ESPN Opens

What's at stake

$322,021 in total prize money, plus 25 berths into the CITGO Bassmaster Open Championship. The top five boaters at the Open Championship will earn berths into the CITGO Bassmaster Classic, Feb. 24-26, on Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee, Fla.

The pros said it

"The tournament should shape up real nice. It shouldn't be a bangup, big-fish kind of tournament, which is always enjoyable. As always, a lot will depend on the weather and from what I hear, it should be clear skies, which might slow the fishing down. I will stick with my earlier prediction that 35 pounds should win it." — 1995 CITGO Bassmaster Classic champion Mark Davis, 42, Mt. Ida, Ark.

"It's tough out here, but I have seen a really nice variety of fish: smalls, large and spots. I figure if I get 10 pounds a day that would be really scary. The truth is, with a 15-inch minimum, there just might not be a whole lot of limits." — 23-time CITGO Bassmaster Classic qualifier Gary Klein, 48, Weatherford, Texas

"I don't have much experience here, but it fishes very typical of the surrounding waters. All of the fish are scattered and you can catch them just as good at one depth as another." — Chad Brauer, 33, Osage Beach, Miss.

"I fished this lake a little while ago and it took me a few days to figure it out. I think I can win this thing if my areas hold up. The final two days that I was on the lake during my last visit, I caught 15 to 18 pounds a day. Hopefully, my areas will hold up." — Three-time CITGO Bassmaster Classic qualifier Dave Gliebe, 62, Benton, Ky.

The strategy

Davis: Davis is keeping it simple, mixing in a spinnerbait and occasionally throwing a ½-ounce brown jig.

Klein: Because he is unfamiliar with the lake, Klein is junk fishing, trying to get a feel for the area.

Brauer: Brauer will throw a brown jig, a spinner bait and a buzzbait throughout the day. He is using fairly light line in the 12- to 20-pound range. There is a variation of water color throughout the fishery and Brauer will tailor his strategy to the color in each location.

Gliebe: The well-known flipper is sticking with what he knows best: flipping jigs. Gliebe's favorite is a Rodstrainer jig, but he's also is mixing in a buzzbait, targeting bass in water 20 to 40 feet deep. He is using Berkley Sensation line.

Location and field

CITGO Bassmaster Central Open
Norfork Lake
Mountain Home, Ark.
Oct.13-15, 2005

Field
Cut to 50 after Day 2

Launch
Lake Norfork Marina
19 CR 825
Henderson, Ark. 75653

Weigh-in
Lake Norfork Marina
19 CR 825
Henderson, Ark. 75653

Background

Previous BASS events
No previous tournaments held on Norfork Lake

Previous winners on lake
No previous tournaments held on Norfork Lake

Heaviest winning sack
No previous tournaments held on Norfork Lake

Lowest winning sack
No previous tournaments held on Norfork Lake

Weather
Temperature
64 degrees, partly cloudy

Lake level
542.4 ft. above mean sea level

Local sponsors

Local sponsors include the Mountain Home Area Chamber of Commerce.

Bassmaster Open Series sponsors

CITGO Petroleum Corp., Toyota, Busch Beer, Purolator, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Berkley, Lowrance Electronics, MotorGuide, Bass Pro Shops and Cialis (tadalafil).

Boater list

Alabama
Brannon Jones - Montgomery
Roger Schofield - Killen
Steve Kennedy - Auburn
Terry Owens- Aliceville

Arkansas
Carl Svebek III - Siloam Springs
Chip Hawkins- White Hall
Derek Hall - Flippin
Doug Garrett - Cabot
Earl Garrison- Flippin
Glenn Eastwood - Pine Bluff
Jerry Mckinnis - Little Rock
Jim Byler- Mountain Home
Jimmy Mize - Ben Lomond
Joey Hurley - Little Rock
Kevin Riney - Pocahontas
Mark Davis - Mount Ida
Marlin Tice - Jonesboro
Max Atkinson - Midway
Mike Mcclelland - Vella Vista
Rick Pierce - Mountain Home
Robert Bryant - Red Feild
Ronald Pierce - Mountain Home
Troy Dolney - Gamaliel
Wesley Rogers - Mammoth Spring

Illinois
Gary Clark - San Jose
Robert Swisher - Mulkeytown
Travis Loyd  Vienna

Kansas
Joe Gerard  Concordia

Kentucky
David Gliebe- Benton

Louisiana
Bruce Brown - Houghton
Clark Reehm - Leesville
Conrad Picou - Carencro
Craig Dowling - Many
Jeff Connella - Bentley
Jeremy Guidry - Opelousas
Kevin Lasyone - Dry Prong
Larry Byrd - Lake Charles
Malcolm Rachal - Alexandria
Marvin Ettredge - Shreveport
Mike Williams - Delhi
Peter Daniels - Shreveport
Preston Domingue - Lafayette
Randy Allen- Calhoun
Sam Huckabee - Shreveport
Sam Swett - Covington
Sid Havard - Simsboro
Terry Mcfarlain - Evangeline
Tony Chachere - Opelousas
Jr Humphreys -Homer

Minnesota
Derek Remitz - North Branch

Missouri
Chad Brauer - Osage Beach
Danny Johnston - Windsor
David Mccormick - Lees Summit
Doc Seger - Kimberling City
Doug Vahrenberg - Higginsville
Ralph Laster - Camdenton
Randy Jackson - Poplar Bluff
Scott Hays - O Fallon

Mississippi
Andy Mcdaniel -Roxie
Cliff Pace - Petal
Herb Blush - Yazoo City
Jeff Magee - Mendenhall
Jim Phillips - Greenwood
Mac Mcdaniel - Roxie
Paul Elias - Laurel
Ross Watkins - Carriere
Scott Mcgehee - Madison

Ohio
Brad Wall - Clarksville
Brent Broderick - Oregonia
Tim Dungan - Cinncinati

Oklahoma
Brad Hallman - Norman
Chuck Devereaux - Stratford
Chuck Lawless - Park Hill
Jeff Kriet - Ardmore Terry Butcher - Talala

Tennessee
Billy Hurt - Spring Creek
Danny Isenhart - Fairview
Ray Brazier - Lawrenceburg

Texas
Ben Matsubu - Hemphill
Billy Ficke - Waco
Bradley Stringer - Huntington
Bret Myers - Keller
Brian Penso - Houston
Cody Bird - Granbury
Dale Jackson - Troup
Darrell Newman - Bruceville
David Wharton - Sam Rayburn
Dwayne Busby - Amarillo
Ed Whaley - Montgomery
Gary Klein - Weatherford
Gary Riffle - Paris
Gennaro Dicola - Bedford
Gilbert Coats - Fort Worth
Harold Allen - Shelbyville
Jason Reyes - Humble
Jeff Buchanan - Lufkin
Jerry Dolezal - Bullard
John Hope - Palestine
Mark Mitchell - Mesquite
Matt Hupp - Highland Village
Matt Reed - Madisonville
Patrick Amick - Boerne
Paul Ferguson - Arp
Randy Dearman - Onalaska
Ray Hanselman - Del Rio
Robert Byrd - Dallas
Robert Collett - Zapata
Robert Oneal - Riverside
Ryan Lovelace - Denison
Takahiro Omori - Emory
Theron Caldwell - Richland Hills
Tommy Loving - Cypress
Tommy Martin - Hemphill
Troy Reaves - Azle
William Lee - Killeen

Wisconsin
John Kolinski Greenville

Non-Boater list

Alabama
Dan Nash - Foley
Gordon Turner - Citronelle

Arkansas
Bill Gift - Alix
Bill Lawrence - Russellville
Bob Snyder - Roland
Chris Knabe - Floral
Dewayne French - Mammoth Spring
Donnie Pemberton - Mountain Home
Douglas Watkins - Cave City
Ernie Daniel - Batesville
Glenn Maxwell - Crossett
Hubert Korbus - Hot Springs Village
James Southard - Jordan
Jamie Horne - Jonesboro
Jeary Wheeler - Batesville
John Stanko - Conway
Kelley Bailey - Little Rock
Larry Marriott - Mountain Home
Paul Brunson - Mountain Home
Randy Reehm - Russellville
Ricky Bailey - Rison
Rudy Hershberger - Mountain Home
Shawn White - Mountain Home
Stephen Frank - Mountain Home Thomas Duncan - White Hall

Georgia
James Gray - Columbus

Illinois
Doug Gudat - Lacon
Steven Smith - Berwyn

Kansas
Jim Zaleski - Parsons
Paul Hottman - Wakarusa

Louisiana
Alvin Jones - Downsville
Bill Bonner - Natchitoches
Billy Yelverton - Baton Rouge
Blaine Leblanc - Many
Brett Turner - Eros
Gary Robicheaux - Centerville
George Fister - Lake Charles
Herbie Way - Alexandria
Kenneth Harris - Homer
Nathan Bourque - Prairieville
Ryan Brown - La Place
Stan Williams - Calhoun

Missouri
Glennon Wallach - Cedar Hill
Jack Brown - Thayer
Matthew Jones - Spokane
Patrick Carraher - Columbia
Robert Harley - Nixa
Russ Malmsbury - Galena
Scott Griend - Marshfield

Mississippi
Dennis Mcdaniel - Roxie
Lloyd Mcdaniel - Roxie
Mike Aycock - Bay Springs

Ohio
Jerad Horner - Blanchester

Oklahoma
Jason Welch - Mustang
Kirk Smith - Edmond
Mark Chamblee - Lawton
Scott Alspach - Delaware

Tennessee
Dennis Arendt - Jackson

Texas
Adrian Coble - Brookeland
Allen Rhoden - Huntsville
Bennie Anderson - Grand Prairie
Brian Merrifield - Duncanville
Buck Buchanan - Flint
Charles Thomson - Boerne
Charles Womack - Grand Prairie
Clifford Wilcox - New Caney
Cody Martin - Taylor
Craig Jackson - Boerne
Danny Hocking - Houston
David Harvey - Nederland
David Kayda - Deer Park
David Kelly - Ft Worth
Dean Perkins - Cedar Park
Dell Brown - Arlington
Donald Stringer - Huntsville
Dwight Dickerson - Tomball
Harry Durham - Houston
J M Snapp - Lago Vista
Jeff Cloud - Pampa
Jeff Smith - Richmond
Jeff Snyder - Royse City
Joe Lee - Desoto
Joel Mixon - Arlington
John Hobson - Grapeland
John Young - Deer Park
Joseph New - Spring
Mannie Lackey - Kerrville
Mike Wisenbaker - Jourdanton
Robbie Hass - Tomball
Robert Thierry - Sugarland
Ronny Bates - La Porte
Rusty Harvey - Nederland
Scott Darragh - Dallas
Steve Corbin - Conroe
Terry Barnson - Bullard
Tony Bickham - Round Rock

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