LAKEPORT — Defending champion Wayne Breazeale of Kelseyville is fourth in the pro division after day one of the Costa FLW Series pro-am bass tournament on Clear Lake.
Breazeale, last year’s champion with 60 pounds, 7 ounces for the three-day tournament, brought a five-fish limit of 20-14 to the weigh scales on a rainy and windy Thursday. The field of 115 pros and 115 amateurs was cut to the top 10 in each division following second-round action Friday (which occurred after the Record-Bee’s print deadline; see online at www.record-bee.com for up-to-the-minute results). Saturday’s final-round weigh-in also begins at 2:30 p.m. when the winner will receive a prize package of $85,000, including a new Ranger boat.
Pro
Lane Olson of Forest Grove, Oregon, is the first-round leader with 25 pounds even, including the big fish on day one (8 pounds, 11 ounces). Joe Uribe Jr. of Surprise, Arizona, is second with 22-8 and Travis Archer of Covington, Washington, is third with 21-2.
Rounding out the top five spots is Justin Kerr of Simi Valley with 19-11.
Nearly the entire field – 103 teams – weighed in five-fish limits on Thursday when the weather made fishing conditions tough. Friday’s weather forecast calls for partly cloudy skies before a new weather system impacts the area Saturday.
Seven Lake County fishermen were ranked in the top 48 after Thursday’s action. Besides Breazeale in fourth place, John Pearl of Upper Lake was 13th with 18-7, Paul Bailey of Kelseyville was 14th with 18-5, Jimmy Reese of Witter Springs was 36th with 16-0, Mark Crutcher of Lakeport was 40th with 15-11, Carl Keller of Hidden Valley Lake was 42nd with 15-8, and Gary Collins of Upper Lake was 48th with 15-1. All caught five-fish limits.
Amateur
Tara Borofka of Salinas is the amateur leader after round one with 18-4. Trailing her are Jesse Parks of Avondale, Arizona (17-13), Logan Huntze of Discovery Bay (17-6), Joe Bolen of Durham (17-1) and Jack Farage of Discover Bay (17-0).
Among Lake County fishermen, Bryan Lutz of Clearlake Oaks is in eight place at 15-13 and Andrew Wallar of Lakeport is ninth at 15-11. Both men caught five-fish limits.
