BY MIKE STEVENS
LAKEPORT – Mother Nature provided the chill for the inaugural WON BASS Winter Open at Clear Lake but despite daytime temps that maybe peaked at around 50 degrees, skies were clear, the breeze was manageable after early-morning winds tapered off, and the field enjoyed very fishable conditions.
The Day 1 weigh-in was highlighted by four 30-plus pound bags (and a couple that just missed at 29.65 and 29.39) and a total of 15 over 20 pounds, and when the book was closed on the first weigh-in Woodland, Calif. pro Mark Cobey stood atop the leaderboard with two days of fishing to go.
Cobey teamed up with AAA Jake Etcheverry of Hughson, Calif. on Day 1, and the duo combined for 34.40 pounds. That Day 1 limit was anchored by a 7.97-pound largemouth boated by Cobey which, as a testament to the Clear Lake quality hitting the WON BASS scale, ranked 8th among big bass logged on the Pro side.
“I wanted cold more than rain so the fish would bunch up, and it just happened to work out and I hit the right ones that were ready to bite,” Cobey told Western Outdoor News. “I kind of pieced it together throughout the day and had that bag by around 2 after catching a 6 pounder.”
Cobey indicated that he started to put his Day 1 pattern together toward the end of his practice period.
“All I can really say is that it’s been deeper and I’m fishing current,” he said. “I know a lot of guys at Clear Lake don’t fish current, but because it has so much water, it pulls a lot of water to the south and there are current breaks all over the lake. They’re really subtle, and the fish seem to really grab on to those breaks. That’s where most of the schools were.”
Naturally, his co-angler, Etcheverry, also sits atop the AAA leaderboard after Day 1.
“The vibes were electric,” Cobey said of his Day 1 draw. “He was on top of it. Quick net, super fast, seriously awesome and a lot of fun to fish with. He caught a couple fish that weren’t keepers, but he grinded with me all day. That’s all I can ask for. He was just as into it as I was, and that was awesome.”
Day 2 is forecasted to be a little warmer and less breezy after overnight lows flirt with freezing, and Cobey told WON he’s not locked into any particular area on Clear Lake as the fish he’s targeting are on the move.
“I think I’m just going to fish,” he said. “I don’t think it’s one area, and that’s the crazy part, it’s not one spot. These fish are just moving around a lot. I kind of have a couple schools to work and I’m hoping I can get the same fish to do it again. It really does feel like it’s luck that those fish are willing to engage.”
Cobey passed Garrett Ellenson on the pro side who finished second with 32.08 pounds. Third went to Phillip Makin (31.67) followed by Vance Hayes (30.97) and Nathan Phillips (29.65) to round out the top five. Sixth went to local favorite John Pearl who weighed in five bass for 29.39 pounds, thanks in part to a 9.63-pound kicker that stood as the overall Big Bass for Day 1. Reigning Angler-of-the-Year Kyle Grover finished right behind Pearl in seventh place with a 26.06-pound bag.
The Big Bass list featured three bass over 9 pounds, including Fisher Perkins’ 9.35, Nick Supalo’s 9.24 pounder along with Pearl’s fish. Next on the list were four over 8 pounds and five over 7.
The 2026 WON BASS Winter Open at Clear Lake is brought to you by Bass Pro Shops, Ranger Boats, Mercury Marine, Nitro Boats, Triton Boats, Bridgford Foods, Stealth Lithium Batteries, Power Pole, Lowrance, Daiwa, AFTCO, Costa, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Fenwick Rods, Anderson Toyota, Okuma, A&M Graphics, Reese Fishing, Anglers Marine, Signature Gate Systems, DD26 Fishing, Loco’s Cantina, Gone Fishing Marine and G-Ratt.
The daily livestream of the weigh-ins aired on the WON Bass Facebook page, located at Facebook.com/WONBassTournaments
The top 10 in each division are posted below: for complete standings, click HERE
The 2026 WON Bass Western Opens Series of events consisting of five events in California, Arizona and Nevada will culminate with the WON BASS U.S. Open at Lake Mohave in October.
Each of the pros and AAA anglers who finish in the top five in these events earn a Golden Ticket berth into the 2027 Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Championship and a chance to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic.
The five event dates are as follows:
Jan. 8-10 – Winter Open at Clear Lake
Feb. 19-21– Lake Shasta Open
April 16-18 –Clear Lake Open
May 7-9 – Lake Havasu Open
Oct. 5-7 – U.S. Open at Lake Mohave
For more information, visit WONBASSEvents.com
