Open: Day 1 on the water

Brian Clark was one of many anglers flipping and casting tight to bank cover.

And there was a good one, but Sloan had it on for only a second or two. “That was a four-pounder,” he said.

Iyobe tried pitching a jig in the abundant cover, but didn’t get a bite.

With the high water, there’s lots of debris in the Arkansas River, either washed up in backwater areas like this, or floating down the main river channel. It’s definitely “boater beware.”

And Simpson got a blow-up, but not a hook-up on the buzzbait.

While most of the rock jetties are almost underwater, they continue to provide current breaks that attract both fish and fishermen.

Doak got a strike, but it was from a white bass.

Pro competitor Jeffery Lemoine Jr. felt a strike and set the hook a little harder than he needed to for this white bass.

But Lemoine and Doak couldn’t catch anything but white bass here at this hour of the day.