Largemouth Carry Loberg To Top Slot

By B.A.S.S. Communications Staff

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – On a lake where the only constant seems to be change, Andrew Loberg took advantage of the conditions on Day 1 of the Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Tenkiller.

The California native caught a five-bass limit weighing 17 pounds, 9 ounces to lead the field after one day of competition on the eastern Oklahoma reservoir. He holds an 8-ounce advantage over second-place Trey McKinney. Wisconsin’s Bob Downey is third with 16-2.

Lake Tenkiller has fluctuated greatly thanks to heavy rains that spread over the area ahead of official practice. From the final day of practice on Tuesday to the start of Day 1, the water fell several feet and anglers were forced to scramble to adjust.

The field of 101 anglers adjusted well, however, as each pro landed a limit, with 90 of those limits weighing over 10 pounds. Mixed bags of smallmouth and largemouth crossed the scales, but it was Loberg's bag of largemouth that led the way.

“I think the conditions played really well for me,” he said. “I think the low-pressure system helped the big largemouth eat a little bit better than other stuff going on.”

While this is his first tournament at Lake Tenkiller, Loberg has shown early in his Bassmaster career he’s comfortable in Oklahoma. During the 2024 Bassmaster Opens season, Loberg notched a second-place finish down the road at Lake Eufaula.

Loberg isn’t dialed in necessarily. He has 30 rods on the front deck of his boat and is testing both offshore and shallow patterns. On Day 1, the shallows won out as he caught all largemouth.

“It was 50/50 between shallow and deep,” he said. “It's a timing thing, for sure. There are so many boats hitting the same stuff and I think I got lucky and pulled up on the right stretch at the right time. There were boats all over the place.”

The day didn’t start particularly quickly for Loberg as he felt out the lake in the morning. But as the morning progressed, he discovered a productive pattern that produced most of his tally.

“I ran with it until I reached my limit,” Loberg said. “Honestly, all day I was really trying new stuff and seeing what was going on. With how much things are changing, I want to eliminate water and see what’s happening.”

He isn’t set on doing one thing.

“I’m going to keep an open mind like I did today,” Loberg said. “This place is just changing so much. You have to have a couple things going on because I don’t think one thing can take you four days.”

McKinney finished Day 1 with a mixed bag weighing 17-1, which included four largemouth and a smallmouth. The Carbondale, Ill. pro started the morning shallow, but did the majority of his damage on two or three offshore areas. In about a 30-minute flurry, McKinney caught his initial limit which weighed about 15 pounds.

After testing more shallow cover, McKinney went back offshore and culled up to his final weight.

“I really didn’t even hit some of my good stuff today,” he said. “I still have some tricks up my sleeve. I left them about halfway through the day. I didn’t want to be greedy. This place is tough and small, I didn’t want to catch fish I would need tomorrow. I played a little defense.”

Conditions changed around McKinney several times throughout the day. When the lake got choppy, he saw the bite improve. Thunderstorms moved through late morning, which shut down his bite for a while. Only one other angler shared water with McKinney on Day 1.

“Overall, I had a lot of stuff to myself,” he explained. “A lot of people probably fished it, but not at the same time as I did. A lot of stuff I’m fishing isn’t getting as pressured as I thought.”

On Day 2, McKinney plans on leaning on his areas a little bit harder than he did on the first day. As the tournament progresses, he believes the more consistent option will be the offshore bite, but the shallows may produce the bigger bites.

Opelika, Ala., pro Kyle Welcher landed a 4-10 on Day 1, claiming Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day honors.

The full field of anglers will launch from Chicken Creek Boat Ramp beginning at 6:30 a.m. CT and will return for weigh-in at 2:30 p.m. The Top 50 anglers after Day 2 will advance to Saturday in hopes of cracking the Top 10 and qualifying for Sunday's final round. Day 3 and 4 weigh-ins will be held at Cherokee Casino in Tahlequah.

Day 1 Standings

1. Andrew Loberg -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 17-09 -- 104
Day 1: 5, 17-09

2. Trey McKinney -- Carbondale, IL -- 5, 17-01 -- 103
Day 1: 5, 17-01

3. Bob Downey -- Detroit Lakes, MN -- 5, 16-02 -- 102
Day 1: 5, 16-02

4. Pat Schlapper -- Eleva, WI -- 5, 16-01 -- 101
Day 1: 5, 16-01

5. Jordan Lee -- Cullman, AL -- 5, 16-01 -- 100
Day 1: 5, 16-01

6. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 5, 15-15 -- 99
Day 1: 5, 15-15

6. Chris Johnston -- Otonabee, ON -- 5, 15-15 -- 99
Day 1: 5, 15-15

6. Cory Johnston -- Otonabee, ON -- 5, 15-15 -- 99
Day 1: 5, 15-15

6. Kyle Welcher -- Valley, AL -- 5, 15-15 -- 99 -- $1,000.00
Day 1: 5, 15-15

10. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 5, 15-02 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 15-02

11. Wes Logan -- Springville, AL -- 5, 14-12 -- 94
Day 1: 5, 14-12

12. Carl Jocumsen -- Queensland, AUS -- 5, 14-11 -- 93
Day 1: 5, 14-11

13. Blake Capps -- Muskogee, OK -- 5, 14-10 -- 92
Day 1: 5, 14-10

13. Brandon Card -- Salisbury, NC -- 5, 14-10 -- 92
Day 1: 5, 14-10

15. Caleb Kuphall -- Mukwonago, WI -- 5, 14-09 -- 90
Day 1: 5, 14-09

15. Shane LeHew -- Catawba, NC -- 5, 14-09 -- 90
Day 1: 5, 14-09

15. Jay Przekurat -- Plover, WI -- 5, 14-09 -- 90
Day 1: 5, 14-09

18. Hank Cherry Jr -- Lincolnton, NC -- 5, 14-07 -- 87
Day 1: 5, 14-07

18. Cody Huff -- Ava, MO -- 5, 14-07 -- 87
Day 1: 5, 14-07

20. Tyler Rivet -- Raceland, LA -- 5, 14-06 -- 85
Day 1: 5, 14-06

21. Randy Howell -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 14-05 -- 84
Day 1: 5, 14-05

21. Cody Meyer -- Eagle, ID -- 5, 14-05 -- 84
Day 1: 5, 14-05

21. Kyle Patrick -- Cooperstown, NY -- 5, 14-05 -- 84
Day 1: 5, 14-05

24. Tyler Williams -- Belgrade, ME -- 5, 14-04 -- 81
Day 1: 5, 14-04

25. Cole Sands -- Johnson City, TN -- 5, 14-02 -- 80
Day 1: 5, 14-02

26. Gregory DiPalma -- Millville, NJ -- 5, 14-01 -- 79
Day 1: 5, 14-01

26. Cooper Gallant -- Bowmanville, ON -- 5, 14-01 -- 79
Day 1: 5, 14-01

28. Patrick Walters -- Eutawville, SC -- 5, 13-15 -- 77
Day 1: 5, 13-15

29. Logan Parks -- Auburn, AL -- 5, 13-14 -- 76
Day 1: 5, 13-14

30. Austin Felix -- Eden Prairie, MN -- 5, 13-12 -- 75
Day 1: 5, 13-12

31. Matt Arey -- Shelby, NC -- 5, 13-10 -- 74
Day 1: 5, 13-10

31. Scott Canterbury -- Odenville, AL -- 5, 13-10 -- 74
Day 1: 5, 13-10

31. Jeff Gustafson -- Kenora, ON -- 5, 13-10 -- 74
Day 1: 5, 13-10

34. Timothy Dube -- Nashua , NH -- 5, 13-09 -- 71
Day 1: 5, 13-09

34. Luke Palmer -- Coalgate, OK -- 5, 13-09 -- 71
Day 1: 5, 13-09

36. Evan Kung -- Pickering, ON -- 5, 13-01 -- 69
Day 1: 5, 13-01

37. Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 5, 12-14 -- 68
Day 1: 5, 12-14

37. Paul Marks -- Cumming, GA -- 5, 12-14 -- 68
Day 1: 5, 12-14

37. Emil Wagner -- Marietta, GA -- 5, 12-14 -- 68
Day 1: 5, 12-14

40. Justin Atkins -- Florence, AL -- 5, 12-10 -- 65
Day 1: 5, 12-10

40. Brock Mosley -- Collinsville, MS -- 5, 12-10 -- 65
Day 1: 5, 12-10

42. Brandon Cobb -- Greenwood, SC -- 5, 12-09 -- 63
Day 1: 5, 12-09

42. Kyoya Fujita -- Yamanashi, JAPAN -- 5, 12-09 -- 63
Day 1: 5, 12-09

42. Matt Robertson -- Kuttawa, KY -- 5, 12-09 -- 63
Day 1: 5, 12-09

42. Bryant Smith -- Roseville, CA -- 5, 12-09 -- 63
Day 1: 5, 12-09

46. Chris Zaldain -- Boyd, TX -- 5, 12-09 -- 59
Day 1: 5, 12-09

47. Dakota Ebare -- Brookeland, TX -- 5, 12-08 -- 58
Day 1: 5, 12-08

47. Logan Latuso -- Gonzales, LA -- 5, 12-08 -- 58
Day 1: 5, 12-08

47. Paul Mueller -- Naugatuck, CT -- 5, 12-08 -- 58
Day 1: 5, 12-08

50. Taku Ito -- Dalton, GA -- 5, 12-07 -- 55
Day 1: 5, 12-07

50. David Mullins -- Mt Carmel, TN -- 5, 12-07 -- 55
Day 1: 5, 12-07

52. Jake Whitaker -- Hendersonville, NC -- 5, 12-07 -- 53
Day 1: 5, 12-07

53. Jamie Hartman -- Newport, NY -- 5, 12-05 -- 52
Day 1: 5, 12-05

54. Hunter Shryock -- Ooltewah, TN -- 5, 12-04 -- 51
Day 1: 5, 12-04

55. Will Davis Jr -- Sylacauga, AL -- 5, 12-02 -- 50
Day 1: 5, 12-02

55. Bryan New -- Leesville, SC -- 5, 12-02 -- 50
Day 1: 5, 12-02

57. JT Thompkins -- Myrtle Beach, SC -- 5, 12-01 -- 48
Day 1: 5, 12-01

58. Joey Cifuentes III -- Clinton, AR -- 5, 12-01 -- 47
Day 1: 5, 12-01

59. John Garrett -- Union City, TN -- 5, 12-00 -- 46
Day 1: 5, 12-00

60. Brandon Lester -- Fayetteville, TN -- 5, 11-15 -- 45
Day 1: 5, 11-15

61. Beau Browning -- Hot Springs, AR -- 5, 11-13 -- 44
Day 1: 5, 11-13

62. Ray Hanselman Jr -- Del Rio, TX -- 5, 11-11 -- 43
Day 1: 5, 11-11

63. Seth Feider -- Elko New Market, MN -- 5, 11-09 -- 42
Day 1: 5, 11-09

63. Marc Frazier -- Newnan, GA -- 5, 11-09 -- 42
Day 1: 5, 11-09

65. Jacob Foutz -- Charleston, TN -- 5, 11-08 -- 40
Day 1: 5, 11-08

65. Lee Livesay -- Longview, TX -- 5, 11-08 -- 40
Day 1: 5, 11-08

67. Justin Hamner -- Northport, AL -- 5, 11-06 -- 38
Day 1: 5, 11-06

67. Jonathan Kelley -- Old Forge, PA -- 5, 11-06 -- 38
Day 1: 5, 11-06

67. Tucker Smith -- Birmingham, AL -- 5, 11-06 -- 38
Day 1: 5, 11-06

70. Ed Loughran III -- Richmond, VA -- 5, 11-06 -- 35
Day 1: 5, 11-06

71. Kyle Norsetter -- Cottage Grove, WI -- 5, 11-05 -- 34
Day 1: 5, 11-05

72. Brad Whatley -- Bivins, TX -- 5, 11-04 -- 33
Day 1: 5, 11-04

73. Easton Fothergill -- Grand Rapids , MN -- 5, 11-01 -- 32
Day 1: 5, 11-01

73. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, AZ -- 5, 11-01 -- 32
Day 1: 5, 11-01

73. Caleb Sumrall -- New Iberia, LA -- 5, 11-01 -- 32
Day 1: 5, 11-01

76. Stetson Blaylock -- Benton, AR -- 5, 11-00 -- 29
Day 1: 5, 11-00

76. Robert Gee -- Knoxville, TN -- 5, 11-00 -- 29
Day 1: 5, 11-00

76. Gerald Swindle -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 11-00 -- 29
Day 1: 5, 11-00

79. David Gaston -- Sylacauga, AL -- 5, 10-14 -- 26
Day 1: 5, 10-14

79. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 5, 10-14 -- 26
Day 1: 5, 10-14

79. KJ Queen -- Catawba, NC -- 5, 10-14 -- 26
Day 1: 5, 10-14

82. Matty Wong -- Honolulu, HI -- 5, 10-13 -- 23
Day 1: 5, 10-13

83. Wesley Gore -- Clanton, AL -- 5, 10-10 -- 22
Day 1: 5, 10-10

83. Brandon Palaniuk -- Rathdrum, ID -- 5, 10-10 -- 22
Day 1: 5, 10-10

85. Drew Cook -- Cairo, GA -- 5, 10-08 -- 20
Day 1: 5, 10-08

85. Bryan Schmitt -- Deale, MD -- 5, 10-08 -- 20
Day 1: 5, 10-08

87. Jason Christie -- Dry Creek, OK -- 5, 10-07 -- 18
Day 1: 5, 10-07

88. Jason Williamson -- Aiken, SC -- 5, 10-06 -- 17
Day 1: 5, 10-06

89. Alex Redwine -- Blue Ash, OH -- 5, 10-03 -- 16
Day 1: 5, 10-03

90. John Cox -- Debary, FL -- 5, 10-02 -- 15
Day 1: 5, 10-02

90. Ben Milliken -- Omaha, NE -- 5, 10-02 -- 15
Day 1: 5, 10-02

92. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY -- 5, 09-15 -- 13
Day 1: 5, 09-15

93. Cliff Pace -- Ovett, MS -- 5, 09-13 -- 12
Day 1: 5, 09-13

94. Jacob Powroznik -- North Prince George, VA -- 5, 09-09 -- 11
Day 1: 5, 09-09

95. Kenta Kimura -- Osaka, JAPAN -- 5, 09-05 -- 10
Day 1: 5, 09-05

95. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- 5, 09-05 -- 10
Day 1: 5, 09-05

97. Alex Wetherell -- Middletown, CT -- 5, 09-03 -- 8
Day 1: 5, 09-03

98. John Crews Jr -- Salem, VA -- 5, 09-02 -- 7
Day 1: 5, 09-02

99. Buddy Gross -- Chattanooga, TN -- 5, 08-11 -- 6
Day 1: 5, 08-11

100. Drew Benton -- Panama City, FL -- 5, 08-10 -- 5
Day 1: 5, 08-10

101. Chad Pipkens -- Dewitt, MI -- 5, 08-09 -- 4
Day 1: 5, 08-09