By BassFan Staff

When referring to the first two tournaments on the Bassmaster Elite Series schedule, the word “survival” was frequently bandied about by competitors hoping to weather, or in some cases conquer, the uncertainties that accompanied the tidal fisheries – the St. Johns River in Florida and Winyah Bay in South Carolina – that kicked off the season.

It seems that mindset continues to permeate the field this week as competitors got their first taste of a format they hadn’t experienced before. With two lakes – Norfork and Bull Shoals – sharing the stage in northern Arkansas, today was all about getting some solid footing at Norfork to start the event before the scene shifts to Bull Shoals for the next 2 days.

The format of this week’s event allowed anglers to do something on day 1 they rarely do in Elite Series events – put the hammer down on areas where fish were biting. With the next 2 days set for Bull Shoals, fish management was mostly an afterthought on the opening day of this unique event. Some are approaching this tournament as four 1-day derbies in one.

Matt Herren, who went 1-for-2 on cashing checks to open the season, set the pace at Norfork with a 17-pound stringer that included a 6-01 kicker that held up as the big fish on day 1.

“The biggest thing was making sure I caught fish on day 1 and survived,” Herren said. “A limit of 15-inchers goes a long way because they’re solid fish that’ll weigh almost 12 pounds. The difference is that kicker bite, and I got it today.”

The veteran pro from Alabama has a 4-ounce advantage over Kentuckian Mark Menendez, who bagged 16-12. Chris Zaldain continued his solid start with a 16-04 stringer that has him in 3rd.

Keith Poche, who’s looking to bounce back after two bombs to start the year, caught 15-13, good enough for 4th, while Randall Tharp sacked 15-08 to round out the Top 5.

Here's a look at the Top 12 after day 1 of competition, with the deficit margin from Herren indicated by red numbers in parentheses:

1. Matt Herren: 17-00
2. Mark Menendez: 16-12 (00-04)
3. Chris Zaldain: 16-02 (00-14)
4. Keith Poche: 15-13 (1-03)
5. Randall Tharp: 15-08 (1-08)
6. David Mullins: 14-14 (2-02)
7. Greg Hackney: 14-12 (2-04)
8. Adrian Avena: 14-00 (3-00)
9. Andy Montgomery: 13-13 (3-03)
10. Steve Kennedy: 13-12 (3-04)
11. Bill Lowen: 13-10 (3-06)
12. David Walker: 13-07 (3-09)

While more than half of the field (69 anglers) capitalized on Norfork’s ample population of 2-pound-class fish with limits weighing 10 pounds or more, the lake wasn’t kind to everybody.

Brent Chapman, who led the Angler of the Year points entering the week, weighed three fish for 6-09 and is in 97th place. Reigning Bassmaster Classic champion Edwin Evers is mired in 102nd after a three-fish day netted him 5-04. He’s two ounces behind seven-time Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam, who’s 101st after he also weighed in three fish. Britt Myers, coming off his first career win 2 weeks ago, had two for 4-05 and is 105th.

A fog delay of nearly 2 hours preceded today’s competition, marking the second straight event that featured a weather delay on day 1. Once the anglers were turned loose, they encountered flat calm and sunny conditions, which made the fishing generally tougher. Once the wind kicked up later in the morning, the bite improved dramatically.

The next 2 days are due to be clear and sunny with light winds, which may be music to the ears of some. Bull Shoals is expected to produce better weights across the board as virtually every pocket is littered with bass prepping to begin their spawning rituals. The lake is twice the size of Norfork and generally harbors better average-quality bass and with plenty of sunshine in the forecast for the next 2 days, targeting those fish that have moved shallow to spawn will be a feasible option.

The hang up to that strategy, however, is the fish tend to be extremely spooky when they encounter a bait being pulled around their nest. Several anglers shared their frustration about not being able to entice fish to bite today. Jason Christie, who won at Bull Shoals in 2013, admitted to spending several hours trying to trigger one particular fish to bite and when it didn’t, he joked that if he didn’t qualify for the final day, he’d come back Monday and try again to catch it.

The Top 51 anglers after tomorrow’s weigh-in will compete Saturday at Bull Shoals before the field is narrowed to the Top 12 for Sunday, when the scene shifts back to Norfork.

Herren Capitalized on Big Bite

> Day 1: 5, 17-00

“My God, I think I stuck Moby Dick.”

Those were the exact words uttered by Matt Herren after he connected with the fish that proved to be the anchor in the bag that has him atop the leaderboard.

“I got lucky and caught a 6-01,” is how he summarized it later. “I was sitting there late in the day and I had caught several 2 3/4-pounders, but they were not doing me any good. I decided to move because I needed a quality bite. I stopped doing what I’d been doing and changed up. I just got fortunate. I’d love to sugarcoat it, but I just got the right bite. It was like winning the lottery.”

Herren said he’s fishing around several other anglers who are in the Top 10 – “It’s just an area that had good fish in it,” he added. “It’s an area, but there’s a pattern for the quality bites.”

He’s not sure what to expect should he qualify to return for Sunday’s final round.

“Everything in this part of the world is really changing right now,” he said.

He said he drew on his experience fishing several FLW Tour events at nearby Beaver Lake while preparing for this week and during today’s fog delay.

“That was one thing that helped me today – my experience fishing Beaver for so many years and my experience on these Ozark lakes,” he said. “It always seemed like we’d get fog delays. I just made adjustments.”



B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito
Photo: B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito

Mark Menendez catches a Norfork Lake bass off some wood Thursday.

2nd: Quantity and Quality for Menendez

> Day 1: 5, 16-12

While some anglers talked about the need to swap out a lot of baits and tackle for the Bull Shoals portion of the event, Menendez isn’t making wholesale changes.

“I’m still fishing with the same line I had on in South Carolina,” he quipped.

Today, he totaled 15 keepers, three of which were 3 pounds or better.

“It went really well,” he said. “Yesterday, I got clued into the area after I caught a 4 1/2-pounder in there. I had a lot of bites in the area. I had three patterns going on. One I could catch a limit on that was pretty simple, but they wouldn’t weight much. I had another way to catch good ones, but it’s a pain in the butt and it hurts my elbows (Menendez suffers from tendonitis in both elbows).”

Two of his better fish came on a jig with another coming on a spinnerbait thrown to some isolated brush late in the day.

“I’m doing this as four different 1-day tournaments,” he said. “The process was first about making a check and get as much of a cushion as I could off this lake. Tomorrow, I need 7 or 8 pounds and I’ll get a check. If I can hammer 17 to 20 and do that twice and come back here and catch 12 pounds, I could go home with a blue trophy.”

3rd: Zaldain’s Confidence Swelled Throughout Day

> Day 1: 5, 16-02

While most of his competitors are convinced Bull Shoals will yield bigger stringers, Zaldain is excited about the possibility of coming back to Norfork because of what he saw today.

“From what I’d heard, Norfork had the bigger fish,” he said. “I believe it because from what I saw today, I had a look at 20-plus pounds. The caliber of fish I saw and the type of fishing reminds me of Clear Lake back near where I grew up.”

He said he fished water today that he hadn’t fished in practice – he did start on a spot that he closed out practice on – and was able to establish a reliable pattern that held up over a 5-mile stretch.

“I’m throwing something I have a lot of confidence in,” he said. “I caught 20 keepers on it. It’s a technique that works great for big fish in the spring.”

B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito
Photo: B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito

Chris Zaldain feels like he's dialed in on how to catch bigger fish at Norfork after today.

He declined to reveal much about the tactic or bait just yet, but he’s hoping the next 2 days are just as productive because that’ll give him another shot at Norfork.

“It was slick, calm and sunny and I hope to make it to Sunday so I can pick up where I left off,” he added. “The biggest thing is having confidence in the bait and technique needed to get these bigger fish going.

“I feel good about Bull Shoals, but after practice, I wasso stoked to get out on Bull Shoals I just wanted to survive Norfork. Now, the tables are turned – I can’t wait to get back out there.”

4th: Poche’s Adjustment Pays Off

> Day 1: 5, 15-13

Poche’s game plan at Bull Shoals won’t be all that different from the one he employed at Norfork – stay shallow and target fish around spawning areas.

“I’m kind of nervous about it going to a different lake,” he said. “If I can catch 8 or 9 pounds, that should get me a check, but who knows. They could whack ‘em and everyone catches 12 or 13 pounds. I feel pretty good about it and feel like I can go out and get bit. I feel confident I can catch 15- to 16-inchers. I just need to keep my fingers crossed on those bigger fish.”

After the delay today, he ran through some areas that produced bites in practice, but the result was only two small keepers.

“I wasn’t getting bit; things weren’t happening,” he said. “The first 2 days of practice at Norfork, it was cloudy and windy and the fish bit good. Today was calm and the sun popped out and it got tough. I got to thinking that it was 10:30 a.m. and I had two fish. I figured I’d be culling by then. I made an adjustment and went to a deal I’d seen in practice but didn’t fish. I went there and the fish were gone. The water had dropped – they had been super shallow – but I turned around and looked behind me and they were there.

“I wish I’d started on it earlier because I felt like I could’ve put a hurting on them. I caught a few after I started to do what I needed to do. It was just my day. I’m just thankful it worked out the way it did.”

5th: Tharp Caught 50

> Day 1: 5, 15-08

The key to Tharp’s day at Norfork was actually something he figured out in practice at Bull Shoals. While he didn’t reveal what he was keying on, he thinks it’ll produce just the same back at Bull Shoals on Friday.

B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito
Photo: B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito

Keith Poche is looking to clinch his first paycheck of the season tomorrow.

“I’m excited because I think the fish are bigger over there,” he said. “I won’t catch the numbers, but when I got a bite there, it was better quality.”

He estimated his catch totals to be around 50 total fish and 30 keepers for the day.

“I had no idea how many I would catch today,” he said. “I just rode around and found places. I fished two stretches all day. The coolest thing about this format is once I caught 12 or 13 pounds I would’ve pulled off, but I hammered on them all day. I’ve never culled as much as I did today.”

He made several upgrades after 2 p.m. when he encountered a flurry of bites that saw him replace all of his 2 3/4-pound fish with 3-pounders.

“It was fun just jacking on them,” he added.

103rd: Frustrating Day for Grigsby

> Day 1: 2, 5-04

This wasn’t how Chad Grigsby envisioned today going. He’d marked a few dozen bedding fish on Norfork in practice and was all in on targeting those to start the event.

After the fog delay, he finally had a chance to revisit those areas and found that the majority of them were gone.

“I had 40 waypoints with bedding fish and good ones, too,” he said. “I caught two of them. I lost two others. It was such a frustrating day. A lot of them were gone and a lot of them when you’d throw at the bed they’d dart off. You’d wait and wait and they’d come back and then they’d dart off again.”

He said when the wind picked up late in the morning it made his job harder.

“Most of these fish were in main lake pockets, not back in the creeks,” he said. “It’s hard enough to catch them anyway under calm conditions, but if there’s ripples on the water and I can’t see what they’re doing it’s impossible. It was just extremely frustrating.”

He plans to stick with the same approach at Bull Shoals, where he’ll need a massive rally to make a run at the Top 50.

“Bull Shoals was better for me as far as finding fish,” he said. “When you’d turn and cast on them they’ll bite.”

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 108 anglers, 88 limits, 8 fours, 6 threes, 4 twos, 2 ones.

Weather Forecast

> Fri., April 22 – Sunny - 76°/51°
- Wind: From the NW at 5 to 10 mph

> Sat., April 23 – Sunny - 81°/56°
- Wind: From the S at 5 to 10 mph

> Sun., April 24 – Sunny - 84°/57°
- Wind: From the S at 5 to 10 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. Matt Herren -- Ashville, AL -- 5, 17-00 -- 110
Day 1: 5, 17-00

2. Mark Menendez -- Paducah, KY -- 5, 16-12 -- 109
Day 1: 5, 16-12

3. Chris Zaldain -- Laughlin, NV -- 5, 16-02 -- 108
Day 1: 5, 16-02

4. Keith Poche -- Pike Road, AL -- 5, 15-13 -- 107
Day 1: 5, 15-13

5. Randall Tharp -- Port St. Joe, FL -- 5, 15-08 -- 106
Day 1: 5, 15-08

6. David Mullins -- Mt Carmel, TN -- 5, 14-14 -- 105
Day 1: 5, 14-14

7. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, LA -- 5, 14-12 -- 104
Day 1: 5, 14-12

8. Adrian Avena -- Vineland, NJ -- 5, 14-00 -- 103
Day 1: 5, 14-00

9. Andy Montgomery -- Blacksburg, SC -- 5, 13-13 -- 102
Day 1: 5, 13-13

10. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 5, 13-12 -- 101
Day 1: 5, 13-12

11. Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 5, 13-10 -- 100
Day 1: 5, 13-10

12. David Walker -- Sevierville, TN -- 5, 13-07 -- 99
Day 1: 5, 13-07

13. Dean Rojas -- Lake Havasu City, AZ -- 5, 13-05 -- 98
Day 1: 5, 13-05

14. Skeet Reese -- Auburn, CA -- 5, 13-04 -- 97
Day 1: 5, 13-04

15. Clent Davis -- Montevallo, AL -- 5, 12-14 -- 96
Day 1: 5, 12-14

16. Drew Benton -- Panama City, FL -- 5, 12-13 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 12-13

16. Takahiro Omori -- Emory, TX -- 5, 12-13 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 12-13

18. Randy Howell -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 12-10 -- 93
Day 1: 5, 12-10

18. Gerald Swindle -- Warrior, AL -- 5, 12-10 -- 93
Day 1: 5, 12-10

20. Jacob Powroznik -- Port Haywood, VA -- 5, 12-09 -- 91
Day 1: 5, 12-09

21. Koby Kreiger -- Bokeelia, FL -- 5, 12-08 -- 90
Day 1: 5, 12-08

22. Fred Roumbanis -- Bixby, OK -- 5, 12-07 -- 89
Day 1: 5, 12-07

23. Brian Snowden -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 5, 12-06 -- 88
Day 1: 5, 12-06

24. Mark Davis -- Mount Ida, AR -- 5, 12-02 -- 87
Day 1: 5, 12-02

25. Alton Jones -- Lorena, TX -- 5, 12-00 -- 86
Day 1: 5, 12-00

26. Brent Ehrler -- Newport Beach, CA -- 5, 11-15 -- 85
Day 1: 5, 11-15

26. Davy Hite -- Ninety Six, SC -- 5, 11-15 -- 85
Day 1: 5, 11-15

26. Dave Lefebre -- Erie, PA -- 5, 11-15 -- 85
Day 1: 5, 11-15

26. Ish Monroe -- Hughson, CA -- 5, 11-15 -- 85
Day 1: 5, 11-15

26. J Todd Tucker -- Moultrie, GA -- 5, 11-15 -- 85
Day 1: 5, 11-15

31. Justin Lucas -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 11-13 -- 80
Day 1: 5, 11-13

31. Casey Scanlon -- Rocky Mount, MO -- 5, 11-13 -- 80
Day 1: 5, 11-13

33. Cliff Crochet -- Pierre Part, LA -- 5, 11-12 -- 78
Day 1: 5, 11-12

33. James Elam -- Tulsa, OK -- 5, 11-12 -- 78
Day 1: 5, 11-12

33. Brandon Palaniuk -- Rathdrum, ID -- 5, 11-12 -- 78
Day 1: 5, 11-12

36. Fletcher Shryock -- New Philadelphia, OH -- 5, 11-11 -- 75
Day 1: 5, 11-11

37. Hank Cherry Jr -- Maiden, NC -- 5, 11-10 -- 74
Day 1: 5, 11-10

38. Carl Jocumsen -- Queensland TX AUSTRALIA -- 5, 11-09 -- 73
Day 1: 5, 11-09

38. Matt Lee -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 11-09 -- 73
Day 1: 5, 11-09

40. Ott DeFoe -- Knoxville, TN -- 5, 11-08 -- 71
Day 1: 5, 11-08

41. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL -- 5, 11-06 -- 70
Day 1: 5, 11-06

41. Jeff Kriet -- Ardmore, OK -- 5, 11-06 -- 70
Day 1: 5, 11-06

43. Jason Christie -- Park Hill, OK -- 5, 11-05 -- 68
Day 1: 5, 11-05

43. Kelly Jordon -- Flint, TX -- 5, 11-05 -- 68
Day 1: 5, 11-05

43. Yusuke Miyazaki -- Forney, TX -- 5, 11-05 -- 68
Day 1: 5, 11-05

43. Chad Morgenthaler -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 5, 11-05 -- 68
Day 1: 5, 11-05

47. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 5, 11-05 -- 64
Day 1: 5, 11-05

48. Jason Williamson -- Wagener, SC -- 5, 11-04 -- 63
Day 1: 5, 11-04

49. Mike McClelland -- Bella Vista, AR -- 5, 11-01 -- 62
Day 1: 5, 11-01

49. Paul Mueller -- Naugatuck, CT -- 5, 11-01 -- 62
Day 1: 5, 11-01

49. Bernie Schultz -- Gainesville, FL -- 5, 11-01 -- 62
Day 1: 5, 11-01

52. Russ Lane -- Prattville, AL -- 5, 11-00 -- 59
Day 1: 5, 11-00

53. Tim Horton -- Muscle Shoals, AL -- 5, 10-13 -- 58
Day 1: 5, 10-13

54. Scott Rook -- Little Rock, AR -- 5, 10-12 -- 57
Day 1: 5, 10-12

54. Bradley Roy -- Lancaster, KY -- 5, 10-12 -- 57
Day 1: 5, 10-12

54. Morizo Shimizu -- Suita, Osaka JAPAN -- 5, 10-12 -- 57
Day 1: 5, 10-12

57. Rick Clunn -- Ava, MO -- 5, 10-11 -- 54
Day 1: 5, 10-11

58. Casey Ashley -- Donalds, SC -- 5, 10-09 -- 53
Day 1: 5, 10-09

58. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, AZ -- 5, 10-09 -- 53
Day 1: 5, 10-09

60. John Crews Jr -- Salem, VA -- 5, 10-08 -- 51
Day 1: 5, 10-08

60. Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, FL -- 5, 10-08 -- 51
Day 1: 5, 10-08

62. Gary Klein -- Weatherford, TX -- 5, 10-07 -- 49
Day 1: 5, 10-07

62. Jordan Lee -- Grant, AL -- 5, 10-07 -- 49
Day 1: 5, 10-07

64. Micah Frazier -- Newnan, GA -- 5, 10-06 -- 47
Day 1: 5, 10-06

65. Josh Bertrand -- Gilbert, AZ -- 5, 10-05 -- 46
Day 1: 5, 10-05

65. Cliff Prince -- Palatka, FL -- 5, 10-05 -- 46
Day 1: 5, 10-05

67. Brett Preuett -- Monroe, LA -- 5, 10-04 -- 44
Day 1: 5, 10-04

68. Todd Faircloth -- Jasper, TX -- 5, 10-03 -- 43
Day 1: 5, 10-03

69. Boyd Duckett -- Guntersville, AL -- 5, 10-02 -- 42
Day 1: 5, 10-02

70. Jared Lintner -- Arroyo Grande, CA -- 5, 09-15 -- 41
Day 1: 5, 09-15

70. Cliff Pace -- Petal, MS -- 5, 09-15 -- 41
Day 1: 5, 09-15

72. Brandon Coulter -- Knoxville, TN -- 5, 09-14 -- 39
Day 1: 5, 09-14

72. Michael Iaconelli -- Pitts Grove, NJ -- 5, 09-14 -- 39
Day 1: 5, 09-14

74. Kotaro Kiriyama -- Moody, AL -- 5, 09-13 -- 37
Day 1: 5, 09-13

74. Jonathon VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 5, 09-13 -- 37
Day 1: 5, 09-13

76. Brandon Card -- Caryville, TN -- 5, 09-12 -- 35
Day 1: 5, 09-12

77. Greg Vinson -- Wetumpka, AL -- 5, 09-11 -- 34
Day 1: 5, 09-11

78. Aaron Martens -- Leeds, AL -- 5, 09-10 -- 33
Day 1: 5, 09-10

79. Brandon Lester -- Fayetteville, TN -- 5, 09-09 -- 32
Day 1: 5, 09-09

80. John Murray -- Spring City, TN -- 5, 09-06 -- 31
Day 1: 5, 09-06

81. Paul Elias -- Laurel, MS -- 5, 09-00 -- 30
Day 1: 5, 09-00

82. Brock Mosley -- Collinsville, MS -- 5, 08-15 -- 29
Day 1: 5, 08-15

83. Kelley Jaye -- Dadeville, AL -- 5, 08-13 -- 28
Day 1: 5, 08-13

84. John Hunter Jr -- Shelbyville, KY -- 5, 08-13 -- 27
Day 1: 5, 08-13

85. Jay Brainard -- Enid, OK -- 5, 08-11 -- 26
Day 1: 5, 08-11

86. Billy McCaghren Jr -- Mayflower, AR -- 4, 08-08 -- 25
Day 1: 4, 08-08

87. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL -- 5, 08-02 -- 24
Day 1: 5, 08-02

88. Chris Lane -- Guntersville, AL -- 4, 08-02 -- 23
Day 1: 4, 08-02

89. Tommy Biffle -- Wagoner, OK -- 4, 08-00 -- 22
Day 1: 4, 08-00

90. Seth Feider -- Bloomington, MN -- 4, 07-15 -- 21
Day 1: 4, 07-15

91. Shane Lineberger -- Lincolnton, NC -- 5, 07-05 -- 20
Day 1: 5, 07-05

92. Luke Clausen -- Otis Orchards, WA -- 4, 07-03 -- 19
Day 1: 4, 07-03

93. Dennis Tietje -- Roanoke, LA -- 5, 07-00 -- 18
Day 1: 5, 07-00

94. Randy Allen -- Shreveport, LA -- 4, 07-00 -- 17
Day 1: 4, 07-00

95. Brett Hite -- Phoenix, AZ -- 3, 06-12 -- 16
Day 1: 3, 06-12

96. Marty Robinson -- Lyman, SC -- 4, 06-11 -- 15
Day 1: 4, 06-11

97. Brent Chapman -- Lake Quivira, KS -- 3, 06-09 -- 14
Day 1: 3, 06-09

98. David Williams -- Newton, NC -- 4, 06-04 -- 13
Day 1: 4, 06-04

99. James Niggemeyer -- Van, TX -- 3, 06-04 -- 12
Day 1: 3, 06-04

100. Fabian Rodriguez -- Ocean City, DE -- 3, 06-01 -- 11
Day 1: 3, 06-01

101. Kevin VanDam -- Kalamazoo, MI -- 3, 05-06 -- 10
Day 1: 3, 05-06

102. Edwin Evers -- Talala, OK -- 3, 05-04 -- 9
Day 1: 3, 05-04

103. Chad Grigsby -- Maple Grove, MN -- 2, 05-04 -- 8
Day 1: 2, 05-04

104. Stephen Browning -- Hot Springs, AR -- 2, 04-15 -- 7
Day 1: 2, 04-15

105. Britt Myers -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 2, 04-05 -- 6
Day 1: 2, 04-05

106. Ken Iyobe -- Tokoname -- Aichi JAPAN -- 2, 03-15 -- 5
Day 1: 2, 03-15

107. Chad Pipkens -- Lansing, MI -- 1, 02-04 -- 4
Day 1: 1, 02-04

108. Matt Reed -- Madisonville, TX -- 1, 01-15 -- 3
Day 1: 1, 01-15