Slow down, take a deep breath, resume fishing

Limits easy, big bass hard

DEL RIO, Texas – When the bite’s slow, fish slower.

It’s a simple reality that some anglers put to good use on day one of the Stren Series Texas Division tournament on Lake Amistad.

Big fish were hard to get for most of the field of 185 pros and 180 co-anglers on this Texas borderland lake, where weights in the mid-20 pound range are the norm at most tournaments.

Not today. Kevin Lasyone of Dry Prong, La. was the only pro to break the 20-pound mark and he managed that by just a half-pound at 20 pounds, 8 ounces. In the Co-Angler division nobody made 20 pounds, though Mike Power of Canyon Lake, Texas brought a 19-pound, 1-ounce bag to the scales that included a 7-pound, 12-ounce fish, big bass of the day among co-anglers.

Limits, however, were common, as the top 88 pros and 136 of 185 weighed in ive fish. But the front of the boat was the place to be as just 83 co-anglers among 180 managed that feat.

Wind was also a factor. It picked up from the south with gusts to 20 mph and blew in a layer of clouds that became thick enough to block the sun by day’s end.

“It was brutal,” said Christopher Brasher of Spring, Texas, who’s in sixth place in the Pro Division. “It was worse yesterday, but today was plenty tough.”

How that affected the bite is uncertain, but many pros and co-anglers said that once they slowed down their presentations they got more bites. Many used Texas rigs and Carolina rigs in deep water with good success. Others went with swim baits and a few found a topwater bite in the 10-15 foot depths that yielded some nice fish. Crankbaits were tried by some, though few good reports were heard.

Another fishing truism says don’t fish memories. But yet another says when in doubt, go back to where you caught fish before. So which is right?

Depends on the day. For today, at least, memories made a fine fishing companion for pro leader Lasyone, who had to hang around Dry Prong until his daughter finished school and only had a day and a half of pre-fishing.

“I was here four years ago and I went back to the same places, basically,” Lasyone said. “I caught the two big ones on a Senko up shallow and the rest I caught on a jig in the bushes.”

Lasyone, who was in the middle flights, said he didn’t think his weight would hold up. However, by the end of the day, only the second- and third-place pros were even within a pound of him.

Local guide does well

Ray Hanselman lives in Del Rio and guides on Lake Amistad. He put that knowledge to good use by catching a 19-pound, 13-ounce sack that has him in second place. He said he lost three big fish that would have had him around 27 pounds and that the fish are scattered. “I fished from 15 to 36 feet,” he said.

Swim baits and drop-shot rigs accounted for several of his bass. He said the early bite was best and that he got all of his weigh fish from three spots.

Cecil threatens again in third

Last time we saw Russell Cecil he was hoisting a first-place check over his head in the Walmart parking lot in Jasper, Texas, site of the previous Texas Division tournament in March.

If he can duplicate or improve on today’s bite, he might be hoisting a big check over his head at the Walmart in Del Rio. Cecil used 19 pounds, 9 ounces to grab third place.

“That was better than I expected, so I guess I out-did myself today,” said Cecil, who, like Hanselman, also lost two nice fish.

Cecil said he’s “trash fishing” from 15 to 35 feet. “There’s some deep grass in that 28 to 35 feet and I’m catching some out of that grass.”

Erskine makes Stren Series debut in fourth place

Glenn Erskine of San Antonio didn’t fish the Stren Series last year and missed the first two Texas Division tournaments this season, but he sure didn’t look rusty in nailing 19 pounds, 4 ounces, good for fourth place.

“I’m catching them shallow on a Bass Assassin,” said Erskine, whose sack was anchored by a 6-pounder. “They’re up under the bushes.”

Milson nets fifth place

Jim Milson of Odessa, Texas is in fifth place in the pro division with 18 pounds, 11 ounces.

Best of the rest

6. Christopher Brasher, Spring, Texas, 18 pounds, 5 ounces

7. Buz Craft, Vidalia, La., 16 pounds, 11 ounces

8. James Stricklin, Jr., Jasper, Texas, 16 pounds, 8 ounces

9. Rick Carter, Alba, Texas, 16 pounds, 2 ounces

10. Billy Fillmon, Del Rio, Texas, 15 pounds, 15 ounces

Power fishing proves effective among co-anglers

Mike Power says he was glad to be in the back of the boat today, where control wasn’t a concern and he could just concentrate on fishing.

“It was all just dragging, really,” said Power, who leads the Co-Angler division with 19 pounds, 1 ounce, nearly a pound better than second place.

Most of his fish came from 18-22 feet. The big bass of the day, a 7-pound, 12-ounce fish, came on a Carolina rig. Power said he culled just four times and caught all of his fish in three spots.

Tomorrow the co-anglers who place 11th through 47th will get their checks. The top 10 will continue on to fish Saturday.

Best of the rest

2. Rich Dalbey, Greenville, Texas, 18 pounds, 3 ounces

3. Jesse Fry, Round Mountain, Texas, 17 pounds, 2 ounces

4. John M. Biondi, Arlington, Texas, 15 pounds, 15 ounces

5. Mark Oakley, Davis, Okla., 15 pounds, 2 ounces

6. Allen Wares, Austin, Texas, 14 pounds, 12 ounces

7. Mark Ross, Idabel, Okla., 14 pounds, 7 ounces

8. Debra Cunningham, Phoenix, Ariz., 14 pounds, 3 ounces

9. Bryan Welborn, Aubrey, Texas, 13 pounds, 8 ounces

10. David Fanning, Addison, Texas, 13 pounds, 3 ounces

Friday’s takeoff is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. at the Diablo East ramp off Highway 90 west of Del Rio. The weigh-in will take place there beginning at 2:30 p.m.