SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, La. - With a 14-pound bag of five Red River largemouth bass, Lisa Johnson of Aragon, Ga., pinned down the first-day lead Thursday in the season finale of the Women's Bassmaster Tour out of Shreveport-Bossier City, La.
Cindy Hill of Smyrna, Tenn., and Marcia Rubin of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, tied for second place at 11 pounds, 5 ounces, more than 2 ½ pounds behind Johnson.
The pros are competing for a $50,000 Triton/Mercury boat rig and crucial points that count in the Toyota Women's Bassmaster Tour Angler of the Year race. The Red River event, which concludes Saturday, is the pros' final chance to top off their points for the season.
The points also count toward one of 12 berths in the 2008 Women's Bassmaster Tour Championship, Feb. 21-23 on South Carolina's Lake Keowee. The championship will be in conjunction with the 2008 Bassmaster Classic, Feb. 22-24 on Lake Hartwell out of Greenville, S.C.
The rapid, day-to-day changes in the river's fishing conditions stumped many in the Red River event; only 17 of 81 pros managed limits.
Not so for the leader, a 34-year-old who co-owns a tree service business in Georgia.
"The river was good to me today - great, in fact," Johnson said. "No way could I have expected more weight than I had today.
"I love fishing backwater stumps and grass. It's not at all what I'm used to, but the oxbows and backwaters suit my type of fishing. But every day on the river is different - every day of practice was different, and tomorrow will probably be different than today."
Hill and Rubin are gunning to qualify for the WBT Championship.
"I don't think I can catch angler of the year, but I wanted to come in and secure my top-12," said Hill, who is ninth in the AOY standings. "I'm going to pitch my arm off to stay up there tomorrow."
Now 16th in the AOY race, Rubin still has hopes of making the championship.
"I had one of the worst pre-fishing times of my life," said Rubin, who owns a woodworking machinery repair business. "I don't know what I did differently today. I fished the same areas I fished in pre-fish, when the bites were few and far between."
In fourth place with 10 pounds, 15 ounces, was one-time WBT winner Juanita Robinson of Highlands, Texas. Tied for fifth place with 10 pounds, 9 ounces, was Sammie Denyes of Baker, Fla., and Laura Gober of Pendergrass, Ga.
AOY race leader Sheri Glasgow of Muskogee, Okla., was in eighth place after the first day with 10 pounds, 2 ounces, and a five-fish limit.
"Other than getting a 'lucky' or bigger bite, I could not have done anything differently than what I did," Glasgow said.
Three-time WBT winner Tammy Richardson of Amity, Ark., who went into the Red River event second in the AOY standings, finished Thursday in 61st place. Another angler in contention for the AOY crown, Pam Martin-Wells of Bainbridge, Ga., who won the inaugural WBT Championship in February, was in 10th place with 8 pounds, 9 ounces.
Last year's angler of the year and two-time WBT winner Dianna Clark of Bumpus Mills, Tenn., who is sixth in the 2007 AOY standings, ended the first day at the Red River event in 52nd place.
Leading the co-angler division with 11 pounds, 5 ounces, was one-time WBT winner Robertina Filburn of Vine Grove, Ky. She bested Arkansas' Lesa Brown, who had 9 pounds, 7 ounces, and Texas' Brenda Reeves, who had 8 pounds, 7 ounces.
2007 Women's Bassmaster Tour Stop 5 NB 09/20-09/22 Red River, Shreveport La. (NON-BOATER) Standings Day 1 Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$ 1. Robertina Filburn Vine Grove, Ky. 5 11-05 305 Day 1: 5 11-05 2. Lesa Brown Harrison, Ark. 5 9-07 295 Day 1: 5 9-07 3. Brenda Reeves Arlington, Texas 5 8-07 290 Day 1: 5 8-07 4. Cheryl Bowden Plano, Texas 5 8-04 285 Day 1: 5 8-04 5. Kim Petrowski Arlington, Texas 3 7-15 280 Day 1: 3 7-15 6. Kala Wright Spiro, Okla. 5 7-12 276 Day 1: 5 7-12 7. Karol Whitehurst Winnsboro, Texas 2 7-02 272 $500.00 Day 1: 2 7-02 8. Susan Wild Washington, D.C. 5 6-12 268 Day 1: 5 6-12 9. Beverly Graham Chandler, Texas 4 6-11 264 Day 1: 4 6-11 10. Jennifer Nevans Dayton, Tenn. 5 6-04 260 Day 1: 5 6-04 11. Shirley Jordan Bentonville, Ark. 4 6-02 257 Day 1: 4 6-02 12. De Lynn Montez Squires, Mo. 4 6-00 254 Day 1: 4 6-00 13. Barbara Gaskins Suffolk, Va. 2 5-11 251 Day 1: 2 5-11 14. Jan Hudson Harrison, Ark. 5 5-10 248 Day 1: 5 5-10 15. Marilu Ives Hot Springs, Ark. 4 4-13 244 Day 1: 4 4-13 15. Diane Smith Fayetteville, Ga. 3 4-13 244 Day 1: 3 4-13 17. Charlotte Frazier Dallas, Texas 2 4-09 241 Day 1: 2 4-09 18. Nancy Oliver Arnaudville, La. 2 3-14 239 Day 1: 2 3-14 19. Dianna Fanning Rogers, Ark. 2 3-13 237 Day 1: 2 3-13 20. Debra Cook Gardendale, Ala. 2 3-11 235 Day 1: 2 3-11 21. Robin Kolton Elgin, Texas 3 3-06 233 Day 1: 3 3-06 22. Dianne Kegley Norphlet, Ark. 1 3-01 231 Day 1: 1 3-01 23. Cheryl Holloway Pollock, La. 2 3-00 229 Day 1: 2 3-00 24. Bonnie Ward Snohomish, Wash. 1 2-15 227 Day 1: 1 2-15 25. Trish Levitt Albuquerque, N.M. 1 2-14 225 Day 1: 1 2-14 26. Angela Mitchell Keswick, Canada 3 2-13 223 Day 1: 3 2-13 27. Susan Dameron Chattanooga, Tenn. 2 2-12 221 Day 1: 2 2-12 28. Glenda Jackson Boulder City, Nev. 2 2-09 217 Day 1: 2 2-09 28. Vickie Jeffries Celina, Ohio 2 2-09 217 Day 1: 2 2-09 28. Debbie Pegoli Loveland, Ohio 2 2-09 217 Day 1: 2 2-09 31. Mary Lipka Wentzville, Mo. 2 2-08 213 Day 1: 2 2-08 32. Julie Garriety Grapevine, Texas 2 2-05 210 Day 1: 2 2-05 32. Sherry Melton Monterey, Tenn. 2 2-05 210 Day 1: 2 2-05 34. Sarah Busby Lake Charles, La. 2 2-04 206 Day 1: 2 2-04 34. Denese Freeman Lawton, Okla. 2 2-04 206 Day 1: 2 2-04 36. Crystal Langston Muscle Schoals, Ala. 1 1-14 203 Day 1: 1 1-14 37. Lora Simison Bech Grove, Ind. 1 1-12 201 Day 1: 1 1-12 38. Elizabeth Sanders Brandon, Miss. 1 1-11 199 Day 1: 1 1-11 39. Linda Berry Madison, N.C. 1 1-10 197 Day 1: 1 1-10 40. Laura Elkins Amarillo, Texas 1 1-09 193 Day 1: 1 1-09 40. Agnes Leblanc Houma, La. 1 1-09 193 Day 1: 1 1-09 40. Colleen McKay Worcester, Mass. 1 1-09 193 Day 1: 1 1-09 43. Brenda Bates La Porte, Texas 1 1-05 188 Day 1: 1 1-05 43. Angie Everitt Livingston, Texas 1 1-05 188 Day 1: 1 1-05 45. Beverly Nelson Harrison, Mich. 1 1-03 185 Day 1: 1 1-03 46. Judy Pate Benton, La. 1 1-02 182 Day 1: 1 1-02 46. Leanne Snowden Suttons Bay, Mich. 1 1-02 182 Day 1: 1 1-02 48. Kim Martin Clayton, Ind. 1 1-00 179 Day 1: 1 1-00 50. Bridget Allen Philadelphia, Pa. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Monica Altman Angier, N.C. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Trish Atkinson Millis, Mass. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Tracy Bailey Ennis, Texas 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Linda Bald Poteet, Texas 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Janet Barefoot Thaxton, Miss. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Marsha Betz Richardson, Texas 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Melissa Bond Albuquerque, N.M. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Brenda J Carson Inola, Okla. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Bertha Cavakis Amity, Ark. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Tracy Doty Roanoke, Texas 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Barbara Ferge Somerville, Tenn. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Robbie Hartline Foristell, Mo. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Vicki Henderson Ashtown, Ark. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Lesli Lively Palestine, Texas 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Kim McGuffey Weatherford, Texas 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Donna Newberry Van Buren, Ark. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Linda Owens Brandon, Miss. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Carolyn Poole Defuniak Springs, Fla. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Pamela Rodden Mesquite, Texas 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Lisa Skelley Jackson, Tenn. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Cathy Smith Pineville, La. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Kim Stapp Ringgold, Ga. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Kateena Thomas Stone Mountain, Ga. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Linda Thomas Pryor, Okla. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Jada Tidmore Union Grove, Ala. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Kim Tucker Red Bay, Ala. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Esther Turner Crossville, Tenn. 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 50. Sharon Withers Sam Rayburn, Texas 0 0-00 0 Day 1: 0 0-00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Purolator Big Bass Day 1 Karol Whitehurst Winnsboro, Texas 5-10 $500.00 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Totals Day #Limits #Fish Weight 1 4 117 188-08 ---------------------------------- 4 117 188-08