Bassmaster Classic 2016: Weigh-In Results and Friday Leaderboard

Fifty-five of the top anglers and audiences from around the world descended upon Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees outside Tulsa, Oklahoma, for the Bassmaster Classic on Friday. 

Local favorite Jason Christie took a commanding lead after Day 1 with a five-fish haul totaling 20 pounds, 14 ounces.

Christie has more than a two-pound advantage over second-place Greg Vinson, but the margin between Vinson and 10th-place Marty Robinson is less than four pounds.

Here is a look at the top 10 after Day 1:

Place	Angler	Total Fish	Weight
1	Jason Christe	5	20-14
2	Greg Vinson	5	18-1
3	Alton Jones	5	17-13
4	Randy Howell	5	17-6
5	Bill Lowen	5	16-9
6	Matt Herren	5	16-4
7	Greg Hackney	5	16-2
8	Casey Ashley	5	15-5
9	Todd Faircloth	5	14-15
10	Marty Robinson	4	14-12

The Bassmaster Classic isn’t about quantity, but quality—weight trumps all. Positioning is determined by the heaviest load of fish, which must be at least 12 inches long. And as a catch-and-release tournament, all fish must be alive at the weigh-in, or a penalty will be assessed.

Christie competed in his first Classic at Grand Lake three years ago, finishing seventh in what remains his best Classic outing. He hails from Park Hill, Oklahoma—90 miles from Grand Lake. 

Christie catapulted from 10th place around lunchtime to take the lead by the end of the day with an increase of nearly eight pounds to his load.

The waters on Grand Lake were plagued by flooding in December, and the carry-over could still be seen during the competition's early stages Friday.

Here is a look at the anglers taking off Friday, via VisitTulsa:

Water temperatures dropped into the 40s, and the shallow levels left few bites in the morning. But the catch rate climbed drastically after the lunch hour. Winds were calmer than the 25 to 35 mph gusts in practice earlier this week, and temperatures were higher than the freezing conditions from the last time the Classic took place in Oklahoma.

Following the day on the water, the anglers convened at the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa for the weigh-in.

John Laws of KTUL in Tulsa shared a photo of Christie taking the stage as the leader following Friday’s outing:

And here is a look at Alton Jones after his outing, which was good for third, via Yamaha Outboards:

After Day 2 of the three-day event, the field will be trimmed to 25 anglers. Christie will look to continue his strong outing Saturday in his native waters as he seeks his first Classic title.