LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Beginning at 6:50 a.m. Friday — considered “safe light” — the Bass Angler Magazine, or BAM, Super 60 Championship was underway.

Bassmaster Elite Tour angler Bryant Smith’s first stop was an undisclosed spot on the north end of the lake.

After two passes and rotating through four different reaction baits, the Bassmaster Elite Tour angler was without a bite. 

Asked if he was focusing on bringing five bass to the scale or capitalizing on advancing with the hybrid keeper count, which is 14 inches. 

“I’m focused on five big bites but if the keeper count format is in play, I will take it,” Smith said.

At midday, the wind ramped up to 6 miles per hour from the southeast, which makes fishing tough on Clear Lake. 

A local saying is that when the wind blows from the southeast the fish bite the least, and when the wind blows from the northwest they bite the best.

After checking TourneyX before midday it was clear the anglers did most of their damage in the morning.

The weigh-in started at 3:20 p.m. and what an exciting and well coordinated show Mark Lassagne and his staff put on. From the TV show production and entertaining commentary, day one of the BAM Super 60 Championship was a huge success.

The day one leader was Austin Bonjour with 29.75 pounds and eight keepers.

The rest of the top 10 in order are: 

• Robert Riehl, 17.04 pounds, 13 keepers; 
• Mason McAbee, 27.40 pounds, nine keepers;
• Luke Johns, 20.12 pounds, 11 keepers; 
• Ty Manterola, 27.11 pounds, nine keepers;
• Colby Pearson, 27.12 pounds, eight keepers; 
• Randy McAbee, 22.81 pounds, five keepers;
• Bryant Smith, 14.0 pounds, seven keepers; 
• Jason Crone, 19.68 pounds, five keepers; 
• Tyler Madden, 12.70 pounds, seven keepers.
   
Craig Nelson is a former professional golfer who fell in love with tournament bass fishing 20 years ago. He found Lake County after fishing an FLW Stren Series event and never left. He’s the back-to-back winner of the Konocti Classic and runner up in the inaugural WON Bass Clear Lake Open.