With a 27-11 bag topped by a 9-11 bruiser, Daniel Lanier Jr. staked himself to a massive lead on day 1 of the Kissimmee Chain Bassmaster Southern Open in Florida. His advantage over 2nd-place Tracy Adams was nearly equal to the weight of his largest fish.
A cold front moved through the area Wednesday night and toughened up the bite, but Lanier, a resident of Winter Springs, Fla. who finished 5th in this event in 2011, had no difficulty overcoming that hardship.
"I caught ’em early,” he said. “Most of my best fish came out of 4 or 5 feet of water on topwater baits.”
Here's a look at the current Top 12 from the 198-angler field:
1. Daniel Lanier Jr.: 27-11
2. Tracy Adams: 18-07
3. (tie) Todd Auten: 18-01
3. (tie) Derek Remitz: 18-01
5. Michael Murphy: 17-06
6. Brandon Lester: 16-14
7. (tie) Jamey Caldwell: 16-09
7. (tie) Skip Johnson: 16-09
9. Darrell Pons: 16-08
10. Will Evans: 16-05
11. Mike Jackson: 15-09
12. Randy Elliott: 15-05
