![The first round of the Bassmaster Classic Bracket is over, but during the last two days it’s produced some exciting action among the eight anglers who went head-to-head for a chance to make the 2018 Bassmaster Classic.
<br><br>We’ve seen some last-second heroics, a bad luck fish and a couple explosions of Ike going Ike. Take a look at some of the best action from Round 1.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/000_cover_gariick.jpg)
We’ve seen some last-second heroics, a bad luck fish and a couple explosions of Ike going Ike. Take a look at some of the best action from Round 1.
![We saw Steve Kennedy catch a fish, actually the largest fish in the derby so far, on the very first cast. The big smallmouth coming so early was a premonition of great things to come, at least for some.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/001_gdixon_kennedy-7.jpg)
![Despite the big start by Kennedy in Round 1, the catch would prove an age-old adage: Catching a fish on the first cast is bad luck.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/002_gdixon_kennedy-10.jpg)
![...](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/003_gdixon_kennedy-11.jpg)
![Kennedy would eventually be eliminated after struggling on Day 2 in the second round, managing only 14-2 over the two days of three-hour fishing rounds.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/004_gdixon_kennedy-12.jpg)
![Jacob Powroznik is the only angler to fish two Classic Bracket events.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/6_pow_2_sexton.jpg)
![Last year, he fished with little at stake, having already qualified for the Classic at that point.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/7_pow_3.jpg)
![This season, Powroznik was struggling to stay in contention for the Bracket after a poor showing at the AOY Championship. But he quickly made up for showing, by jumping way out in front of the leaderboard with quick limits during both rounds.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/8_pow_4.jpg)
![Going into the semifinal rounds, Powroznik is the only angler who seems to have little trouble getting bites both shallow and deep.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/9_pow_5.jpg)
![Kelley Jaye kept things close on Day 1.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/10_jaye_1_gettys.jpg)
![Utilizing his trademark ability to skip a jig into extreme tiny places, he boated keeper after keeper.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/11_jaye_2.jpg)
![Jaye focused more on deeper fish, something Jaye has been successful with all week.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/12_jaye_3.jpg)
![But Pokegama is a glacier-style lake without the easy-to-read structure of most man-made reservoirs.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/13_jaye_4.jpg)
![Jaye stayed within a few pounds after Day 1, but on Day 2 was unable to keep pace.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/14_jaye_5.jpg)
![The most exciting moment of the event thus far was provided during Lefebre’s last cast on Day 1.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/15_lefebre_bowman.005_1w4a8114.jpg)
![This series of photos was shot during the course of about 30 seconds.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/16_lefebre_bowman.jpg)
![It was Lefebre’s last cast and accurately placed his lure under a pontoon boat.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/17_lefebre_1w4a8121.jpg)
![With in seconds he was hooked up and fighting the fish.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/18_lefebre_1w4a8143.jpg)
![...](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/19_1w4a8485.jpg)
![...](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/20_1w4a8505.jpg)
![...](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/21_1w4a8506.jpg)
![...](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/22_1w4a8507.jpg)
![...](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/23_1w4a8508.jpg)
![Fearing time was running out, he jerked the fish from well away from the boat and brought aboard.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/24_1w4a8509.jpg)
![The fish would be his biggest of the day, but also give him a comfortable cushion going into Day 2 of Round 1.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/25_1w4a8511.jpg)
![Tournament rules stipulate that a caught fish must be over the gunwales before time expires. .](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/26_1w4a8515.jpg)
![Official replays of the catch showed that the fish crossed the gunwales and into the boat with just 2 seconds remaining in the round.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/27_1w4a8526.jpg)
![The result for Lefebre was similar to a baseball player hitting a game-winning homer in the bottom of the ninth, or a quarterback connecting on a Hail Mary.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/28_1w4a8550.jpg)
![Jonathon VanDam pulled off the improbable to get to the Bracket.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/29_gdixon_d1_jvd_otw-31.jpg)
![He had a strong finish at St. Clair to slip into the AOY Championship, held the week before.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/30_gdixon_d1_jvd_otw-32.jpg)
![With no shot at making the Classic outright, VanDam had to have an exception AOY event to get into the Bracket.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/31_gdixon_d1_jvd_otw-33.jpg)
![He made it with room to spare, but was unable to keep his momentum going and was eliminated by Ish Monroe.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/32_gdixon_d1_jvd_otw-34.jpg)
![Monroe has so little trouble catching fish in the early rounds that he spent most of Day 2 practicing.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/33_a_img_8771.jpg)
![Monroe is focusing shallow, a tactic that didn’t work for him at the AOY Championship.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/34_img_8671.jpg)
![Monroe, though, has stayed persistent at Pokegame.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/35_img_8674.jpg)
![And his persistence has paid off. He waltzed into the semifinal round.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/36_img_8675.jpg)
![But knows the next round won’t be as easy.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/37_img_8692.jpg)
![He faces one of his best friends and roommates Michael Iaconelli.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/38_img_8754.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/39_img_8758.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/40_img_8768.jpg)
![Iaconelli may be the most feared head-to-head match up by most of these guys.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/41_ike_1_bowman_1w4a8664.jpg)
![The super intense angler always produces some fireworks and to this point, he’s brought plenty of it.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/42_ike_2_bowman_1w4a8665.jpg)
![He was matched against fellow New Jersey angler, Adrian Avena and it was by far the closest of the first-round matches.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/43_ike_3_bowman_1w4a8670.jpg)
![Ike in his trademark never-quit fishing-style, raced through Day 1 covering water like a mad man.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/44_ike_4_bowman_1w4a8676.jpg)
![By Day 2, he settled into a rhythm and built a big stringer in what appeared to be an easy run for him.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/45_ike_5_bowman_1w4a8684-2.jpg)
![And it turned out to be just enough, because Avena staged a big comeback on Day 2.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/46_avena_1_gettys.bass8816.jpg)
![He finished Day 1, with only four fish.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/47_avena_2_gettys_bass8823.jpg)
![The lack of that fish, along with Iaconelli’s strong showing, forced an elimination of Avena.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/48_avena_3_gettys_bass8824.jpg)
![Avena, unlike the other eliminated anglers, was literally one bite away from fishing on Day 3.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/49_avena_4_gettys.bass8830.jpg)
![The following are some of the best catches from the early rounds, providing a sample of what is sure to come.](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/50_avena_5_gettys.bass8832.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/51_0_e_jvd_gdixon.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/52_0_f_jvd_gdixon.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/53_0_g_jvd_gdixon.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/54_0_a_ish_sexton_img_8948.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/55_aa_ish_sexton_img_8960.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/56_0_b_ish_sexton_img_8962.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/57_0_c_ish_sexton_img_8965.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/58_0_d_ish_sexton_img_8981.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/59_0_0_ike_bowman1w4a9639-1.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/60_0_1_ike_1w4a9642.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/61_0_2_ike1w4a9643.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/62_0_2a_ike1w4a9645.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/63_0_4_ike1w4a9647.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/64_0_5_ike1w4a9659.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/65_0_h_avena_getty.bass9858.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/66_0_i_avena_gettys_bass9862.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/67_0_j_avena_gettys_bass9863.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/68_0_k_avena_gettys_bass9870.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/69_0_l_avena_gettys_bass9873.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/70_0_m_avena_gettys_bass9897.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/71_pow_sexton.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/71a_pow_sexton.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/72_pow_sexton.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/73_pow_sexton.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/74_jaye_gettys.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/75_jaye_gettys.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/76_jaye_gettys.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/77_jaye_gettys.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/78_lefebre_garrick.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/79_lefebre_garrick.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/80_lefebre_garrick.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/81_lefebre_garrick.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/82_lefebre_garrick.jpg)
![](http://www.bassmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/83_lefebre_garrick.jpg)
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