The 31st US Open bass tournament is underway on Lake Mead where hard rains hammered the weigh in site – in the desert – just outside Las Vegas.

Todd Herman of Gilbert AZ leads the pack with 13.22 pounds.

Michael Caruso of Peoria, AZ is in 2nd with 11.77.

Western angling legend Gary Dobyns of Yuba City, CA is currently 3rd with 11.36.

Tommy Jonovich from Phoenix, AZ is 4th with a net weight of 11.09 after a dead fish penalty cost him .20 pounds of his 11.29-pound original limit.

Gary Robbins, Burbank, CA is 5th with 10.91 pounds of Lake Mead bass.

The US Open is always a test of toughness as much as it is a bass fishing derby. Typically held in the heat of July, but contested in Spetember the last couple of years, the Open is the only major tournament that allows competitors to leave the boat – they may jump into Lake Mead to cool themselves and prevent heat stroke.

Among the top 5 guys, only one had a single dead fish. All had limits.

Herman has what amounts to a huge lead on stingy Mead. Herman is one of the few to have fished the Open as a AAA (co-angler) and as a pro. His 4.4-pounder gave him a great head start on the competition. He has quality company in his rear view mirror. He did not fish his best spot today, as he was boat #132 to launch.

Herman has his fish dialed-in. “Basically there’s about 3 rods. That’s about it. Iended up catching about 10 keepers today. We finally got a limit about 10:30.”

Herman is targeting wolf packs of bass in little cuts around the lake.

In contrast to the leader, Dobyns said he junk fished. With a solid sack, he did not need a lone big bass to propel him up the standings. But he had that bite – “I could have pushed that 13-pound limit today. My partner had a big fish.”

Dobyns had an outstanding practice on Saturday, including a bass that Mike Folkstad claimed would weigh 8 pounds. Dobyns said that was “a little far-fetched” though he did have nearly 18 pounds.

A couple of his other practice days were “beyond horrible”.

Dobyns hasn’t had as much time to fish due to the success of his rod company – Dobyns Rods. He also has a bad back but he said that did not hamper him today.

Tournament Director Billy Eagan had to disqualify a couple of anglers and co-anglers over fishing license violations due to the fact that Lake Mead straddles two states, Nevada and Arizona.

As the Open is a ‘shared weight’ tournament, the co-anglers fishing with pros who were DQ’d also had their weights disqualified.

And as a shared weight event, the leading co-angler is the one who fished with Herman – Mike Hyland of Lompoc, CA who is credited with 13.22 pounds, the weight compiled in Herman’s boat.