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Kelley Jaye caught five fish weighing a total of 21 pounds, 7 ounces Saturday to grab the first-round lead in the Bassmaster Elite Series season-opening tournament on the St. Johns River. (Bassmaster photo)
Several hundred fans filled Palatka's Riverfront Park on Saturday afternoon to watch weigh-ins as the AFTCO Bassmaster Elite Series tournament finally got underway after a two-day delay.
Kelley Jaye of Dadeville, Ala., was the leader after the opening day, catching five bass weighing a total of 21 pounds, 7 ounces. Jaye also had the big bass of the day, reeling in one weighing 9 pounds, 2 ounces.
Paul Mueller was next at 20 pounds, 8 ounces. Palatka's Cliff Prince caught five fish for a total of 10 pounds, 10 ounces, putting him in 28th place in the field of 88 anglers
The tournament resumes 7:15 a.m. Sunday on the St. Johns River with weigh-ins starting 3:15 p.m. The top 10 after Sunday advance to Monday's final round, fishing for the $100,000 top prize.
The first two days of the season-opening tournament for the Elite Series was postponed due to windy conditions that made the river unsafe for boating.
The 2020 AFTCO Bassmasters Elite Series tournament is hosted by the Putnam County Tourist Development Council and Putnam County Board of Commissioners.