KELSEYVILLE — Wade Curtiss of Lincoln is the top pro and Dan Tracy of Prunedale the top amateur after day one of the Stren Series Western Division pro-am bass tournament on Clear Lake.
The four-day event runs through Saturday and the field will be cut to the top 10 pros and top 10 amateurs, also known as co-anglers, following Friday”s third round. The winning pro could take home as much as $65,000 and the winning co-angler $35,000 if all contingencies are met. The total purse is $275,225.
In the pro division, Tracy brought the maximum five fish to the scales and weighed in 34 pounds, 11 ounces to open up a healthy lead over Alaska fisherman Brian Nollar of Homer (26-2). Jeff Billings of Clearlake is third with 25-13, Jim Davis of Plumas Lake is fourth with 25-13, and Stephen Morgan of Queensland, Australia, is fifth with 22-12.
Among other Lake County fishermen in the pro field, Jared Stone of Lakeport completed day one in seventh place with 22-2, Mark Crutcher of Lakeport was 11th with 21-1, and Tom Jolin of Lakeport was 28th with 17-6.
In the co-angler division, Tracy (23-7) finished the first day with a slim six-ounce lead over Kyle Baker of Lancaster (23-1).
The top Lake County fisherman was Tommy Cardoza of Lakeport with 20-9, good for fourth place.
Weigh-ins today and Friday take place at 2:30 p.m. at Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa and are open to the public. The weigh-in following the final round on Saturday starts at 4 p.m. at the Wal-Mart parking lot in Clearlake.
