Hupp of Gainesville, Texas, brought in 19 pounds, 4 ounces of bass for the Day 1 lead at the Texoma event, the first Central Open of the 2007 season. Russellville, Ark., pro Reehm had 17-1 for second place.

Texoma was covered by thick fog Thursday until 11 a.m. Scheduled to take off at 7:30 a.m., anglers in the 176-boat field were forced to wait until a few minutes after 11 a.m., until boating conditions were safe.

Most anglers suffered from the half-day of competition. But Hupp and Reehm said they knew exactly where to go for a quick five-fish limit, knowledge that gave them the advantage.

"I was really hoping we’d wait right up to 11:30, then go," said Hupp, 27, who installs cabinets when he isn’t pursuing his goal of qualifying for the Bassmaster Elite Series. "I probably have about 100 areas here on the lake — I’m a local — and I went to my No. 1 spot first thing."

"I was hoping for a short day," echoed Reehm, 27, a freelance graphic designer. "I found my fish on Tuesday [during the official practice time], and I had nine bites in 15 minutes. I knew those fish would be there today."

Closest to the leaders’ were Minnesota’s Trevor Rogge with 16-0; Chip Hawkins of Arkansas with 13-8; and Texas’ Ryan Loveless with 13-6.

Hupp, Reehm and the rest of the pro field are after the event’s first-place prize of $6,000 in cash and a Triton/Mercury boat rig valued at $50,000.

Pros are also competing for points: The three Central Open pros who finish the season at the top of the points standings will qualify for the 2008 Bassmaster Classic. The five Central Open pros who accumulate the most points by season’s end will be eligible to move into the upper echelon of competition in 2008, the Bassmaster Elite Series.

In the co-angler division, first in line for the top prize of $2,000 in cash and a Triton/Mercury rig worth $32,000 was Kevin Hanson of Pineville, La., with 12-9. On his heels was Tony Bickham of Round Rock, Texas, with 12-6. Tied for third with 10-0 were Richard Garlock of New York and Rusty Parker of Missouri. Fifth was Raymond Balcerowicz of Texas with 9-7.

Thursday’s Purolator Big Bass bonuses went to Lovelace for his 8-4 lunker and to co-angler Mark Richard for his 4-10 bass. Lovelace earned the Purolator pro bonus of $1,000 and Richard claimed the co-angler bonus of $300.

Day 1 Purolator Big Bass
Pro: Ryan Lovelace, Denison, Texas, 8-4
Co-Angler: Mark Richard, Bridge City, La., 4-10

Location/Dates
2007 Bassmaster Central Open
Stop No. 1
Lake Texoma
Denison and Pottsboro, Texas
March 15-17, 2007

Field
177 pros, 175 co-anglers
Cut to top 30 pros and top 30 co-anglers after Day 2

Launch & Weigh-In
Highport Resort and Marina
120 Texoma Harbor Drive
Pottsboro, TX 75020
Launch: 7:15 a.m. CT
Weigh-in: 3:30 p.m. CT

Local sponsor: Denison Area Chamber of Commerce

Sponsors of the Bassmaster Central Opens include Toyota Tundra, Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Purolator, Berkley, Advance Auto Parts, Lowrance Electronics and MotorGuide.

BASS is the worldwide authority on bass fishing, sanctioning more than 20,000 events annually through the BASS Federation Nation annually. Guided by its mission to serve all fishing fans, BASS sets the standard for credibility, professionalism, sportsmanship and conservation, as it has for nearly 40 years. BASS stages bass fishing tournaments for every skill level and culminates with the Bassmaster Classic. Through its clubs, youth programs, aquatic resource advocacy, magazine publishing and multimedia platforms, BASS offers the industry’s widest array of services and support to its nearly 550,000 members. The organization is headquartered in Celebration, Fla.

For more information, contact BASS Communications at (407) 566-2208.