Andrew Slegona’s first fishing trip to Florida got off to a memorable start. The Walker Valley, N.Y., angler jumped out to the day-1 lead at the Lake Toho Bassmaster Southern Open with a whopping 31-02 stringer.
The former construction worker, who built subway tunnels in New York before pursuing a career in pro fishing, was aided by a pair of lunkers weighing 9-01 and 8-10. He had his weight by 10:30 a.m.
“I caught them out of one area and never saw a boat come within 300 yards of where I was fishing,” said Slegona, who spent last week fishing nearby Florida waters to tune up for the event. “I found this spot in practice and today I realized I was really onto something.”
Slegona said he was flipping hydrilla in 10 feet of water.
“The thing is, this is a morning spot, and I hope they’re in there tomorrow (Friday), too,” he added.
Two-time Bassmaster Junior World Champion Joey Nania was 2nd with 25-01, followed by Floridian Brandon McMillan with 24-09.
Nania’s sack was impressive considering it included a pair of scrawny 1-pounders. It was bolstered by fish weighing 8-03 and 8-12.
“I’ve always struggled here. I’ve had so many letdowns fishing in Florida, this really felt good,” Nania said. “I had been fishing fast, covering a lot of water, but when my co-angler caught a good one fishing slow, I decided to slow it down. That’s when I caught the 8-12 and figured it out.”
Here's a look at the initial Top 12:
1. Andrew Slegona: 31-02
2. Joey Nania: 25-01
3. Brandon McMillan: 24-09
4. Garrett Rocamora: 24-04
5. Brad Knight: 20-13
6. Blake Nick: 19-10
7. Brock Mosley: 19-09
8. Terry Scroggins: 19-00
9. Kelley Jaye: 17-05
10. Colby Flinn: 17-04
11. Justin Lucas: 16-15
12. Chad Morgenthaler: 16-07
