Posted  June 12th 2007  8:03pm CST

21-6 Limit for the Record Holder......Horton in 2nd with 21-2

Story by Matt Pangrac Photos by Mark Jeffreys

Plattsburgh, NY - The wind and rain filled practice which greeted the Elite Series competitors was thought to be a prelude to tournament conditions. However, as day one dawned on expansive Lake Champlain, the anglers were met with a slight cold front bringing blue bird skies and calm water. 

Lake Champlain is knows for numbers, and numbers were produced. After all was said and done, 103 of the 108 competitors toted limits to the scales and it took nearly a three pound average just to crack the top 50. What seemed to be shaping up to be a smallmouth bonanza turned out to be a largemouth extravaganza, as four out of the top five anglers brought in green fish. 

Steve Kennedy broke out of his funk with a tournament leading limit of 21-6. Working through bait-destroying northern pike, the Alabama pro found quality bites and anchored his sack with a 5-5 largemouth. 

Just four ounces behind Mr. Kennedy lurks fellow Alabama pro, Timmy Horton, who made a run to tap into aggressive schooling fish. 

Scott Rook, who made a long run, began his morning with a bang by catching a solid limit in the opening moments of the tournaments. 

Davy Hite, hot of a top five finish at Sooner Run, wasn’t far behind Rook, bringing in 18-2 in a tie for fourth with rookie Bryan Hudgins. Hite’s ability to adjust on the fly proved crucial in garnering quality bites. 

Hudgins made a campaign to re-enter the Rookie Of The Year race by taking advantage of several key areas which produced quality fish.

Defending Champion, Denny Brauer, rounded out the top six with a limit of largemouth weighing 17-14. Well within striking distance, Brauer said that he had the opportunity to catch a sack in the low twenties. 

Kennedy Leads the Field
Steve Kennedy has the rest of the field chasing him after weighing in five largemouths that tipped the scales at 21-6. After missing the cut in two consecutive Elite Series events, it was a question of “when” and not “if” Kennedy would have a break out tournament. It appears as if that tournament has arrived. After a solid practice, Kennedy was not surprised with his day one results. 

Kennedy plans on continuing his tournament leading pattern on Friday and stressed the importance of finding the quality bite. “I had one big fish each of the first three hours.” said Kennedy. “I had fifteen to seventeen pounds and knew where I could catch a big one so I made a run and caught a 5-5. It was worth the ride.”

Horton Goes to School 
Timmy Horton turned around his recent history at Lake Champlain by bringing in a limit weighing 21-2. In 2006, Horton missed the cut with a 95th place finish. What a difference year can make. After day one, the Alabama pro sits in second, just four ounces behind tournament leader Steve Kennedy. 

Horton is one of two anglers, the other being Brian Snowden, who had a deep-V walleye boat delivered to Champlain in case of inclement weather. With the calm conditions on day one, Horton left the deep-V in the hanger and opted for the comfort of his Pro Craft. 

Rook Runs for Third
Like many in the field, Scott Rook split his time between running long distances and fishing. It paid off with a day one limit of 19-6, putting him in third place ahead of Davy Hite, who was also fishing in the same general area. 

Hite’s Pattern Holds Strong 
Coming off a top 5 performance at Sooner Run, Davy Hite started off the Empire Chase by weighing in an 18-2 limit of largemouth, good enough for a fourth place tie with Bryan Hudgins. Although the bite was strong all day, Hite credited his quality bites to a mid-morning pattern adjustment. 

“I started out this morning in an area where I caught a ton of fish but only got one quality bite that I weighed in. The fish were biting all day but after I changed up, I caught some better fish in the afternoon.” said the South Carolina pro. 

Today’s calm conditions were conducive for Hite’s long run. “Today’s calm water helped a lot because it gave me more time to fish.” he noted. While the conditions benefited Hite’s travel, it didn’t really affect his fishing. “In practice, I was catching fish in thunderstorms, when it was cloudy, and when it was sunny and slick. I think it’s a solid pattern that will hold up as long as I can get to my fish.” 

Hudgins Shares Fourth
Elite Series Rookie, Bryan Hudgins, is well on his way to making his sixth top 50 cut of the year and possibly more, after bringing an 18-2 limit to the scales on day one. According to Hudgins, a solid practice paid off as he caught large numbers of keepers throughout the day. “I culled a fourteen pound limit and probably caught forty fish today. I have a few spots where I think that I can catch a few big ones each day.” he said. 

As far as the conditions for tomorrow, Hudgins is comfortable with whatever develops but would prefer a little activity. “The first and third day of practice, when it rained and blew, I caught them really well. If it’s sunny tomorrow, that’s fine, but if rains and blows that’s fine with me also.”

DAY ONE STANDINGS

As with each Elite Series event, The BASS ZONE will be On Location all week with our up-to-the-minute “On the Water Blog,” “Reel-time Chat,” and post-day interviews.

NOTE: Harold Allen and Mark Jeffreys will be featured in a new section called "Wide Open"  Check out the updates throughout the New York swing. CLICK HERE  STAY TUNED!!!!!!

 

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