(Editor's note: The 34th annual WON Bass U.S. Open gets under way on Monday at Nevada's Lake Mead. This short preview comes from George Kramer, a longtime Western bass writer who's competed in the event many times and will do so again this year.)
With pre-practice in both July and August and a couple more days planned before Sept. 11, when Lake Mead is closed to the competitors, I see the U.S. Open as different and as similar to what it's been for the last several years.
Different in that the well-documented lower water levels have never been like this since Hoover Dam was built. Different in that the 190 pro competitors and their 190 AAA partners mean there will be no hiding in the desert. And no dawdling at the barely three-lane launch ramp at Callville Bay.
But in many ways, Mead will be just the same. You can still burn 40 or 50 gallons of gas a day if covering water is your game. And with a slow rise in the lake level since July, the lush grass beds in the backs of the bays and washes are just as inviting as ever.
Said defending Open champ Roy Hawk, “It’s similar to the last 4 or 5 years. The grass looked really good, and that keeps the fish shallow.”
From Overton Arm on the western extreme to Gregg Basin to the north and most of the Lower Basin, you can literally spot a good pocket “a mile away.” Just look for the green bushes on the bank.
The weather is typical desert for this time of year. Although July and August were heavy into the 108- to 110-degree zone, the last week and a half saw it drop into the 90s in the daylight and as low as the high 60s at night. Here, that’s cold, and with the wind over the Labor Day weekend, there has been lots of surface mixing.
On that one condition could hinge the whole tournament. Will the bait come up with the cooler surface water, or will it wait a few more days, or maybe weeks?
Still, the wind is generally a plus in the clear water, increasing the reaction bite, though making travel across the big basins hard on your backside. The lake can be fickle, however. One day it blows, while the next day is dead still and hot, and bites are as rare Bassmasters in the West.
Of course, lots of eyes are on Hawk. There have only been two previous back-to-back champions, Mike Folkestad and Aaron Martens. Said Hawk of his prospects, “It’s always on your mind to be able to win back-to-back. It would be really cool. So we’ll let the chips fall where they do.”
