Las Vegas, Nev. – September 10, 2013 – When it comes to winning bass fishing tournaments, having a level of consistency is recommended. To win a WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury U.S. Open; consistency is almost mandatory.

In an event that is frequently billed as one of the toughest bass fishing events in the world, the angler who is able to produce consistent limits full of two-pound bass is one who will be rewarded.   That game plan stands in contradiction to those anglers who throw caution to the wind and look for one big fish then try to fill in around it; especially on Lake Mead in the summer.

Such was the case on day two of the U.S. Open of Bass Fishing on Lake Mead, as a group of anglers began to separate themselves from the field by producing steady limits.

Carrying the mantle of consistency the most was Phoenix, Ariz. pro Brett Hite; a veteran of many U.S. Opens and an FLW Tour Champion, produced a 10.25-pound limit today to bring his total weight to 21.06 pounds to take the lead on day two.  In search of his first WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury

Rusty Brown, shown here with Day Two AAA Andrew Martin, is in Second place – photo by Dan O’Sullivan

U.S. Open title, Hite holds a .62-pound lead over Tustin, Calif. pro Rusty Brown who produced a limit weighing 10.17 pounds today to bring his total to 20.44 pounds, and second place.

Joe Uribe Jr., of Lake Forest, Calif. was the exception to the consistency rule today. He upgraded his day one weight by nearly three pounds with an 11.46-pound limit that brought him from 18th place to third with a total of 20.39 pounds. Their efforts, along with the close proximity of weights throughout the rest in the top five and beyond set up what is sure to be an exciting final day tomorrow.

Hite said that he strategized himself for consistency. “You really have to try and produce limits that are going to give you the chance to win a tournament here at Lake Mead, and those are consistent limits,” said Hite. “I try to get a couple of those better bites in the morning and then fill it in with keepers as the days go on. I had three fish today that were excellent quality and two that were solid keepers.”

Hite also said that he feels like he can continue his search for consistency, and hopes to have a little increase tomorrow. “I feel like I am doing something that will help me catch fish behind others, and I’m getting the right bites,” said Hite. “That being said, I’d love to catch 12 pounds tomorrow and feel great about my chances.”

Brown also planned on trying to be steady. “I felt like if I could catch 10 pounds a day I would be in position to win,” he said. “I was able to move around a little bit more yesterday, but had to slow down and work the areas a little slower today, and feel like if I stay with my strengths tomorrow I’ll have a good chance.”

Uribe said that he figured out something that helped him increase his position on day two. “I really

Joe Uribe Jr. Moved into Third place by catching the Day’s Heaviest Stringer  – photo by Dan O’Sullivan

slowed down today and fished on the bottom,” he said. “I practiced with a reaction bait, but the fish haven’t moved up in these cloudy conditions, so I put a spinning rod in my hands and stayed with that all day; in fact, I need to go to the tackle store and buy some more worms because I’m running really low after today.”

The AAA leader Scott Palumbo, also from Phoenix, Ariz. proved that the consistency game worked by taking part in producing a 10.17-pound limit today to move from sixth place to the lead with 20.98 pounds. He holds a scant half-pound lead over Robert Jeannotte from Henderson, Nev. who upped his total to 20.47 pounds, and finished in second place for the second day in a row.

The full fields of both the Pro and the AAA anglers will compete on Wednesday for the chance to be crowned the 2013 WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury U.S. Open Champion.

Complete Standings are below.

The WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury U.S. Open takeoff will continue tomorrow at Callville Bay Marina beginning at 5:45AM, with weigh-in starting at 2:00PM. Following the event’s conclusion tomorrow, a champion will be crowned at Boulder Station Casino the final evening of the event.

The WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury Marine U.S. Open See What’s Out There Live Webcasts presented by Costa Sunglasses will continue following tournament take off with hourly updates at 8:00AM, 9:00AM, 10:00AM and 11:00AM each day, followed by weigh-in coverage beginning at 2:00PM and finally a 6:30PM post game show; all show times are Pacific Standard Time. .

The WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury Marine U.S. Open presented by Costa Sunglasses Webcasts can be accessed by visiting www.wonbass.com, or directly at the event page of the 2013 The WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury Marine U.S. Open See What’s Out There page presented by Costa Sunglasses

The WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury Marine U.S. Open Live Webcast is presented by Costa Sunglasses, the event is also brought to you by Nitro Boats, Mercury Outboards, Costa Sunglasses, Bass Pro Shops, Adoption Awareness, Big Hammer, Bridgford Foods, Cousins Tackle, Daiwa, Frog Toggs, Fuji, Global Fish Mounts, Lobina Lures, Lowrance, Mustang Survival, Optimum Baits, Plano Molding, Pro Boats, Pro Mar, Seaguar, Snug Top, SPRO, St.Croix Rods, Star Tron, YoZuri and Zip Baits

2013 WON Bass Nitro Boats / Mercury U.S. Open
Day Two Pro Standings