Rose Picked Pieces for Strong Day 1 Lead

Mark Rose 21-pound, 7-ounce first-day catch at the Lake Wheeler FLW Open gave him a 3-pound, 7-ounce lead. FLW photo by David A. Brown.

Based on Mark Rose's dominant first-day catch at Lake Wheeler and his history of dominance on big-river reservoirs, one would assume he had figured out a really solid pattern. Rose reported otherwise, though. He actually is moving a lot, fishing both deep and shallow, battled to collect his 21-pound, 7-ounce Day 1 limit and used several different lures to catch the fish he brought to the scales.

Most other angers' reports were similar. It seems Wheeler's bass are scattered from very shallow water to deep ledges and that shad are everywhere, making the fish difficult to pattern and to catch. Several pros reported moving frequently, mixing it up and finding little rhyme or reason in when, how or where they caught their best bass. Rose's big catch put him 3-pounds, 7 ounces ahead of local angler Blake Nick. Luke Clausen, Russ Lane and Greg Hackney are holding the next three spots in the standings after one day of competition.