Late Cull Puts Rivet On Top To Start Final Open

By B.A.S.S. Communications Staff

Tyler Rivet already has secured spots in next year’s Bassmaster Elite Series and the 2023 Bassmaster Classic. But Thursday, on Day 1 of the Bassmaster Central Open at Sam Rayburn Reservoir out of Jasper, Texas, Rivet fished like he needed to win to reach those lofty goals.

Rivet, a 28-year-old Elite Series pro from Raceland, La., caught a five-bass limit that weighed 20 pounds, 14 ounces. That gave him the early lead in the final Central Open of the season, whose winner will lock up a spot in the Classic scheduled for March 24-26 on the Tennessee River in Knoxville.

Rivet was a bit surprised at his good fortune on Day 1, considering he didn’t find anything spectacular during practice and never really established a pattern on Thursday. He chose instead to cover large swaths of the 114,000-acre reservoir and rely on his electronics to pinpoint the best bass.

The strategy, or lack thereof, was effective. It also might have been inevitable, given Rayburn is almost 6 feet below pool, which made fishing different – if not difficult – for many anglers on Day 1.

“It’s shallow out there,” Rivet said. “Everything is matted over, but you really can’t punch through the grass. So, I got away from the grass today ... I just covered water and LiveScoped all day.”

Rivet said slack winds and bright sunshine made for ideal conditions to scope fish. He leaned on finesse fishing most of the day, though his largest bass (6-13) came on a jerkbait at about 1:30 p.m.

“I was LiveScoping two little sticks,” he said. “I didn’t even see it. He came out of nowhere and ate it. I had one small one left that I needed to cull, so that big one let me pick up about a pound and a half.”

Rivet knows that because his catch on Thursday came from random places and on random lures, his fortune could quickly change on Friday. Still, he’s positioned himself for a solid showing, much like this year on the Elites, where he finished 25th in the Angler of the Year standings. That showing cemented his spots on next year’s Elite circuit and the 2023 Classic.

“Hopefully I can go out there and hammer them again tomorrow,” he said.

A total of 372 competitors are in this week’s derby – 188 in the angler division and 184 more on the co-angler side. They are fishing for part of a $312,000 total cash purse that will be divided among the Top 40 anglers in each division, including $43,867 to the winning angler and $20,854 to the top co-angler.

Kyle Austin, of Ridgeville, S.C., is second in the angler field with a limit weighing 20-02, including a 7-12 largemouth that was the biggest bass weighed on Day 1. Garrett Paquette, of Canton, Mich., is third with 19-08.

In addition to the winner earning a spot in the 2023 Classic, six spots in the 2023 Elite Series will be decided by the end of this tournament – three going to the anglers who finish atop the Central Open standings and three more to anglers placing highest in this year’s overall Bassmaster Opens points standings. This is the ninth and final Open of the year, with earlier Central Open stops at the Red River in Bossier City, La., and Ross Barnett Reservoir in Ridgeland, Miss.

Various possibilities remain as to which anglers get berths and how, which keeps the pressure on more than a few of the competitors at Rayburn.

Day 2 begins Friday with a 7:15 a.m. CT takeoff from Umphrey Family Pavilion in Brookeland, Texas. Weigh-in is scheduled for 3:15 p.m.

Day 1 Standings

1. Tyler Rivet -- Raceland, LA -- 5, 20-14 -- 200
Day 1: 5, 20-14

2. Kyle Austin -- Ridgeville, SC -- 5, 20-02 -- 199
Day 1: 5, 20-02

3. Garrett Paquette -- Canton, MI -- 5, 19-08 -- 198
Day 1: 5, 19-08

4. Tristan McCormick -- Burns, TN -- 5, 19-00 -- 197
Day 1: 5, 19-00

5. Hayden Newberry -- Jonesboro, IL -- 5, 18-03 -- 196
Day 1: 5, 18-03

6. Todd Castledine -- Nacogdoches, TX -- 5, 17-06 -- 195
Day 1: 5, 17-06

7. Drew Sloan -- Scurry, TX -- 5, 16-15 -- 194
Day 1: 5, 16-15

8. Austin Cranford -- Moore, OK -- 5, 16-03 -- 193
Day 1: 5, 16-03

9. Cody Bird -- Granbury, TX -- 5, 15-14 -- 192
Day 1: 5, 15-14

10. Bradley Hallman -- Edmond, OK -- 5, 15-07 -- 191
Day 1: 5, 15-07

10. Kenta Kimura -- Osaka, JAPAN -- 5, 15-07 -- 191
Day 1: 5, 15-07

12. Marshall Hughes -- Hemphill, TX -- 5, 15-05 -- 189
Day 1: 5, 15-05
13. Kyle Owen -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 15-01 -- 188
Day 1: 5, 15-01
14. James Niggemeyer -- Van, TX -- 5, 15-00 -- 187
Day 1: 5, 15-00
15. JT Thompkins -- Myrtle Beach, SC -- 5, 14-13 -- 186
Day 1: 5, 14-13
16. Kenji Yamada -- Shigotsu, JAPAN -- 5, 14-10 -- 185
Day 1: 5, 14-10
17. Nick LeBrun -- Bossier City, LA -- 5, 14-08 -- 184
Day 1: 5, 14-08
18. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 5, 14-04 -- 183
Day 1: 5, 14-04
19. Shannon Denson -- Brandon, MS -- 5, 14-03 -- 182
Day 1: 5, 14-03
20. Branden Hollingshead -- Azle, TX -- 5, 14-02 -- 181
Day 1: 5, 14-02
21. Chris Beaudrie -- Princeton, KY -- 5, 13-13 -- 180
Day 1: 5, 13-13
22. Trevor McKinney -- Benton, IL -- 5, 13-09 -- 179
Day 1: 5, 13-09
23. Randy Sullivan -- Breckenridge, TX -- 5, 13-09 -- 178
Day 1: 5, 13-09
24. Terry Peacock -- Royse City, TX -- 3, 13-08 -- 177
Day 1: 3, 13-08
25. D.J. Ellis -- Crestview, FL -- 5, 13-06 -- 176
Day 1: 5, 13-06
26. B.J. Usie -- Bourg, LA -- 5, 13-03 -- 175
Day 1: 5, 13-03
27. Hunter Sales -- Blaine, TN -- 5, 12-10 -- 174
Day 1: 5, 12-10
28. Gary Caruso -- Baton Rouge, LA -- 5, 12-08 -- 173
Day 1: 5, 12-08
29. Tommy Williams -- Shepherdsville, KY -- 5, 12-07 -- 172
Day 1: 5, 12-07
30. Larry Nixon -- Quitman, AR -- 5, 12-06 -- 171
Day 1: 5, 12-06
30. Jacob Ormond -- Sterlington, LA -- 5, 12-06 -- 171
Day 1: 5, 12-06
32. Blake Schroeder -- Whitehouse, TX -- 5, 12-04 -- 169
Day 1: 5, 12-04
32. Michael Wooten -- White House, TN -- 5, 12-04 -- 169
Day 1: 5, 12-04
34. John Garrett -- Union City, TN -- 5, 12-03 -- 167
Day 1: 5, 12-03
35. Neal Gilmore -- Magnolia, TX -- 4, 12-02 -- 166
Day 1: 4, 12-02
36. Brent Shores -- Boise, ID -- 5, 11-15 -- 165
Day 1: 5, 11-15
37. Kylie Sparks -- Denham Springs, LA -- 5, 11-14 -- 164
Day 1: 5, 11-14
38. Chad Petrie -- Scroggins, TX -- 5, 11-13 -- 163
Day 1: 5, 11-13
39. Cole Sands -- Calhoun , TN -- 5, 11-12 -- 162
Day 1: 5, 11-12
40. John Soukup -- Sapulpa, OK -- 5, 11-11 -- 161
Day 1: 5, 11-11
41. Nick Brown -- Lindale, TX -- 5, 11-10 -- 160
Day 1: 5, 11-10
41. Kazuki Kitajima -- Corinth, TX -- 5, 11-10 -- 160
Day 1: 5, 11-10
41. Matt Pangrac -- Bixby, OK -- 5, 11-10 -- 160
Day 1: 5, 11-10
41. Kyle Patrick -- Cooperstown, NY -- 5, 11-10 -- 160
Day 1: 5, 11-10
45. Mark Mueck -- Livingston, TX -- 5, 11-09 -- 156
Day 1: 5, 11-09
45. Jason Pittman -- Covington, MS -- 5, 11-09 -- 156
Day 1: 5, 11-09
45. Tyler Williams -- Belgrade, ME -- 5, 11-09 -- 156
Day 1: 5, 11-09
48. Harvey Horne -- Bella Vista, AR -- 4, 11-06 -- 153
Day 1: 4, 11-06
49. Charlie Hartley -- Grove City, OH -- 5, 11-03 -- 152
Day 1: 5, 11-03
49. Kyle Norsetter -- Cottage Grove, WI -- 5, 11-03 -- 152
Day 1: 5, 11-03
51. William Mcnutt II -- Benton, LA -- 5, 11-02 -- 150
Day 1: 5, 11-02
52. Darold Gleason -- Many, LA -- 5, 11-01 -- 149
Day 1: 5, 11-01
52. Clark Reehm -- Elm Groove, LA -- 5, 11-01 -- 149
Day 1: 5, 11-01
54. Eric Brigman -- Bryan, TX -- 5, 10-13 -- 147
Day 1: 5, 10-13
55. Trey Swindle -- Cleveland, AL -- 5, 10-12 -- 146
Day 1: 5, 10-12
56. David Gaston -- Sylacauga, AL -- 4, 10-12 -- 145
Day 1: 4, 10-12
57. Andrew Upshaw -- Hemphill, TX -- 5, 10-09 -- 144
Day 1: 5, 10-09
58. T-Roy Broussard -- Port Arthur, TX -- 3, 10-06 -- 143
Day 1: 3, 10-06
59. Adam Rasmussen -- Sturgeon Bay, WI -- 5, 10-03 -- 142
Day 1: 5, 10-03
60. Bailey Boutries -- Springfield, MO -- 5, 10-01 -- 141
Day 1: 5, 10-01
61. Chris McCall -- Kirbyville, TX -- 5, 10-00 -- 140
Day 1: 5, 10-00
61. Mark Watson -- Midlothian, TX -- 5, 10-00 -- 140
Day 1: 5, 10-00
63. Chandler Stewart -- Canyon Lake, TX -- 4, 10-00 -- 138
Day 1: 4, 10-00
64. Chris Bailey -- Eddy, TX -- 4, 09-15 -- 137
Day 1: 4, 09-15
65. Kyle Cortiana -- Broken Arrow, OK -- 5, 09-13 -- 136
Day 1: 5, 09-13
66. Jim Dillard -- West Monroe, LA -- 5, 09-12 -- 135
Day 1: 5, 09-12
67. Justin Hymel -- Norco, LA -- 4, 09-12 -- 134
Day 1: 4, 09-12
68. Noah Boyett -- Mountain Home, AR -- 5, 09-11 -- 133
Day 1: 5, 09-11
69. Brett Cannon -- Willis, TX -- 3, 09-09 -- 132
Day 1: 3, 09-09
70. Justin Atkins -- Florence, AL -- 5, 09-05 -- 131
Day 1: 5, 09-05
71. Theron Caldwell -- Decatur, TX -- 5, 09-03 -- 130
Day 1: 5, 09-03
71. Gary Clouse -- Winchester, TN -- 5, 09-03 -- 130
Day 1: 5, 09-03
73. Lee Livesay -- Longview, TX -- 4, 09-03 -- 128
Day 1: 4, 09-03
74. Richard Ballard -- Sulphur, LA -- 5, 09-02 -- 127
Day 1: 5, 09-02
75. Dustin Wilkey -- Durant, OK -- 4, 09-02 -- 126
Day 1: 4, 09-02
76. Jason Smith -- Forney, TX -- 5, 09-00 -- 125
Day 1: 5, 09-00
77. Larry Puckett -- Decatur, TX -- 4, 09-00 -- 124
Day 1: 4, 09-00
78. Scott Pellegrin -- Chippewa Falls, WI -- 5, 08-15 -- 123
Day 1: 5, 08-15
79. Zell Rowland -- Montgomery, TX -- 4, 08-13 -- 122
Day 1: 4, 08-13
80. Todd Risinger -- West Monroe, LA -- 5, 08-10 -- 121
Day 1: 5, 08-10
81. Zach Goutremout -- Chaumont, NY -- 5, 08-09 -- 120
Day 1: 5, 08-09
82. Jeff Avery -- El Dorado, AR -- 4, 08-09 -- 119
Day 1: 4, 08-09
83. Doug Guins -- Lake Charles, LA -- 3, 08-07 -- 118
Day 1: 3, 08-07
84. Billy Billeaud -- Lafayette, LA -- 4, 08-04 -- 117
Day 1: 4, 08-04
85. Logan Parks -- Auburn, AL -- 5, 08-02 -- 116
Day 1: 5, 08-02
86. Cory Leita -- Victoria, TX -- 4, 08-01 -- 115
Day 1: 4, 08-01
87. Jimmy Washam -- Stantonville, TN -- 3, 08-00 -- 114
Day 1: 3, 08-00
88. Blake Sylvester -- Plaquemine, LA -- 3, 07-15 -- 113
Day 1: 3, 07-15
89. Cooper Gallant -- Bowmanville, ON -- 4, 07-12 -- 112
Day 1: 4, 07-12
90. Wesley Dawson -- Chester, TX -- 4, 07-11 -- 111
Day 1: 4, 07-11
91. Hugh Cosculluela -- Spring, TX -- 4, 07-08 -- 110
Day 1: 4, 07-08
92. Shane Lineberger -- Lincolnton, NC -- 4, 07-03 -- 109
Day 1: 4, 07-03
92. Keith Poche -- Pike Road, AL -- 4, 07-03 -- 109
Day 1: 4, 07-03
94. Robert Crowe -- Denham Springs, LA -- 3, 07-02 -- 107
Day 1: 3, 07-02
95. Alex Heintze -- Denham Springs, LA -- 4, 07-01 -- 106
Day 1: 4, 07-01
96. Aaron Johnson -- Shreveport, LA -- 4, 06-14 -- 105
Day 1: 4, 06-14
97. Chris Johnson -- Farmington, AR -- 3, 06-14 -- 104
Day 1: 3, 06-14
98. Dale Hightower -- Mannford, OK -- 4, 06-12 -- 103
Day 1: 4, 06-12
99. Bert Thompson -- Keithville, LA -- 3, 06-11 -- 102
Day 1: 3, 06-11
100. Keith Nabours -- Hemphill, TX -- 2, 06-10 -- 101
Day 1: 2, 06-10
101. Julius Mazy -- Phoenix, AZ -- 4, 06-06 -- 100
Day 1: 4, 06-06
102. Chad Smith -- Minnetonka, MN -- 3, 06-06 -- 99
Day 1: 3, 06-06
103. Cole Drummond -- Effingham, SC -- 3, 06-05 -- 98
Day 1: 3, 06-05
104. Logan Johnson -- Jasper, AL -- 3, 06-03 -- 97
Day 1: 3, 06-03
105. Jake Maddux -- Birmingham, AL -- 5, 05-14 -- 96
Day 1: 5, 05-14
106. Chris Jones -- Bokoshe, OK -- 4, 05-14 -- 95
Day 1: 4, 05-14
107. Logan Latuso -- Gonzales, LA -- 3, 05-13 -- 94
Day 1: 3, 05-13
108. Tanner Crim -- Devine, TX -- 3, 05-12 -- 93
Day 1: 3, 05-12
108. Joe McClosky -- Swanton, MD -- 3, 05-12 -- 93
Day 1: 3, 05-12
110. Brian Post -- Janesville, WI -- 2, 05-08 -- 91
Day 1: 2, 05-08
111. Seiji Kato -- Outsu Shiga, JAPAN -- 3, 05-07 -- 90
Day 1: 3, 05-07
111. Christopher Thornton -- Morgan City, LA -- 3, 05-07 -- 90
Day 1: 3, 05-07
113. Allan Nail -- Sand Springs, OK -- 4, 05-05 -- 88
Day 1: 4, 05-05
114. Steve Tennison -- Lexington, OK -- 3, 05-05 -- 87
Day 1: 3, 05-05
115. Wyatt Frankens -- Corrigan , TX -- 3, 05-04 -- 86
Day 1: 3, 05-04
115. Caleb Sumrall -- New Iberia, LA -- 3, 05-04 -- 86
Day 1: 3, 05-04
117. Brandon Burks -- Stephenville, TX -- 1, 05-04 -- 84
Day 1: 1, 05-04
118. Zack Holwerda -- Wittmann, AZ -- 2, 05-03 -- 83
Day 1: 2, 05-03
119. Edgar Romero Renteria -- Leon, MEXICO -- 3, 04-14 -- 82
Day 1: 3, 04-14
120. Lucas Bradley -- Flippin, AR -- 2, 04-09 -- 81
Day 1: 2, 04-09
121. David Cavell -- Prairieville, LA -- 2, 04-08 -- 80
Day 1: 2, 04-08
121. Michael Quatrone -- Atoka, TN -- 2, 04-08 -- 80
Day 1: 2, 04-08
121. Joel Willert -- Prior Lake, MN -- 2, 04-08 -- 80
Day 1: 2, 04-08
124. Matt Reed -- Madisonville, TX -- 3, 04-07 -- 77
Day 1: 3, 04-07
125. David Keith -- Bossier, LA -- 2, 04-02 -- 76
Day 1: 2, 04-02
126. Joseph Hardy -- Hewitt, TX -- 2, 03-14 -- 75
Day 1: 2, 03-14
126. Chris Keeble -- Lenoir City, TN -- 2, 03-14 -- 75
Day 1: 2, 03-14
128. Brett Preuett -- Monroe, LA -- 1, 03-14 -- 73
Day 1: 1, 03-14
129. Chancy Walters -- West Des Moines, IA -- 2, 03-13 -- 72
Day 1: 2, 03-13
130. Travis -- Franks -- Lake Charles, LA -- 2, 03-12 -- 71
Day 1: 2, 03-12
130. Austin Howard -- Granby, CO -- 2, 03-12 -- 71
Day 1: 2, 03-12
130. Jeff Lugar -- Princeton, TX -- 2, 03-12 -- 71
Day 1: 2, 03-12
133. Danny Ramsey -- Trinidad, TX -- 2, 03-09 -- 68
Day 1: 2, 03-09
134. Dave Redington -- Winnsboro, TX -- 2, 03-07 -- 67
Day 1: 2, 03-07
134. Brady Vernon -- Birmingham, AL -- 2, 03-07 -- 67
Day 1: 2, 03-07
136. Andy Williamson -- Lake Andes, SD -- 1, 03-05 -- 65
Day 1: 1, 03-05
137. Teb Jones -- Yalaha, MS -- 1, 03-04 -- 64
Day 1: 1, 03-04
138. Clay Dyer -- Hazel Green, AL -- 1, 03-03 -- 63
Day 1: 1, 03-03
139. James Caldemeyer -- Gilmer, TX -- 2, 03-02 -- 62
Day 1: 2, 03-02
140. Dustin Reneau -- McKinney, TX -- 1, 03-02 -- 61
Day 1: 1, 03-02
141. Dane Thibodeaux -- Lake Charles, LA -- 2, 03-00 -- 60
Day 1: 2, 03-00
142. Brad Hillebrandt -- Florien, LA -- 1, 02-05 -- 59
Day 1: 1, 02-05
142. Tom Redington -- Royse City, TX -- 1, 02-05 -- 59
Day 1: 1, 02-05
144. Brad Hollowell -- Azle, TX -- 1, 02-03 -- 57
Day 1: 1, 02-03
145. Sterling Martin -- Comfort, TX -- 1, 02-02 -- 56
Day 1: 1, 02-02
146. Kirk Tisdale -- Ellisville, MS -- 1, 02-01 -- 55
Day 1: 1, 02-01
147. Bert Worrell Jr -- Longview, TX -- 1, 02-00 -- 54
Day 1: 1, 02-00
148. Kurt Dove -- Del Rio, TX -- 1, 01-15 -- 53
Day 1: 1, 01-15
149. Jason Borofka -- Lavon, TX -- 1, 01-14 -- 52
Day 1: 1, 01-14
150. Tony Dumitras -- Winston, GA -- 1, 01-13 -- 51
Day 1: 1, 01-13
150. Scott Isaacs -- Ladonia, TX -- 1, 01-13 -- 51
Day 1: 1, 01-13
152. Victor Hawkins -- Sugar Land, TX -- 1, 01-12 -- 49
Day 1: 1, 01-12
152. Darrell Newman -- Bruceville, TX -- 1, 01-12 -- 49
Day 1: 1, 01-12
152. Kayden Tanner -- Tolar, TX -- 1, 01-12 -- 49
Day 1: 1, 01-12
155. Connor Rushing -- Zachary, LA -- 1, 01-11 -- 46
Day 1: 1, 01-11
155. Jack Tindel -- Orange, TX -- 1, 01-11 -- 46
Day 1: 1, 01-11
157. Randy Craft -- Seminary, MS -- 1, 01-10 -- 44
Day 1: 1, 01-10
157. Daisuke Kita -- Ohtsu Shiga, JAPAN -- 1, 01-10 -- 44
Day 1: 1, 01-10
159. Stephanie Hemphill -- Village Mills, TX -- 1, 00-08 -- 42
Day 1: 1, 00-08
160. Trey Bayles III -- Eros, LA -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Andy Beloat -- Montgomery, TX -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Todd Carnes -- College Station, TX -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Richard Cathey -- San Antonio, TX -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Todd Childs -- Waxahachie, TX -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Marvin Ettredge -- Shreveport, LA -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Denny Fiedler -- Wabasha, MN -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Johnny Grice -- Arp, TX -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Joey Hanna -- Corsicana, TX -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Bill Hutchison Jr. -- Bessemer, AL -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Jeremy Johnson -- Mansfield, TX -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Bo Keith III -- Haughton, LA -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Travis Kelehan -- Many, LA -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Chris Kingree -- Inverness, FL -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Robbie Latuso -- Gonzales, LA -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Ryan Lavigne -- Gonzales, LA -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Kevin Ledoux -- Choctaw, OK -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Tim Malone -- Kodak, TN -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Bill McNutt -- Henry, IL -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. A.J. Menssen -- Bloomington, IL -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Yusuke Miyazaki -- Forney, TX -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Chad Murray -- Ferriday , LA -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Jenny Nevans -- Dayton, TN -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Cody Nichols -- Fayette, AL -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Tommy Robinson -- Westland, MI -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Hermilo Salgado-Zavaleta -- Artemus, KY -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Bart Stanisz -- Wichita Falls , TX -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Blake Whatley -- Harleton, TX -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00
160. Alfred Williams -- Jackson, MS -- 0, 00-00 -- 0
Day 1: 0, 00-00