Luke Palmer admitted he did not carry much optimism onto Toledo Bend Reservoir, and his morning’s disappointing start deepened the despair. Thankfully, Palmer’s perseverance was rewarded with a massive limit of 32 pounds, 14 ounces that led Day 1 of the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Toledo Bend Reservoir presented by Bass Pro Shops.
Clearly demonstrating why it’s consistently ranked among the nation’s top lakes, this Sabine River impoundment kicked out 29 limits over 20 pounds, 10 of which broke 25, including a trio of “Dirty 30s.” Heading into Day 2 with a 2-4 lead over Riley Harris, Palmer said he’s elated with the contrast between his practice and the tournament.
“My practice was horrendous; I was almost ready to pack up and head back home,” said the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series pro from Coalgate, Okla. “You never know with fishing. It changes every day, and I just made the right moves today.
Noting that his day’s final tally belied a round of early frustration, Palmer said his fortune changed at just the right moment.
Palmer did his work in the lake’s lower end. He was mostly looking for bass that were following bait schools, and he found good numbers of quality fish spread throughout his target zone.
“After that 7, I caught some 3-pounders with it, then I’d go a little farther, and I caught a 6, then I went a little farther, and I caught another 6,” he said. “It was very random, but there’s a lot of fish there.
Palmer attributed his main area’s appeal to an abundance of sizable forage.
“It’s the only place that I have found that has giant gizzard shad, like 8- to 10-inch gizzard shad,” Palmer said. “I caught some of my fish flipping; I caught some cranking. I’m really trying to stay away from what everybody else is doing.
Palmer said he’ll give his areas another look on Day 2. He’s confident that he left plenty of good fish untouched, so he’ll be looking for another hefty limit.
Hailing from Orange, Texas, Harris is in second place with 30-10. Reporting what he called a tough, grinding day, Harris anchored his bag with a pair of 7-pound kickers.
Buddy Benson of Dahlonega, Ga., is in third place with 30-3. With a 7-14 as his biggest bass, Benson said the first half of his day was a desert.
Benson said he caught most of his weight in about an hour. Working a pocket in the lower lake region, he caught a couple of his fish in 20 feet, then he moved into the 10-foot range and caught the rest.
Thursday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. CT at Cypress Bend Park. The weigh-in will be held at the park at 3 p.m. Coverage of the Nitro Boats Bassmaster Elite Qualifier at Toledo Bend Reservoir presented by Bass Pro Shops can be found on Bassmaster.com. Bassmaster LIVE will be available on Friday, Oct. 23, from 8-11 a.m. ET and Noon-3 p.m. on Bassmaster.com and Roku Sports Channel.