CLEWISTON, Fla. (Jan. 25, 2018) – Maryland Pro Bryan Schmitt surprised even himself on Thursday. The six-year FLW Tour veteran caught a five-bass limit weighing 24 pounds, 11 ounces, to take the lead on opening day of the 2018 season at the FLW Tour at Lake Okeechobee. The tournament features a field of 376 bass-fishing professionals and co-anglers casting for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the pro division and up to $25,000 cash in the co-angler division.
The weather conditions in central Florida were good Thursday despite a brisk north wind that prompted Tournament Director Bill Taylor to advise anglers to use the protected canals and rim ditches instead of trying to make a run across the middle of the lake. The main challenge for tournament anglers was finding clear water.
“This was not expected,” said Schmitt, a two-time Forrest Wood Cup qualifier who has 10 wins in FLW competition – all on rivers and tidal fisheries. “The final afternoon of practice I found one spot where I got a ton of little bites. I decided to go there today and I guess that they have grown up a little bit.”
Schmitt caught all of his bass – including a pair of 6-pound, 13-ounce largemouth – from his one spot, throwing just one bait.
“I hammered it, all day,” he said. “An hour and a half in, I changed the bait and started throwing something that I hadn’t thrown, but it’s a bait that I have a lot of confidence in. It was like a lightbulb went off and every one of my fish came on that bait.
“I really hope it doesn’t get dirty,” Schmitt continued. “Towards the end of the day the wind was starting to put mud in there and if it (wind) changes a hair, it’s done. The problem is that my only other place where I caught any fish in practice is so far away that I don’t know if I’ll have enough fuel to make it there. That’s a big problem.”
Schmitt credited his “lucky” co-angler Darlene Ferguson of Tehachapi, California, as another factor that contributed to his success.
“She caught two fish and she’s really good luck,” he went on to say. “She has a reputation among some of the pros as being really good luck to have in the boat with you.”
The top 10 pros after day one on Lake Okeechobee are:
1st: Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., five bass, 24-11
2nd: General Tire pro Mark Rose, West Memphis, Ark., five bass, 24-0
3rd: Christopher Brasher, Longview, Texas, five bass, 22-0
4th: Britt Myers, Clover, S.C., five bass, 21-8
5th: Tyler Stewart, West Monroe, La., five bass, 21-2
6th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., five bass, 21-0
7th: Power-Pole pro Cory Johnston, Cavan, Ontario, Canada, five bass, 20-11
8th: Brandon Mosley, Choctaw, Okla., five bass, 20-9
9th: Cameron Gautney, Muscle Shoals, Ala., five bass, 20-5
10th: Bradley Dortch, Atmore, Ala., five bass, 19-9
Johnston earned the day's $500 Simms Big Bass award in the pro division thanks to an 8-pound, 4-ounce largemouth.
Overall there were 883 bass weighing 2,128 pounds, 8 ounces caught by 186 pros Thursday. The catch included 165 five-bass limits.
Pro competitors Andy Young of Mound, Minnesota, and William Campbell of Middlesboro, Kentucky, were involved in a boat collision on Lake Okeechobee Thursday afternoon. The collision happened while both anglers were running the lake and met at an intersection, with Campbell’s boat striking the port (left) side of Young’s boat. Young and his co-angler were ejected, but were able to return to their boat after Young’s mandatory ignition shutoff device disengaged the engine. Both boats were able to return to the launch site at the Clewiston Boat Basin and the accident is under investigation by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. Young decided to seek medical attention upon his return to the ramp. Young’s catch was weighed and he finished the day with five bass weighing 10 pounds even, good for 117th place, while Campbell was late in his return to check-in and did not weigh in.
Dustin Roberts of Dardanelle, Arkansas, leads the co-angler division with five bass weighing 23 pounds, 13 ounces, followed by Shawn Wildt of Bullard, Texas, who weighed five bass totaling 19-10, good for second place.
The top 10 co-anglers after day one on Lake Okeechobee are:
1st: Dustin Roberts, Dardanelle, Ark., five bass, 23-13
2nd: Shawn Wildt, Bullard, Texas, five bass, 19-10
3rd: Robby Frashier, Carrollton, Ga., five bass, 19-6
4th: Tyler Woolcott, Port Orange, Fla., five bass, 18-4
5th: Don Ortwein, Anderson, Ind., five bass, 15-13
6th: Jeffrey Mathews, Maitland, Fla., five bass, 15-12
7th: Josh Lockard, Somerset, Ky., five bass, 15-5
8th: Joel Willert, Lakeville, Minn., five bass, 15-2
9th: Todd Lee, Jasper, Ala., five bass, 14-10
10th: Jordan Thompkins, Myrtle Beach, S.C., five bass, 14-9
Roberts earned $250 for the Simms Big Bass award in the co-angler division with a 9-pound, 7-ounce largemouth. Overall there were 643 bass weighing 1,242 pounds even caught by 172 co-anglers Thursday. The catch included 86 five-bass limits.