Here are the Top 10 pros and their weights after the first day of fishing in the Costa FLW Series on Lake Okeechobee:

1        PETER CHERKAS          20-0 (5)                          

2        ZACH CRIDER     19-4 (5)                          

3        JUSTIN MORGAN         18-4 (5)                

4        LAVOYD LEMMOND   17-14 (5)                        

5        JUAN RUIZ          17-11 (5)                 

6        WAYNE CHRISTOPHER        17-8 (5)                

7        JOSEPH KREMER          17-3 (5)                

8        CHRIS JOHNSTON        16-14 (5)              

9        JASON LAMBERT         16-9 (5)                

10      BRADFORD BEAVERS   16-4 (5)      

Weights are off a bit compared to what most folks expected from such a famous fishery. Weather is to blame for much of that. A recent cold front slowed the bite. Water temps are in the low 60’s.

Peter Cherkas clings to a fragile lead of less than a pound as tomorrow promises to bring change in the form of rain and a strong southerly wind.

Today there were 152 limits and 14 zeroes.

Bryan Newberry caught the biggest bass of the day at 8 pounds, 11 ounces.

The average success rate for pros was 4 fish worth 9 pounds, 3 ounces.

Many pros fished moving baits. Those who chose to flip seemed to be catching the bigger bass, if smaller numbers of them.

Cherkas, however, used a moving lure to sein one area. He caught most of his weight before 11 AM.

On the co-angler side Michael Black holds the lead with 14-3. Dean Harcourt follows closely with 14-even.

Richie Riddle had the big bass at 7-11.

The Top 10 co-anglers:

1        MICHAEL BLACK         14-3 (5)                

2        DEAN HARCOURT       14-0 (5)                

3        MARK HOWARD          12-14 (5)              

4        AUSTIN BASKETTE     12-7 (5)                

5        RICHIE RIDDLE  12-6 (4)                

6        LINDA ROBINSON       11-15 (5)    

7        MIKE MUELLER 11-12 (5)              

8        CAPTAIN DON LEWIS 11-9 (5)      

9        STEPHEN KOCELL       11-1 (5)      

10      GREG MIELE       11-1 (4)