LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – The WON Lake Havasu Striper Derby kicked off today, and Day 1 saw plenty of 10-fish limits as competing anglers slugged it out under a desert sun that created a day-time high of 105 degrees.
Bob Jones of Team 38 (this is his 38th Striper Derby) and Mike Jones are the Day 1 leaders after weighing in 10 stripers for 35.37 pounds which included a 5.11-pound kicker. The Big Fish leader is Scott Kelly who caught a 9.64-pound lineside despite only weighing in two fish for 15.57 pounds. It’s a good position to be in, but he’ll be paying very close attention to the Day 2 weigh ins since his fish is very beatable, and the angler bagging the biggest striper in this year’s event picks up a 3-day Puerto Vallarta-based cow-tuna trip aboard El Pescador.
Those familiar with the fishery predicted decent numbers but lighter limits and a lot more bait fish. That was definitely the chatter at the docks near London Bridge on Day 1, along with most anglers saying they caught a lot if not all of their fish in the first hour of fishing. There were some troll fish reported. Day 2 is supposed to be even hotter with a high of 109 in the weather forecast.
