Brett Hite Leads U.S. Open on Lake Mead

Las Vegas, Nev. - September 10, 2013 - When it comes to winning bass fishing tournaments, having a level of consistency is recommended. To win a WON Bass U.S. Open; consistency is almost mandatory.

In an event that is frequently billed as one of the toughest bass fishing events in the world, the angler who is able to produce consistent limits full of two-pound bass is one who will be rewarded.   That game plan stands in contradiction to those anglers who throw caution to the wind and look for one big fish then try to fill in around it; especially on Lake Mead in the summer.

Such was the case on day two of the U.S. Open of Bass Fishing on Lake Mead, as a group of anglers began to separate themselves from the field by producing steady limits.

Carrying the mantle of consistency the most was Phoenix, Ariz. pro Brett Hite; a veteran of many U.S. Opens and an FLW Tour Champion, produced a 10.25-pound limit today to bring his total weight to 21.06 pounds to take the lead on day two.  In search of his first WON Bass U.S. Open title, Hite holds a .62-pound lead over Tustin, Calif. pro Rusty Brown who produced a limit weighing 10.17 pounds today to bring his total to 20.44 pounds, and second place.

Joe Uribe Jr., of Lake Forest, Calif. was the exception to the consistency rule today. He upgraded his day one weight by nearly three pounds with an 11.46-pound limit that brought him from 18th place to third with a total of 20.39 pounds. Their efforts, along with the close proximity of weights throughout the rest in the top five and beyond set up what is sure to be an exciting final day tomorrow.

Hite said that he strategized himself for consistency. "You really have to try and produce limits that are going to give you the chance to win a tournament here at Lake Mead, and those are consistent limits," said Hite. "I try to get a couple of those better bites in the morning and then fill it in with keepers as the days go on. I had three fish today that were excellent quality and two that were solid keepers."

Hite also said that he feels like he can continue his search for consistency, and hopes to have a little increase tomorrow. "I feel like I am doing something that will help me catch fish behind others, and I'm getting the right bites," said Hite. "That being said, I'd love to catch 12 pounds tomorrow and feel great about my chances."

Brown also planned on trying to be steady. "I felt like if I could catch 10 pounds a day I would be in position to win," he said. "I was able to move around a little bit more yesterday, but had to slow down and work the areas a little slower today, and feel like if I stay with my strengths tomorrow I'll have a good chance."

Uribe said that he figured out something that helped him increase his position on day two. "I really slowed down today and fished on the bottom," he said. "I practiced with a reaction bait, but the fish haven't moved up in these cloudy conditions, so I put a spinning rod in my hands and stayed with that all day; in fact, I need to go to the tackle store and buy some more worms because I'm running really low after today."

The AAA leader Scott Palumbo, also from Phoenix, Ariz. proved that the consistency game worked by taking part in producing a 10.17-pound limit today to move from sixth place to the lead with 20.98 pounds. He holds a scant half-pound lead over Robert Jeannotte from Henderson, Nev. who upped his total to 20.47 pounds, and finished in second place for the second day in a row.

The full fields of both the Pro and the AAA anglers will compete on Wednesday for the chance to be crowned the 2013 WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury U.S. Open Champion.

2013 WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury U.S. Open

Day One Pro Standings

2013 WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury U.S. Open

Day One AAA Standings