Leader of the Pack

Texas angler leads bassing mud bath at Beaver

ROGERS, Ark. – A lot of spinning rods got benched in rod lockers on day one of the Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake as spinnerbaits, ChatterBaits, crankbaits, jigs and bulky creature baits made up the varsity team on the flooded impoundment.

Many pros crossing the stage expressed relief in being able to roll out the heavy-action rods and 20-pound-test line instead of spinning “fairy wands” and 8-pound-test, which is usual fare for the clear waters of Beaver Lake.

With plenty of flooded cover and water the color of dirt to mine, Wal-Mart FLW Tour pros were like bulls on parade with the heavy gear.

Texas native Mark Pack leads the Wal-Mart Open after day one with five bass for 14 pounds, 13 ounces.

Pack is known as sight-fisherman, but when it come to muddy water, he says don’t threaten him with a good time.

“I’m from Texas and we have a lot of muddy water there, so I’m pretty comfortable with it,” Pack said. “I’m fishing real muddy water in about 2 feet of water with a worm and a crankbait. Between my partner and I, we probably caught about 60 fish with maybe 30 being keepers.”

Pack did not travel far to catch his fish, either.

“I’m fishing from five miles below here (Prairie Creek) to five miles above here,” he said. “I’m running a pattern, and that pattern is pretty strong right now. I can run just about anywhere in this midlake region and make it work.”

Reyes second

Another Texas native – Jason Reyes of Humble – is in second place with five bass weighing 14 pounds.

This is Reyes second year on the FLW Tour, and he took what he learned from the Wal-Mart Open on Beaver last year and tempered it with his power-fishing background from Texas to put together a successful combination.

“I started the day by finesse fishing in the lower end, just to get a limit and get comfortable,” Reyes said. “I secured a limit by about 9:30 and started culling. I stayed down there for a while after that, but I was culling up by just ounces. So with about an hour left, I came back up here to the upper end, switched gears and started power fishing. And that resulted in two bigger fish – one about 4 pounds – that helped me cull way up.”

As for tomorrow, he says he plans to do the same thing.

“I’ll stay on the lower end until I get a limit – that’s the most important thing for me,” he added. “Then I’ll move up here and try to upgrade again.”

Richardson tied for second

Joel Richardson of Kernersville, N.C., is tied for second place with five bass for 14 pounds.

Richardson says he feels right at home on Beaver when it’s flooded because it reminds him of his home lake of Buggs Island, another flood-control reservoir that often swells with high, muddy water.

“I love Beaver Lake when it’s high like this,” Richardson said. “It fishes exactly like Buggs Island when it’s high; the fish bunch up on little subtle stretches of flooded shoreline just like they do back home.”

Richardson is using a spinnerbait and crankbait to catch his fish.

“I’m fishing places that are just a few miles on either side of the bridge,” Richardson added. “They are the same places I fished when Beaver has been high in the past. The FLW Tour has been here just two other times when the water was high, and both times I missed the cut by just an ounce. Hopefully I’ll make it this time.”

Bohannan fourth

Local pro Greg Bohannan of nearby Rogers, Ark., is in fourth place with five bass weighing 13-12.

Bohannan’s limit included a Beaver Lake slam: a largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass all in the same bag. He noted that his fish are ganged up in key spots, and he can catch them quick. He made his first cast at 7:01 this morning and finished his limit at 7:12.

Bohannan is utilizing his local knowledge of Beaver to his advantage.

“When the lake floods like this, these fish get on a certain type of rock,” he said. “I know where a lot of that type of rock is from my years spent fishing here. In some places you can actually see that kind of rock on the bank, and other guys have figured it out because they are on those places. But I have about three key spots where that rock exists out off the bank under the water. I’m just hoping those places will hold up so I can make the finals.”

Newby fifth

Rounding out the top five after day one is Berkley pro Sam Newby of Pocola, Okla., with five bass for 13 pounds, 7 ounces.

Big bass

Rob Digh of Denver, N.C., caught the Snickers Big Bass in the Pro Division on day one weighing 6 pounds even.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top 10 pros in the Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake after day one:

6th: Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky., five bass, 13-3

7th: Dion Hibdon of Stover, Mo., five bass, 13-1

7th: Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C., five bass, 13-1

9th: Shinichi Fukae of Mineola, Texas, five bass, 12-12

9th: Alvin Shaw of State Road, N.C., five bass, 12-12

Winborn leads co-anglers

Brett Winborn of Alma, Ark., leads the Co-angler Division of the Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake after day one with a five-bass limit for 11 pounds, 12 ounces.

Winborn’s limit was anchored by the Snickers Big Bass in the Co-angler Division weighing 4 pounds, 4 ounces.

Winborn, who caught nine keeper bass today, gave all the credit for his catch to his pro partner, Andy Montgomery.

“Andy got me around the fish, I just caught them,” Winborn said. “We did a lot of flipping around flooded bushes, grass and timber.”

Taliaferro flips into second

Jared Taliaferro of Rogers, Ark., is in second place after day one with a five bass limit for 11 pounds, 11 ounces.

Taliaferro flipped a 3/8-ounce Arkie jig with a Paca Chunk trailer behind pro Keith Williams for his catch.

Rest of the best

Ty Hester of Russellville, Ala., holds down the third-place position with a five bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 2 ounces.

Scotty Villiness of Ponca, Ark., is in fourth place with five bass weighing 10 pounds, 1 ounce.

Mike Drain of Purcell, Okla., rounds out the top five co-anglers with 9 pounds, 10 ounces.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers in the Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake after day one:

6th: Bobby King of Rogers, Ark., five bass, 9-5

7th: Gary Ledbetter of Springdale, Ark., five bass, 9-0

8th: Danny Faught of Rogers, Ark., five bass, 8-15

8th: Andrew Stanphill of Green Forrest, Ark., five bass, 8-15

10th: Burl Smith of Prairie Grove, Ark., five bass, 8-14

Day two of the Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake will begin Friday at 6:30 a.m. from Prairie Creek Marina located at 1 Prairie Creek Marina Drive in Rogers, Ark.