First-year professional bass angler Buddy Gross from Ringgold, Ga., and Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn., are first and second after the first day of the Walmart FLW Tour event on Pickwick Lake.
The two room together at tournaments.
Gross totaled 25 pounds, 8 ounces with his five-bass limit Thursday out of Florence, Ala. Neal brought in 23 pounds, which was 22 ounces more than third-place Scott Canterbury of Springville, Ala.
"My home lakes are Chickamauga and Guntersville, and it's the same kind of deal here as it is at home," Gross said in an FLW release. "I'm catching them at their first stop as they're coming off the spawn. I had six keeper bites today.
"They're pretty close to the grass. I'm catching them in 8 to 15 feet. The grass is growing in 8 foot. I pull up on the grass and then back out."
He said he had found "two good places" in the same general area.
Wesley Strader of Spring City was 29th Thursday with 13-13, and Andy Morgan of Dayton was 40th at 12-9.
Four anglers were penalized for late check-ins after not being able to lock back through from Lake Wilson in time, and 24 had their weights disqualified.