WON Bass U.S. Open
Kerr Leads With 10.35

Photo: WON Bass John Kerr, who won the U.S. Open in 2003, said his fish need wind to eat.

Nevada's Tim Klinger is currently 2nd with 9.92 pounds, and California's Stan Vanderburg holds the 3rd-place position with 9.86 pounds. Arizona's Jamie Cyphers is 4th with 9.72 and California's Scott Mascadri rounds out the Top 5 with 9.69.

The field, as they say, is Mead-tight. Here's an example. Three-time U.S. Open winner Mike Folkestad is 49th with 7.41 pounds – only 3 pounds behind the leader.

Many blamed the weather – or rather, the lack of it – for the lower-than-expected weights. But a storm front is expected to move through tomorrow, which could put the better fish to eating.

Kerr Stuck with Plan

Kerr made a crucial decision today that helped him bring in the day's number-one weight. "The day went great," he said. "I just stuck with my plan and it paid off for me. I stayed with my fish and didn't scramble when it was tough. It was the right decision and I feel good about it."

His decision was to stay with an area he knew had fish. He just needed the right conditions to make them eat.

"These fish need wind to start feeding," he said. "The wind didn't start to blow until about 11:00 and that's when we got our first fish. Then the breeze started to kick up a bit more around 1:00 and we got five more really fast.

"I was blessed today with a great amateur partner," he added. "Rick Clausen is a good friend of mine and he was instrumental in helping with our initial limit. It gave me the confidence that we could get it done."

Asked how he feels about tomorrow, he said, "I don't know. It all depends on the weather. The fish are there and if I can get them to come out of the cover, I can get them. The more wind the better. Add cloud cover to that and it even gets better. This slick water is killing me. I'm looking forward to the change tomorrow."

Another thing in his favor is he fished alone today. "There were only a couple of boats that fished my water today and they didn't spend much time on it. It's just like it was in 2003. Hopefully the outcome will be the same."

Klinger Practiced 4 Hours

"The day went okay," 2nd-place Klinger said. "I only was able to practice for about 4 hours total due to a broken trailer axle and the fact that I just started a new job. I mainly practiced today. I bounced around a lot of water and just got on the right fish.

"I had an opportunity to really break it open though this afternoon, when I ran across a good 6-pounder with about 10 minutes left in the day," he added. "I already had about 10 pounds in the boat and I came across a group of 2- to 3-pounders. Then I saw the 6 and went after her. Every time I would cast towards her, one of the smaller fish would eat the bait and the big fish would try to get the bait out of their mouth. If I only had more time I could have caught her."

His main pattern includes sight-fish but he's also fishing deep. "I hope the weather cooperates for me tomorrow. Unlike most of the guys, I want clear skies and no wind. My main pattern is shallow and I need to be able to see in the water. Tomorrow I'll fish shallow in the morning, but we'll see what happens with this storm.

"All I can do is keep running-and-gunning and hopefully it'll pay off for me. I also hope that big fish is still there to be had."

Vanderburg Had a Hunch

"I had a hunch in prefish that the fish would be on this one bank," Vanderburg said. He's currently 3rd with 9.86 pounds. "I went there in prefish and caught three fish off it pretty fast and left. Today, that hunch paid off for me. I went in there first thing and had four fish really fast."

He's unsure about tomorrow though. "You never know about this pond," he said. "It's Mead for crying out loud. I haven't talked with anyone today that thought this was a good bite at all.

"With the change in weather tomorrow, the reaction guys should shine. I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see what I'll do. It all depends on the weather. I was lucky enough today to get some decent fish early. Hopefully I can keep it up for the next 2 days."

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 168 anglers, 80 limits, 6 zeroes.

> Jamie Cyphers, in 3rd, hopes the weather holds. "I'm on a solid pattern that's dependent on this weather," he said. "Not necessarily the calm weather, but the fact we're going into fall. The fish I'm on are definitely in transition and I'm using both reaction baits and plastics." He had his limit by 8:15 this morning.

> In typical Mead fashion, 1.34 pounds separates 1st from 10th place.

> Tracking tour pros: Brett Hite is 7th with 9.51 pounds. BASS Angler of the Year Aaron Martens is 12th with 9.01. Former U.S. Open Champion John Murray is 20th with 8.44. Brent Ehrler is 22nd with 8.35 pounds. Veteran Gary Klein is way back at the 151st spot with two fish for 2.28 pounds.

> Two-time U.S. Open winner Rick Clunn sits in the 51st spot with 7.34 pounds. One or two 3-pound fish, which swim here, can easily move anybody up from deep in the field.

Weather Report

> Tuesday: high/low - 93/78; wind - SW at 8 mph; skies - scattered thunderstorms

> Wednesday: high/low - 93/74: wind - W at 7 mph: skies - partly cloudy

Day 1 Standings

1. John Kerr -- Ramona CA -- 5, 10.35
2. Tim Klinger -- Boulder City NV -- 5, 9.92
3. Stan Vanderburg -- Chatsworth CA -- 5, 9.86
4. Jamie Cyphers -- Cedar City UT -- 5, 9.72
5. Scott Mascadri -- Sacramento CA -- 5, 9.69
6. Murph McBride -- Pioche NV -- 5, 9.53
7. Brett Hite -- Phoenix AZ -- 5, 9.51
8. Jon Strelic -- Alpine CA -- 5, 9.43
9. Tom Matsunaga -- Gardena CA -- 5, 9.40
10. Thanh Le -- El Cajon CA -- 5, 9.30
11. Gary Dobyns -- Yuba City CA -- 5, 9.20
12. Aaron Martens -- Leeds AL -- 5, 9.01
13. Dino Caporuscio -- Coto De Caza CA -- 5, 8.89
14. Shaun Bailey -- Agoura Hills CA -- 5, 8.85
15. Scott Nielsen -- Salt Lake City UT -- 5, 8.82
15. John Perkins-WC -- Whittier CA -- 4, 8.80
17. Keith Beever -- Laguna Niguel CA -- 5, 8.79
18. Al Robinson-WC -- Boulder City NV -- 5, 8.79
19. Kevin Caruso -- Glendale AZ -- 5, 8.58
19. Marvin Barellano -- Monterey Park CA -- 5, 8.44
21. John Murray -- Phoenix AZ -- 5, 8.44
22. Brent Ehrler -- Redlands CA -- 5, 8.35
23. Clifford Pirch -- Payson AZ -- 5, 8.22
24. Boris Antolos -- Torrance CA -- 5, 8.19
24. Craig McCoy-WC -- Lake Havasu City AZ -- 4, 8.18
26. Neil Campbell -- Fallbrook CA -- 5, 8.17
27. Tim Barrett -- Rancho Cucamonga CA -- 5, 8.14
28. Michael McLernon -- Oceanside CA -- 4, 8.10
29. Rick Reynolds, Sr. -- Riverside CA -- 4, 8.07
30. Clyde Evans -- Las Vegas NV -- 5, 8.01
30. Vince Gennaro -- Henderson NV -- 5, 8.01
32. Ted Roper -- Kingman AZ -- 5, 8.01
33. Mark Tyler -- Scottsdale AZ -- 5, 7.98
33. Ryan Krost -- Canyon Lake CA -- 5, 7.93
35. Tim S. Wells, Sr. -- Clovis CA -- 5, 7.90
36. Kevin Wiggins -- Las Vegas NV -- 5, 7.83
37. Dennis & Lavonne Kolender -- Henderson NV -- 5, 7.81
38. Tom Phillips -- Corona CA -- 5, 7.80
39. Rich Iannolo -- Menifee CA -- 3, 7.76
40. Dave Nollar -- Redlands CA -- 5, 7.76
41. Larry Cross -- Calimesa CA -- 5, 7.69
41. Jim Lyon -- Reno NV -- 5, 7.68
43. Joe Uribe, Jr. -- Lake Forest CA -- 5, 7.64
43. Mike Goodwin-WC -- Lake Havasu City AZ -- 5, 7.54
45. Bruce Hardy -- St. George UT -- 5, 7.53
46. Keith Neff -- Rancho Cucamonga CA -- 4, 7.52
46. Walter Kondracki, Jr. -- California City CA -- 5, 7.51
46. Frank Morrin-WC -- Lakeside CA -- 5, 7.47
49. Mike Folkestad -- Yorba Linda CA -- 5, 7.41
50. Rick Hillis -- Cave Creek AZ -- 4, 7.37
51. Rick Clunn -- Ava MO -- 5, 7.34
52. Rus Snyders -- San Mateo CA -- 5, 7.34
52. Gerry Scott -- Anthem AZ -- 5, 7.32
54. Seiji Kato -- Shiga JP -- 5, 7.29
54. Mike O'Shea -- Westlake Village CA -- 5, 7.26
56. Paul Hodges -- Glendale AZ -- 5, 7.24
57. Ed Cummings -- Tucson AZ -- 5, 7.04
58. John A. Cunningham -- Scottsdale AZ -- 4, 6.98
59. Marcus Clouse -- Henderson NV -- 5, 6.96
60. J.L. Pennington -- Las Vegas NV -- 5, 6.91
60. Don Payne -- Modesto CA -- 5, 6.87
60. John Parks -- Aztec NM -- 5, 6.82
63. Hironori Kitade -- Ishikawa pre JP -- 4, 6.74
63. Wayne Hinrichs-WC -- Novato CA -- 5, 6.70
65. Alan Zamora -- Las Vegas NV -- 4, 6.69
66. Don Allphin -- Provo UT -- 5, 6.68
66. Ben Andreas -- Las Vegas NV -- 5, 6.68
68. Steve Foutch -- Apache Junction AZ -- 5, 6.61
69. Gary Boyd -- Reseda CA -- 5, 6.59
69. Trent Doser -- Las Vegas NV -- 4, 6.56
69. Nick Welton -- Galt CA -- 5, 6.54
72. Dale Merry -- Phoenix AZ -- 4, 6.42
72. Ishama Monroe -- Hughson CA -- 5, 6.42
74. Gary Moore -- Anaheim CA -- 4, 6.42
75. Sean Stafford -- Fairfield CA -- 3, 6.39
76. Don Gage -- Brentwood CA -- 5, 6.33
77. Bill Bishop -- Lakeside AZ -- 5, 6.32
78. Tom Kilduff -- Dewey AZ -- 5, 6.27
79. Troy Lindhorst -- Glendale AZ -- 5, 6.19
80. Leo Carrillo -- Tucson AZ -- 5, 6.15
81. Tommy Puleo -- Henderson NV -- 5, 6.08
81. Ricky Shabazz -- Rialto CA -- 5, 6.05
83. Rob VanderKooi -- Mesa AZ -- 5, 6.05
83. Don Iovino -- Burbank CA -- 4, 6.04
85. Dick Watson -- Alta Loma CA -- 5, 6.03
85. Dale Wentz-WC -- Moreno Valley CA -- 5, 6.01
87. Vern Ridgway -- Mesa AZ -- 5, 5.93
88. Russ Barger -- Meridian ID -- 5, 5.90
88. Bob Ingersoll -- Rancho Cucamonga CA -- 4, 5.90
90. Shane Meisel -- Alta Loma CA -- 4, 5.88
90. Walter Apple-WC -- San Jose CA -- 5, 5.83
92. Jason Hackerd -- Upland CA -- 5, 5.82
93. Eric Parra-WC -- Sacramento CA -- 4, 5.78
94. Steve Lowe -- Norwalk CA -- 4, 5.76
95. Rusty Salewske -- Alpine CA -- 3, 5.76
95. Ken Mercurio -- Reno NV -- 5, 5.75
95. Gabe Bolivar -- Ramona CA -- 4, 5.73
98. Michael Rooke -- Lake Havasu City AZ -- 5, 5.68
98. John Mackey -- Boulder City NV -- 5, 5.66
98. Gregory Kiefer -- Paradise CA -- 4, 5.65
98. Glenn Dooley -- Whittier CA -- 5, 5.58
102. Scott Frazier -- El Cajon CA -- 4, 5.58
102. Richard Welch -- Santee CA -- 4, 5.58
104. Minoru Willie Waller-WC -- Temecula CA -- 5, 5.44
105. Mark Dotterer -- Scottsdale AZ -- 4, 5.43
105. Bob Simmons -- Long Beach CA -- 5, 5.39
107. Leon Knight -- Tehachapi CA -- 3, 5.27
108. Robert Ellis -- Henderson NV -- 4, 5.10
109. Ron Hammett -- Alpine CA -- 4, 5.04
109. Will Rakowitz-WC -- Mission Viejo CA -- 4, 5.00
109. Dennis Cleary -- Tuscon AZ -- 3, 4.99
112. Mike Bird -- Tonopah NV -- 4, 4.94
113. Jason Curnel -- Simi Valley CA -- 3, 4.90
114. Ray L. Brooks -- Highland CA -- 4, 4.82
115. Jim Opalecky -- Elk Grove CA -- 3, 4.82
115. Michael D. Sisco -- Henderson NV -- 4, 4.81
115. Bryan Grier -- Salinas CA -- 4, 4.75
115. Eric Brewer -- Nuevo CA -- 3, 4.66
115. Marc Knudsen -- Boulder City NV -- 3, 4.61
120. Derrick Patch-WC -- Alta Loma CA -- 4, 4.45
121. Bill Lanier -- Spring Valley CA -- 3, 4.42
122. Doug Riha -- Thousand Oaks CA -- 3, 4.39
123. Frank Boothe -- Albuquerque NM -- 3, 4.26
123. Robert Lee -- Angels Camp CA -- 4, 4.16
125. Mitch Southern -- San Bernardino CA -- 3, 4.00
126. Mike Reynolds -- Modesto CA -- 3, 3.93
127. Frank Boni -- El Centro CA -- 3, 3.90
128. Chet Elia -- Fresno CA -- 3, 3.78
129. Stephen Foster -- Pahrump NV -- 2, 3.78
130. John Morrow -- Yorba Linda CA -- 3, 3.78
131. Art Berry -- Hemet CA -- 3, 3.63
131. Chris Allen -- Lake Havasu AZ -- 3, 3.53
131. Bob Brown -- Logandale NV -- 3, 3.51
134. Dennis Saiki -- R. Santa Margarita CA -- 3, 3.43
135. Gary Robson -- Riverside CA -- 2, 3.42
135. Marco Rodriguez -- Nyssa OR -- 3, 3.40
137. Jonathan Demonet-WC -- Downey CA -- 3, 3.22
138. Lucky Brundle -- Salt Lake City UT -- 3, 3.20
139. Greg Garman -- Prescott Valley AZ -- 3, 3.17
139. Steve Molinari -- Waddell AZ -- 2, 3.11
141. Stephen Noy -- Ontario CA -- 3, 3.10
141. Harry Jioras -- Laverne CA -- 2, 3.09
143. Eddie Rodriguez -- Las Vegas NV -- 2, 2.83
143. Jeff Larson -- Reseda CA -- 2, 2.67
145. Ted Nguyen -- Long Beach CA -- 2, 2.57
146. Doug Chessmore -- Santa Barbara CA -- 2, 2.56
146. Ralph Lundberg-WC -- Henderson NV -- 2, 2.53
146. Manny Freire -- Spring Valley Lake CA -- 2, 2.50
149. Emil Orlando, Jr. -- Vista CA -- 2, 2.48
150. Todd Woods -- Murrieta CA -- 2, 2.42
150. Gary Klein -- Weatherford TX -- 2, 2.28
152. David Collins -- Las Vegas NV -- 2, 2.26
153. Keith Ferlanie -- Henderson NV -- 2, 2.26
154. Greg Pishkur -- Flagstaff AZ -- 2, 2.07
155. Roy Hawk -- Salt Lake City UT -- 1, 1.97
156. Ed Arledge -- San Diego CA -- 1, 1.78
156. John Silberbauer -- Modesto CA -- 1, 1.34
158. Justin Kerr -- Simi Valley CA -- 1, 1.29
159. John Valerio -- Palmdale CA -- 1, 1.28
159. Matt Shura -- Gilbert AZ -- 1, 1.24
159. Stan Gerzsenyi -- Yantis TX -- 1, 1.20
162. Michael Crowther -- La Jara CO -- 0, 0.00
163. Kyle Grover -- R. Santa Margarita CA -- 0, 0.00
164. Donald Kleifgen -- Lakeside AZ -- 0, 0.00
164. Mark Schroeder-WC -- Red Bluff CA -- 0, 0.00
166. Jack Snyder -- Las Vegas NV -- 0, 0.00
167. Rich Tauber -- Camarillo CA -- 0, 0.00