EUFAULA, Okla. — Opportunity knocked twice, and Kelley Hudson made sure he connected on the second offering. Doing so helped him secure a 5-bass limit of 14 pounds, 11 ounces and secure the Day 1 lead at the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier at Lake Eufaula presented by Lowrance.
Anchoring his bag with a crucial 6-pound, 8-ounce largemouth, the Graham, Texas, pro heads into Day 2 with a 3-ounce lead over Josh Cruse of Pocahontas, Ark. Jaret Rushing of Hampton, Ark., and James McAllister of McAlester, Okla., sit 9 and 11 ounces, respectively, off the lead.
Fishing Eufaula’s mid-lake region, Hudson encountered his day-maker around 10 a.m. He was fishing shallow when he drew the big fish’s attention.
“That was my fourth fish of the morning,” Hudson said. “I threw up shallow in about a foot of water, she hit and missed it.
“I reeled up, fixed my bait, threw back in there and she smacked it.”
Hudson said the water in the creek he was fishing had enough stain to obscure his vision, but he’s pretty certain his big fish was in the spawning mode.
“I think it was trying to set up on a bed,” he said. “I couldn’t see it, but that was my assumption.”
Managing his time well, Hudson committed his day to one main area and worked through its options.
“They all came from one creek,” Hudson said. “It splits into three smaller arms in the back, and I would just rotate through them. I caught the majority out of one little arm.”
The key to his primary creek arm was greater depth. With a little deep channel leading into the back, this artery seemed to set up better for funneling fish into the spawning area.
Also, Hudson said he figured out a few particular details about his baits and technique. He held his cards low, but Hudson said the fish seemed to react best to a particular presentation.
“I have a bait that I have confidence in,” he said. “I switched to a different bait (of the same category) in the same color, and I kept catching them.
“I think the area had fish, but during practice, I got that color that I was throwing, and I caught them pretty quickly.”
Noting that he got most of his bites in the morning, Hudson said he had his limit by 11. Boating his kicker energized his day.
“I thought, ‘Well I have a chance, but now I need to get my limit,’” he said. “I got my fifth keeper about 45 minutes later.
“I thought it was going to take more weight (to lead today), but just getting a limit was important. I was tough today; it was pretty windy.”
Confident with the bait and technique he’s using, Hudson said he’s unsure if his first-round spot will be able to carry him through the tournament.
“I have to go back and try, but I don’t think there’s enough to hold up for another day,” he said. “If I don’t get anything pretty quickly, I’ll have to go look for other spots.”
Cruse is in second place with 14-08.
Rushing is in third with 14-02.
Hudson is in the lead for Phoenix Boats Big Bass honors with his 6-8.
David Zak of San Angelo, Texas, leads the co-angler division with 10-8.
Glen Shoemaker of Cortland, Neb., holds the Phoenix Boats Big Bass lead among co-anglers with a 4-11.
Thursday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. CT at Nichols Point Boat Ramp. The weigh-in will be held at the same location at 3 p.m.
The City of Eufaula will be hosting the tournament.