Watch videos and view slideshows: Watch a timelapse video of the launch. See a slideshow from the first day, and much more.
Follow along during the event: See unofficial estimates throughout Saturday
and Sunday.
Tour the lake: Using Google Earth, World outdoors writer Kelly Bostian gives you a tour of Grand Lake.
Anatomy of a bass boat: We have an interactive map detailing the equipment on a bass boat.
Michael Iaconelli has spent a decade trying to recapture his 2003 dream.
The personable bass fisherman was named the world champion after winning the Bassmaster Classic 10 years ago. On Friday, he finished the opening day tied for first place with Cliff Pace in the 43rd Bassmaster Classic Presented by Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.
"Man, I'm stoked," Iaconelli screamed to a BOK Center crowd during a weigh-in filled with pageantry. "This is phenomenal. The Bassmaster Classic is the most exciting tournament of your life. Since I was 12 years old, I've been dreaming about this event and it never gets old. Every time you come in, you get goose bumps."
Iaconelli and Pace boated limits of five fish that weighed 21 pounds, eight ounces. Hank Cherry (20-15) sits at third, followed by Kevin VanDam (19-12) and Tracy Adams (19-10).
Park Hill's Jason Christie (18-12) is sixth among 53 men competing on the Grand Lake O' the Cherokees.
The three-day event continues with Saturday's 7 a.m. launch at Wolf Creek Park in Grove. Doors open at the BOK Center at 3 p.m. for Saturday's weigh-in. The field will be sliced to the top 25 anglers following Saturday's results.
Anglers weathered cold conditions as temperatures were sub-freezing at Friday's launch.
VanDam, seeking an unprecedented fifth Classic title, expects more large bags over the weekend.
"Look at how many people have around 20 pounds," VanDam said. "I think it will take 20 pounds (a day) to win. There are so many big fish here. A 25-pound bag happens all the time here through the winter months.
"The conditions today didn't affect the bite much. They keep biting. This lake is one of the best in the country."
Iaconelli's tournament started strong right after the Friday launch.
"My timing was awesome in the morning," Iaconelli said. "I came up on the right stretch at the right time and those bigger fish were feeding."
Pace started fast, hit a lull and then landed two big bass late in his day. One of the two was a 6-8 catch that anchored his bag.
Pace, who fished slow, said he caught his limit on three lures: two on a jig, two on a crankbait and another on a jerkbait.
Getting a good start on the leader board was important, Pace said.
"You can't win this tournament today, but you can definitely lose it," said Pace, a Petal, Miss., native who finished second in the 2008 Classic. "There's probably about 20 guys that lost it today. I'm glad that I'm not a part of that group."
One angler that had a rough day was defending Classic champion Chris Lane. He was the only one not to boat a fish on Friday.
"I praised God when I won and I praise Him when I lose," Lane said. "Not one time did I feel bad or hurt ... I'm living a dream."
Seven anglers are within three pounds of first place, which earns $500,000 of the $1.2 million purse.
Other Oklahomans besides Christie in the field are Talala's Edwin Evers and Wagoner's Tommy Biffle. Evers is in 10th place at 16-13 and Biffle is tied for 27th with 12 pounds.
"It was really a rough start to my day," said Evers, who is in his 12th Classic. "... You can really lose it on that first day, but hopefully I stayed in it with that weight."
Added Biffle: "It was pretty disappointing, I thought. I thought I'd catch them a lot better, but they just didn't bite this morning. I'm going to go out there and try to catch again tomorrow."
Christie could be one to watch Saturday. The Classic rookie and local favorite had more than 50 boats following him to watch his debut.
Those marking him on the water on Day 2 will be doing a lot of moving, he said.
"There's so many fish ... you're not going to catch the same fish at the same point," he said. "Tomorrow I'm going to fish 30 percent of what I did today and 70 percent new water. I'm going to try out some new stuff ..."
"Grand Lake is not a place where you can sit in an area. You have to run a pretty portion of the lake to compete on Grand Lake."
Mark Pierce, from Clarksville, Tenn., caught the day's big bass, a 7-pound, 4-ounce lunker.
Eric Bailey 918-581-8391
eric.bailey@tulsaworld.com
Original Print Headline: A Grand start
