Nick Prvonozac
April 20, 2017 by Rob Newell

Dark skies, wind and drizzling rain hampered the sight-fishing on day one of the Costa FLW Series Southwestern event on Grand Lake presented by Ranger Boats. But when one weather condition hurts some, it can help others.

Such was the case for Nick Prvonozac of Warren, Ohio. Prvonozac brought 19 pounds, 12 ounces to the scale on day one to take the early lead thanks in part to two larger females he caught while “just fishing.”

“I think this weather kept a lot of the sight fishermen from really catching them,” Prvonozac says. “If the weather had been bright, sunny and still, there would probably be more big bags weighed in. But these conditions make it hard to see.”

Prvonozac did bag two bass off beds today, but says most of the ones on beds are smaller males. He has found that areas where males are bedding have a few heftier females staging in the same areas, but they can’t necessarily be seen.

“The females are more off to the sides of the bedding areas,” he says. “I spent about 50 percent of my day sight-fishing and the other 50 percent trying to target staging females that around those bedding areas.

“There are a lot of guys sight-fishing,” Prvonozac continues. “I had to wait my turn on several bedding fish today. But instead of getting spun out with guys already fishing on beds I wanted to fish, I just kept my cool and kept fishing more of a staging deal, which produced my better fish. So it was kind of a blessing in disguise I guess.”

Prvonozac enters day two of the event with a 1-14 advantage over second place. He says he has more spawners located for tomorrow, but they’re not big ones.

“They’re good for getting a limit a started, but I think in order to catch the bigger females, I’m going to have to fish more than look,” he adds.

Top 10 pros:

1. Nick Prvonozac – Warren, Ohio – 19-12 (5)

2. Matt Arey – Shelby, N.C. – 17-14 (5)

3. Tommy Martin – Hemphill, Texas – 16-15 (5)

4. Todd Castledine – Nacogdoches, Texas – 16-12 (5)

5. Drew Boggs – Lebanon, Tenn. – 16-6 (5)

6. Chad Warren – Sand Springs, Okla. – 15-13 (5)

7. Russell Cecil – Willis, Texas – 15-9 (5)

8. Matt Cooper – Smithville, Texas – 15-9 (5)

9. Kyle Cortiana – Broken Arrow, Okla. – 15-8 (5)

10. Bradley Hallman – Norman, Okla. – 15-5 (5)

Full Results

Bud Pruitt

Pruitt, Talley co-lead Co-angler Division

Bud Pruitt of Houston, Texas, and Mark Talley of Grove, Okla., both checked in identical limits weighing 12 pounds, 10 ounces to tie for the day-one co-angler lead.

 
PLACE ANGLER CITY/STATE DAY 1
WT (Fish) DAY 1&2
WT (Fish) WINNINGS
1 NICK PRVONOZAC WARREN, OH 19 – 12 (5) 19 – 12 (5)
2 MATT AREY SHELBY, NC 17 – 14 (5) 17 – 14 (5)
3 TOMMY MARTIN HEMPHILL, TX 16 – 15 (5) 16 – 15 (5)
4 TODD CASTLEDINE NACOGDOCHES, TX 16 – 12 (5) 16 – 12 (5)
5 DREW BOGGS LEBANON, TN 16 – 6 (5) 16 – 6 (5)
6 CHAD WARREN SAND SPRINGS, OK 15 – 13 (5) 15 – 13 (5)
7 MATT COOPER SMITHVILLE, TX 15 – 9 (5) 15 – 9 (5)
8 RUSSELL CECIL WILLIS, TX 15 – 9 (5) 15 – 9 (5)
9 KYLE CORTIANA BROKEN ARROW, OK 15 – 8 (5) 15 – 8 (5)
10 BRADLEY HALLMAN NORMAN, OK 15 – 5 (5) 15 – 5 (5)
11 WAYNE DIFFEE OAKHURST, OK 15 – 2 (5) 15 – 2 (5)
12 ANDREW UPSHAW TULSA, OK 15 – 1 (5) 15 – 1 (5)
13 LANCE WILLIAMS BILLINGS, MO 15 – 0 (5) 15 – 0 (5)
14 TYE SMITH FORT GIBSON, OK 14 – 14 (5) 14 – 14 (5) $150
15 JEROD HAWKES SABINAL, TX 14 – 3 (5) 14 – 3 (5)
16 DYLAN HAYS SHERIDAN, AR 14 – 2 (5) 14 – 2 (5)
17 CHRISTOPHER DIGINO DALLAS, TX 14 – 0 (5) 14 – 0 (5)
18 JEREMY LAWYER SARCOXIE, MO 14 – 0 (5) 14 – 0 (5)
19 KEN SMITH DALLAS, TX 13 – 15 (5) 13 – 15 (5)
20 CHRIS HART BOZEMAN, MT 13 – 15 (5) 13 – 15 (5)
21 ROBERT MYERS BROKEN ARROW, OK 13 – 12 (5) 13 – 12 (5)
22 TOMMY DICKERSON ORANGE, TX 13 – 11 (5) 13 – 11 (5)
23 JIM MOYNAGH CARVER, MN 13 – 6 (5) 13 – 6 (5)
24 DAVID MANSUE HEMPHILL, TX 13 – 4 (5) 13 – 4 (5)
25 JAMES STRICKLIN JR FORT SMITH, AR 13 – 4 (5) 13 – 4 (5)
26 DAVE DONHAM HIGHLANDVILLE, MO 13 – 3 (5) 13 – 3 (5)
27 CODY GREANEY MANCHACA, TX 12 – 14 (5) 12 – 14 (5)
28 MATT MASSEY LITTLETON, CO 12 – 6 (5) 12 – 6 (5)
29 LENDELL MARTIN JR NACOGDOCHES, TX 12 – 5 (4) 12 – 5 (4)
30 BLAINE COVINGTON FORT WORTH, TX 12 – 4 (5) 12 – 4 (5)
31 BRIAN HANES BERNICE, OK 12 – 3 (5) 12 – 3 (5)
32 BILLY CLINE GRAPEVINE, TX 12 – 3 (5) 12 – 3 (5)
33 STEPHEN JOHNSTON HEMPHILL, TX 12 – 2 (5) 12 – 2 (5)
34 RANDY SULLIVAN BRECKENRIDGE, TX 12 – 1 (4) 12 – 1 (4)
35 JOEY ROMANO DENHAM SPRINGS, LA 11 – 14 (5) 11 – 14 (5)
36 BRAD COOK AFTON, OK 11 – 12 (5) 11 – 12 (5)
37 SHELDON COLLINGS GROVE, OK 11 – 5 (5) 11 – 5 (5)
38 WADE HUDGENS LONGVIEW, TX 11 – 4 (3) 11 – 4 (3)
39 NICK KINCAID COWETA, OK 11 – 3 (5) 11 – 3 (5)
40 ERIC WRIGHT BALCH SPRINGS, TX 11 – 2 (5) 11 – 2 (5)
41 BLAKE SCHROEDER WHITEHOUSE, TX 10 – 15 (5) 10 – 15 (5)
42 CLINT ROYSE ATHENS, TX 10 – 14 (4) 10 – 14 (4)
43 TOM SILBER LABADIE, MO 10 – 14 (5) 10 – 14 (5)
44 DARREL ROBERTSON JAY, OK 10 – 11 (5) 10 – 11 (5)
45 BRADY WINANS CADDO MILLS, TX 10 – 10 (4) 10 – 10 (4)
46 GARRETT MCCLENDON BIXBY, OK 10 – 8 (3) 10 – 8 (3) $150
47 JIM TUTT LONGVIEW, TX 10 – 6 (5) 10 – 6 (5)
48 NICK ABER PIEDMONT, OK 10 – 6 (5) 10 – 6 (5)
49 CHARLIE APPERSON JAY, OK 10 – 5 (5) 10 – 5 (5)
50 STEPHEN BADLEY BROKEN ARROW, OK 10 – 5 (5) 10 – 5 (5)
51 CODY BIRD GRANBURY, TX 10 – 4 (5) 10 – 4 (5)
52 ALLEN RUDE PAULS VALLEY, OK 10 – 4 (5) 10 – 4 (5)
53 SHANE LONG WILLARD, MO 10 – 2 (5) 10 – 2 (5)
54 JOHN PILCHER KANSAS, OK 10 – 1 (4) 10 – 1 (4)
55 KYLE HALL RIO VISTA, TX 10 – 0 (4) 10 – 0 (4)
56 BRANDON MOSLEY CHOCTAW, OK 9 – 15 (5) 9 – 15 (5)
57 ROY WHISENHUNT VALLIANT, OK 9 – 15 (5) 9 – 15 (5)
58 JOEL BAKER TALALA, OK 9 – 14 (5) 9 – 14 (5)
59 ROBERT SPARKS HEFLIN, LA 9 – 14 (5) 9 – 14 (5)
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