Beaver: Rookie Montgomery Leads Morgan By A Pound

Arkansas' Beaver Lake served up yet another small-sack smorgasbord. The field at today's Wal-Mart Open (Beaver FLW) may have been hunting bigger bites, but the best tally of the day was rookie Andy Montgomery's 13-11.

He and 10th-place Jay Yelas shared docks this morning, but it was Montgomery

who connected (Yelas had to scramble and his weight came later).

About a pound behind Montgomery is Andy Morgan with 12-15, and things get real tight after that. Take a look at the current Top 10. Each angler's total weight is followed by distance from leader in red.

1. Andy Montgomery: 13-11
2. Andy Morgan: 12-15 (0-12)
3. Dwayne Horton: 12-03 (1-08)
4. Tom Monsoor: 11-12 (1-15)
5. Alvin Shaw: 11-11 (2-00)
6. John Sappington: 11-09 (2-02)
7. Tony Couch: 11-01 (2-10)
8. Mark Davis: 11-00 (2-11)
9. Ray Scheide: 10-12 (2-15)
10. Glenn Browne: 10-11 (3-00)
10. Jay Yelas: 10-11 (3-00)

Of course, the lead doesn't really matter right now, since the field cuts to the Top 10 after tomorrow and those 10 begin the final 2 days with zero weight. A much more telling stat is position relative to the cut.

Chris Baumgardner sits in 20th right now, just 11 ounces away from the cut. Ron Shuffield is 30th (2-00 back), Mark Rose is 40th (2-08 back), and Clark Wendlandt is 50th (3-00 back).

Where are we, Oroville?

Obviously, Beaver's spitting out scores of 1- to 2-pounders, but the big fish are rarer than a cold, red steak.

The big fish that were caught came largely in the early morning, and they were mostly largemouths. Many in the Top 20 did continue to cull throughout the day, but it was more for ounces than pounds.

Conditions today were clear with moderate wind, which is expected again tomorrow.

The smallmouths did play a role, as predicted. Dwayne Horton, for one, weighed all brown fish today. But a more common bag was a mix of largemouths and spots.

Pressure certainly played a significant role. The water's clear (even though it's high), and many consider all their water already used up. Sure, they'll check it tomorrow, but they're not counting on it.

Everything's wide-open at this point, because a 3-pound bite for anyone in the Top 30 could easily be a cut-fish. And someone from as deep as 100th (5-14) could connect with a few heads and slip in to fish another 2 days.

Montgomery Doubled

Montgomery won the FLW Tour co-angler points last year, and moved to the front of the boat this season. The results have been mixed. He started the year in first gear with a 130th at Travis, then a 107th at Ft. Loudoun–Tellico. But then up-shifted and cashed a check at Norman.

He's currently 83rd in the FLW Tour points, so he's within striking distance of a Forrest Wood Cup berth with some strong fishing here and beyond. But his finishes have put him a distant 14th in the BassFan Rookie of the Year Race.

About his position after day 1, he said: "I feel pretty good about it. I expected to catch about 6 pounds today, so to catch that (13-11) was a surprise."

The key for him, he said, was a quick adjustment. He saw something that "clued" him in, and went to fish an area he'd never touched before. He immediately connected with largemouths and had his limit early.

After that, he ran with the new pattern and culled four times. His biggest fish was a 4-pounder, which accompanied a 3 1/2-pounder and some 2 1/2s. All but one of his final weigh-fish were largemouths – the other was a spot.

"It feels good," he added. "I hope I can catch enough to make the cut. That's my goal, because once you get in (the cut), anything can happen.

"If I can get 10 (pounds) tomorrow, I'll probably quit fishing, or back off and look around a little bit."

His home lakes are Norman and Wylie, both in South Carolina, and he noted they're nothing like Beaver. But he did have some home-cooking happening.

"My experience at home helped today – I'm doing the same thing I do at home," he said.

Morgan Made 'Right Moves'

Andy Morgan, per usual, is right in the hunt. He's currently ranked 15th in the BassFan World Rankings presented by Tru-Tungsten (among FLW Tour anglers, only Larry Nixon, Dave Lefebre, and Shinichi Fukae are ranked higher). He's also 10th in the Tour points, with checks in each event so far this year.

He noted that he was surprised at his 12-15 limit.

"It's a lot better than what I thought I could catch," he said. I really had no idea. I thought I could catch a limit, but it seems like every move I made today was the right move.

"Everything I picked up I caught one on. And I caught a lot more largemouths today than I'd been catching. I caught maybe seven keeper largemouths today (15 inches or longer), and that's probably the best day I've ever had in a tournament here. And one of them weighed 4-11. That's definitely the biggest bass I've ever weighed at Beaver."

About his pattern, he said he's "bouncing around" and "keeping it moving." He fished with the electric on high almost all day.

About tomorrow, he said: "I haven't narrowed anything down, and I don't even know if I'll go back and fish any of those places I fished today. In general, there's not a whole lot of fish anywhere in this lake."

He added that a 7- or 8-pound stringer would be "big" for him tomorrow – meaning, probably enough to make the cut – but he won't back off until he reaches 10 pounds. Even then, though, he's not quite sure what to actually back off from.

"As far as knowing what to save, I'm really not quite sure. I caught them everywhere I stopped – schooling, sight-fishing or just going down the bank."

3rd: Horton Hammered Smallies

BassFans can likely guess what Dwayne Horton's throwing. Yep, a Buckeye Spot Remover jighead with a finesse worm.

What's surprising, though, is that he weighed five smallmouths with it. And all but one came from a single small area.

"I feel real good," he said. "Everybody's catching a lot of bass, but man, catching a 2-pounder is really hard. I don't know what's happened to all the 1 1/2- to 1 3/4-pound spots that normally are in this lake – everything everybody's catching seems to be 13 inches long and about a pound. It's pretty tough fishing right now."

About his area, he said: "I found it 4 or 5 years ago and never caught a bass off it. But I knew that some day the fish would really be there. It's right out in the middle of a big pocket – it's a little old hump that comes up – with trees all around it and a sandy, gravel bottom.

"I fished it 3 or 4 years in a row and never caught anything. Monday I caught three smallmouths there, and four of my five today came off it. It's just one of those deals."

He plans to start there tomorrow in a quest for 10 pounds, which he thinks will be plenty to make the cut. He does have a number of areas where he can catch small spotted bass, but he hopes he won't need them.

10th: Yelas Did Reverse

For most in the Top 10, their day started strong, then tapered off. But Jay Yelas actually got off to a slow start, then rallied late.

When he reached his primary area this morning, Montgomery pulled in too – they'd both found the same fish. Yelas took one side of the marina dock, and Montgomery took the other.

"He caught all those big ones off the other side," Yelas said. "I was watching him. It's a good little spot, with lots of fish in there schooling, so we'll probably both catch some fish there tomorrow too – hopefully enough to make the cut.

"That was my best spot. After that I scrambled and fished some more stuff with a couple of different patterns. I'm in 10th, but I was real close to being in 1st. But you're always happy to be in the Top 10. And on Beaver, the fishing's pretty crowded – there's not a lot of good places to fish – so stuff like that's expected. It was still a great day."

The end of his rally came at 3:30, when he caught his second biggest of the day. That's the pattern he hopes to expand on tomorrow, after the dock's done.

He added: "It's hard to catch one over 2 pounds – those are at a premium. The lake's actually fishing tougher than it does in April (when the Tour historically visits), but that's typical for a post-spawn bite.

"Hopefully I can keep it going tomorrow and catch another 10 pounds or so. That ought to do it."

If he makes tomorrow's cut, it'll be his third Tour cut in a row.

14th: Herren Deep and Shallow

Matt Herren's on a little bit of a roll. He won last week's Dardanelle Eastern FLW Series – his first win of note – but he's back at 81st in the Tour points, largely because of a bomb at Norman. He doesn't need to worry about the points much, though, because he already qualified for the Cup through last year's FLW Series.

On whether he could make it two in a row, he said: "We're working on it. We're trying real hard. It's great to be in that position. But tomorrow's going to be a different story. We'll just go out fishing and see what happens.

"It's a really tough bite," he added. "I ran around and covered a lot of water today, and it was probably a 50-50 split – I caught my two best fish power-fishing up shallow, and the other three finesse-fishing out deep. I'm just junk-fishing."

On whether his recent win has given him some momentum, he said: Sure, and I'm all fired up about getting in the boat tomorrow and trusting my gut."

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 201 anglers, 111 limits, 33 fours, 15 threes, 17 twos, 19 ones, 6 zeroes.

> Yelas said he's confident 8th-place Mark Davis will make the cut. Remember that Davis needs a Cup berth through the Tour, and the Cup takes place at Ouachita where he has a lot of history. "He'll make the Top 10," Yelas said. "He knows this lake well and has done well here fishing other tournaments this time of year. Several years ago BASS had its 25th Anniversary tournament here in June. (Larry) Nixon won it, and Mark I think was 3rd. He knows how to catch them here."

> Last year's Beaver Winner Shinichi Fukae is currently 47th with 7-12.

> Two-time Beaver winner Clark Wendlandt is 50th (the last money spot) with 7-11. Fellow two-time Beaver killer Andre Moore is 64th with 7-03.

> Points leader Michael Bennett caught 5-11 and is 109th.

> The Beaver woes continue for Dave Lefebre, who ended the day in 149th with 4-03.

> Clay Dyer jokingly referred to his two fish as "monsters" (they weighed a combined 1-15). "I'll tell you what – this lake has kicked me in the read end 2 years in a row," he added. "But I'm just happy to be here. I worked hard all day, and (I caught) my best one on my next to last cast."

> One of the biggest surprises today was Darrel Robertson. He's made the past two cuts here, and is 3rd in the points, but his one-fish, 1-07 sack puts him 187th.

Weather Forecast

Here's the forecast for the remaining tournament days. For more weather news, including radar and satellite imagery, visit OutdoorsFanWeather.com.

> Fri, May 18 –Sunny – 73°/49°
- Wind: From the SE at 9 mph

> Sat, May 19 – Sunny – 77°/53°
- Wind: From the S at 10 mph

> Sun, May 20 – Sunny – 81°/58°
- Wind: From the S/SW at 9 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. Andy Montgomery -- Blacksburg, Sc -- 5, 13-11

2. Andy Morgan -- Dayton, Tn -- 5, 12-15

3. Dwayne Horton -- Knoxville, Tn -- 5, 12-03

4. Tom Monsoor -- La Crosse, Wi -- 5, 11-12

5. Alvin Shaw -- State Road, Nc -- 5, 11-11

6. John Sappington -- Willard, Mo -- 5, 11-09

7. Tony Couch -- Buckhead, Ga -- 5, 11-01

8. Mark Davis -- Mount Ida, Ar -- 5, 11-00

9. Ray Scheide -- Russellville, Ar -- 5, 10-12

10. Glenn Browne -- Ocala, Fl -- 5, 10-11

10. Jay Yelas -- Tyler, Tx -- 5, 10-11

12. Bobby Curtis -- Siloam Springs, Ar -- 5, 10-07

12. Jacob Powroznik -- Prince George, Va -- 5, 10-07

14. Jr Beehler -- Bella Vista, Ar -- 5, 10-06

14. Matt Herren -- Trussville, Al -- 5, 10-06

16. Tim Klinger -- Boulder City, Nv -- 5, 10-05

17. Jason Abram -- Gray, Tn -- 5, 10-02

18. Tony Defilippo -- Cedar, Mi -- 5, 10-01

18. Chad Grigsby -- Maple Grove, Mn -- 5, 10-01

20. Chris Baumgardner -- Gastonia, Nc -- 4, 10-00

21. Toby Hartsell -- Livingston, Tx -- 5, 9-10

21. Guido Hibdon -- Gravois Mills, Mo -- 5, 9-10

23. Cody Bird -- Granbury, Tx -- 5, 8-15

23. John Devere -- Berea, Ky -- 5, 8-15

23. Greg Pugh -- Cullman, Al -- 5, 8-15

26. Woo Daves -- Spring Grove, Va -- 5, 8-14

27. Mark Hardin -- Jasper, Ga -- 5, 8-13

27. Tom Mann Jr -- Buford, Ga -- 5, 8-13

29. Katsutoshi Furusawa -- Tokyo Japan 1920153, Jp -- 5, 8-12

30. Ron Shuffield -- Bismarck, Ar -- 5, 8-11

31. Aaron Hastings -- Middletown, Md -- 5, 8-10

32. Koby Kreiger -- Okeechobee, Fl -- 5, 8-08

32. Al Little -- Greensboro, Nc -- 5, 8-08

34. Chad Morgenthaler -- Coulterville, Il -- 5, 8-06

35. George Cochran -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 5, 8-05

35. Dave Donham -- Highlandville, Mo -- 5, 8-05

35. Jeff Magee -- Mendenhall, Ms -- 5, 8-05

38. Bud Pruitt -- Spring, Tx -- 5, 8-04

38. Mike Surman -- Boca Raton, Fl -- 5, 8-04

40. Mark Rose -- Marion, Ar -- 4, 8-03

41. Pat Fisher -- Buckhead, Ga -- 5, 8-02

41. Mike Hawkes -- Sabinal, Tx -- 5, 8-02

41. Dion Hibdon -- Stover, Mo -- 5, 8-02

44. Terry Tucker -- Gadsden, Al -- 5, 8-00

45. Brent Ehrler -- Redlands, Ca -- 5, 7-13

45. Larry Nixon -- Bee Branch, Ar -- 5, 7-13

47. Tim Carroll -- Owasso, Ok -- 4, 7-12

47. Chris Elliott -- Beaufort, Nc -- 5, 7-12

47. Shinichi Fukae -- Mineola, Tx -- 5, 7-12

50. Clark Wendlandt -- Leander, Tx -- 5, 7-11

51. Craig Dowling -- Many, La -- 5, 7-10

51. Dale Evans -- Ridgeville, Sc -- 4, 7-10

51. Kevin Long -- Berkley, Mi -- 5, 7-10

51. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, Az -- 5, 7-10

55. David Dudley -- Lynchburg, Va -- 5, 7-08

55. Jim Tutt -- Longview, Tx -- 5, 7-08

57. Kevin Langill -- Terrell, Nc -- 5, 7-07

58. Greg Bohannan -- Rogers, Ar -- 5, 7-06

58. Charlie Hartley -- Grove City, Oh -- 5, 7-06

58. Carl Svebek Iii -- Siloam Springs, Ar -- 5, 7-06

61. David Fritts -- Lexington, Nc -- 5, 7-04

61. David Lauer -- South Bend, In -- 5, 7-04

61. Keith Pace -- Monticello, Ar -- 3, 7-04

64. Brett Hite -- Phoenix, Az -- 5, 7-03

64. Andre Moore -- Alabaster, Al -- 5, 7-03

64. Vic Vatalaro -- Kent, Oh -- 5, 7-03

67. Kim Bain -- Alabaster, Al -- 5, 7-02

67. David Smith -- Del City, Ok -- 5, 7-02

67. Nate Wellman -- Jenison, Mi -- 5, 7-02

70. Jerry Green -- Del Rio, Tx -- 4, 7-01

71. Tom Burns -- Carbondale, Il -- 5, 7-00

71. Thanh Le -- Lake Havasu City, Az -- 5, 7-00

73. Tim Johnson -- Dallas, Ga -- 5, 6-15

74. Jim Moynagh -- Carver, Mn -- 4, 6-13

75. Scott Dobson -- Clarkston, Mi -- 5, 6-11

75. Jacky Hawthorne -- Greenville, Tx -- 5, 6-11

75. Rob Kilby -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 5, 6-11

78. Gabe Bolivar -- Ramona, Ca -- 5, 6-10

78. Brent Crow -- Hartselle, Al -- 5, 6-10

78. Joel Richardson -- Kernersville, Nc -- 4, 6-10

81. Ramie Colson Jr -- Cadiz, Ky -- 5, 6-09

81. Marcel Veenstra -- Brighton, Mi -- 5, 6-09

81. Tee Watkins -- East Point, Ky -- 5, 6-09

84. Mike Boyles -- Highlandville, Mo -- 5, 6-08

84. Luke Clausen -- Spokane, Wa -- 5, 6-08

84. Kevin Lasyone -- Dry Prong, La -- 4, 6-08

87. Todd Auten -- Lake Wylie, Sc -- 4, 6-06

87. Jonathan Newton -- Rogersville, Al -- 5, 6-06

87. Robert Sherry -- Saint Charles, Il -- 5, 6-06

87. Ken Wick -- Star, Id -- 4, 6-06

91. Keith Monson -- Burgin, Ky -- 5, 6-05

92. Danny Correia -- Marlborough, Ma -- 5, 6-04

93. Harmon Davis -- Marlow, Ok -- 5, 6-03

93. Charlie Ingram -- Santa Fe, Tn -- 5, 6-03

95. Roger Crafton -- Boca Grande, Fl -- 5, 6-01

95. Tim Mcdonald -- Lexington, Ky -- 4, 6-01

95. Gary Yamamoto -- Mineola, Tx -- 5, 6-01

98. Scott Martin -- Clewiston, Fl -- 3, 5-15

98. David Walker -- Sevierville, Tn -- 5, 5-15

100. Frank Ippoliti -- Smithsburg, Md -- 5, 5-14

100. Jeremiah Kindy -- Benton, Ar -- 5, 5-14

100. Frank Meyer -- Marianna, Fl -- 5, 5-14

100. Jason Reyes -- Humble, Tx -- 5, 5-14

104. Tracy Adams -- Wilkesboro, Nc -- 5, 5-13

104. Terry Bolton -- Paducah, Ky -- 5, 5-13

104. Brennan Bosley -- Benton, Ar -- 5, 5-13

104. Wes Thomas -- Hanover, In -- 5, 5-13

108. John Tanner -- Quitman, Tx -- 5, 5-12

109. Michael Bennett -- Roseville, Ca -- 5, 5-11

110. Sean Hoernke -- Magnolia, Tx -- 5, 5-10

110. Scott Suggs -- Bryant, Ar -- 5, 5-10

112. Fred Contaoi -- Lakeport, Ca -- 3, 5-09

112. Gary Riffle -- Paris, Tx -- 5, 5-09

112. Karen Savik -- St. Louis Park, Mn -- 4, 5-09

115. Chris Slopak -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 5, 5-08

116. Nick Frakes -- Gravette, Ar -- 4, 5-07

116. Alfred Williams -- Jackson, Ms -- 5, 5-07

118. Pete Gluszek -- Franklinville, Nj -- 4, 5-06

118. Lee Mccracken -- Ocala, Fl -- 5, 5-06

118. Chuck Medley -- Owens Cross Roads, Al -- 5, 5-06

118. Keith Williams -- Conway, Ar -- 5, 5-06

122. Charles Cummings -- Leeds, Al -- 4, 5-04

122. Ott Defoe -- Knoxville, Tn -- 4, 5-04

122. Chris Malone -- Ironton, Oh -- 4, 5-04

125. Jimmy Millsaps -- Canton, Ga -- 5, 5-03

126. J T Kenney -- Daytona Beach, Fl -- 2, 5-02

126. Randy Morris -- Garfield, Ar -- 5, 5-02

128. Richard Lowitzki -- St Charles, Il -- 5, 5-01

129. Travis Fox -- Lowell, Ar -- 5, 4-14

129. Norman Seat -- Branson West, Mo -- 4, 4-14

131. Glenn Chappelear -- Acworth, Ga -- 3, 4-13

131. Lewis Denney -- Indian Mound, Tn -- 3, 4-13

131. Anthony Gagliardi -- Prosperity, Sc -- 4, 4-13

131. Chris Mccall -- Jasper, Tx -- 4, 4-13

131. Danny Pierce -- Greenbrier, Ar -- 3, 4-13

131. Jack Wade -- Knoxville, Tn -- 4, 4-13

137. Terry Baksay -- Easton, Ct -- 5, 4-12

137. Bryan Thrift -- Shelby, Nc -- 3, 4-12

139. Brandon Coulter -- Knoxville, Tn -- 3, 4-11

139. Jimmy Houston -- Cookson, Ok -- 5, 4-11

139. Craig Powers -- Rockwood, Tn -- 4, 4-11

142. Hank Cherry -- Maiden, Nc -- 4, 4-08

142. Steve Redding -- Plano, Tx -- 5, 4-08

144. Matt Arey -- Shelby, Nc -- 3, 4-06

144. Art Berry -- Hemet, Ca -- 3, 4-06

146. George Jeane Jr -- Evans, La -- 4, 4-04

146. Curt Lytle -- Zuni, Va -- 4, 4-04

146. Jeffrey Thomas -- Broadway, Nc -- 3, 4-04

149. Dave Lefebre -- Union City, Pa -- 4, 4-03

149. Sandy Melvin -- Boca Grande, Fl -- 4, 4-03

149. Michael Murphy -- Gilbert, Sc -- 4, 4-03

152. Terry Segraves -- Kissimmee, Fl -- 4, 4-02

153. Art Ferguson Iii -- St. Clair Shores, Mi -- 4, 4-01

153. Derek Jones -- Chicago, Il -- 4, 4-01

155. Harry Barton -- Sterrett, Al -- 4, 3-15

155. Shad Schenck -- Waynetown, In -- 3, 3-15

157. Joe Don Setina -- Pittsburg, Tx -- 3, 3-13

158. Rusty Trancygier -- Hahira, Ga -- 2, 3-12

159. Keith Brashers -- Rogers, Ar -- 4, 3-11

159. Mark Mauldin -- Cleveland, Tn -- 3, 3-11

161. Ricky D. Scott -- Van Buren, Ar -- 1, 3-10

161. Kevin Vida -- Clare, Mi -- 2, 3-10

163. Jim Short -- Ocean Pines, Md -- 1, 3-09

164. Bub Taylor -- Tontitown, Ar -- 2, 3-07

165. David Cooke -- Mooresville, Nc -- 2, 3-04

166. Jim Dillard -- West Monroe, La -- 2, 3-00

166. Joe Thomas -- Milford, Oh -- 3, 3-00

168. James Davis Jr -- Ferriday, La -- 1, 2-15

168. Jack Gadlage -- Benton, Ky -- 2, 2-15

168. Sam Newby -- Pocola, Ok -- 2, 2-15

171. Sean Minderman -- Spokane, Wa -- 2, 2-12

172. Chad Cook -- Summerville, Sc -- 2, 2-07

173. Kim Stricker -- Howell, Mi -- 2, 2-05

174. Ralph Laster Jr -- Lees Summit, Mo -- 2, 2-04

175. Dan Morehead -- Paducah, Ky -- 2, 2-03

176. Sam Swett -- Covington, La -- 1, 2-02

177. Brad Dunn -- Fayetteville, Ar -- 2, 2-01

178. Chip Harrison -- Bremen, In -- 2, 2-00

179. Clay Dyer -- Hamilton, Al -- 2, 1-15

180. Lendell Martin Jr -- Nacogdoches, Tx -- 1, 1-13

181. Randy Blaukat -- Lamar, Mo -- 2, 1-12

182. Tommy Martin -- Hemphill, Tx -- 1, 1-09

183. O T Fears Iii -- Sallisaw, Ok -- 1, 1-08

183. Jason Knapp -- Uniontown, Pa -- 1, 1-08

183. Mark Pack -- Mineola, Tx -- 1, 1-08

183. James Quillman -- Mineola, Tx -- 1, 1-08

187. Darrel Robertson -- Jay, Ok -- 1, 1-07

188. Wesley Strader -- Spring City, Tn -- 1, 1-06

189. Eric Ambort -- Mabelvale, Ar -- 1, 1-03

189. Bill Chapman -- Salt Rock, Wv -- 1, 1-03

189. Robert Pearson -- Herndon, Va -- 1, 1-03

192. Vu (Ted) Nguyen -- Lake Havasu City, Az -- 1, 1-02

193. Mark Goines -- Shady Point, Ok -- 1, 1-00

193. Rick Marsh -- High Point, Nc -- 1, 1-00

195. Bobby Lane -- Lakeland, Fl -- 1, 0-14

Monte Knight -- Quitman, Ms -- 0, 0-00

Bob Kujan Jr. -- Belton, Tx -- 0, 0-00

Randy Sanford -- Carriere, Ms -- 0, 0-00

Mark Shelton -- Fayetteville, Ar -- 0, 0-00

Mike Todd -- Norman, Ok -- 0, 0-00

Brad Wall -- Clarksville, Oh -- 0, 0-00

Big Bass

> Day 1 -- Andy Morgan -- Dayton, Tn -- 4-11 -- $1,000