Photo: James Overstreet

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Shimizu came up one fish short at the end of the day, weighing in four fish for 9 pounds.

Photo: James Overstreet

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He made quick work of this fish …

Photo: James Overstreet

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… but could never connect with a fifth keeper.

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Chris Lane indicates he has zero fish in the livewell …

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… but there was still time to fish.

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He ended the day with two fish weighing 4-13.

Photo: James Overstreet

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John Murray was cycling through several baits …

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… on every spot he fished.

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And in this instance his strategy paid off.

Photo: James Overstreet

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He hooks up with one of his better fish of the day …

Photo: James Overstreet

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… and brings the thrashing fish aboard.

Photo: James Overstreet

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Unfortunately, this fish would be only one of three that Murray would bring to the scales.

Photo: James Overstreet

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He ended the day with three keeper fish weighing 7-8.

Photo: James Overstreet

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Murray gives us a good look at the keeper smallmouth …

Photo: James Overstreet

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… then goes in search of another.

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Chris Lane had moved out to fish around some ships in the bay.

Photo: James Overstreet

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And like the men ashore behind him, kept grinding away at his job.

Photo: James Overstreet

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Day 1 from Overstreet

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