RIDGELAND, Miss. — Going back to catch what he left behind sums up the day for Billy Lemon, the Day 1 leader of the Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Central Divisional on Ross Barnett Reservoir.
“In practice I found an early bite, and this morning I lost a good fish there, so I went back,” said Lemon, of the North Oklahoma City Bassmasters. “I didn’t expect to catch that kind of weight.”
The lost fish stayed on his mind all morning. Returning at midday to check the spot proved to be a good idea. Lemon filled his limit of five bass weighing 18 pounds, 11 ounces from the same area. The day’s heaviest largemouth weighing 6-1 anchored the catch.
In second place with 17-3 is fellow Oklahoman Preston Frazell. He scored with a deliberate morning and midday bite at different depth ranges from the same location.
It’s too early to tell, but having a solid area that can produce all day long is a plus on this impoundment.
“It’s all about the timing for me,” Frazell said. “I have two separate techniques, first shallow and then deep later in the day.”
“There’s a reset kind of timing with it because the action slows down some between the early and mid-morning bite," Frazell added.
The scenario is predictable during summer on the lowland, sprawling reservoir in central Mississippi. The lake offers an abundance of shallow water cover such as fields of lily pads that provide shade and cover for the bass. Here they feed early in the morning and then move nearby to cooler, deeper water for the remainder of the day.
“The morning bite is much better for me,” Frazell said.
He said adding balance to the bite by catching bass all day is a goal for Thursday.
Lemon and Frazell made a big contribution to Oklahoma’s overall lead in the state team standings. The team’s cumulative weight is 113-2. Louisiana is second with 93-9, and Kansas has 92-7 for third place.
The winning state team is awarded a Skeeter/Yamaha boat, motor, trailer and accessories package valued at $33,340.
The contenders from eight states qualified from local bass clubs and then advanced to state championships. Each team has 14 members. Two of those anglers are part of another competition underway here.
State championship high school teams are competing alongside the adults to hone their skills at the higher level. Their cumulative weight is added to the overall score of the state team.
Each adult angler who wins his state here advances to the Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Championship in November on the Ouachita River in Louisiana.
Stay tuned to Bassmaster.com during the 2015 Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation Central Divisional.
2015 B.A.S.S. Nation Title Sponsor: Old Milwaukee
2015 B.A.S.S. Nation Premier Sponsors: Toyota, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Evan Williams Bourbon, GoPro, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2015 B.A.S.S. Nation Supporting Sponsors: A.R.E. Accessories, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Huk, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Nationwide, Power-Pole, Rigid Industries, Shimano
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series presented by Allstate, Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation events, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
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