LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Ken Christ got a wake-up call about 10 minutes before the take-off in the Bass Fishing event of the ESPN Great Outdoor Games.

Christ, the only amateur in the field was standing on the dock with some of the most notable names in bass fishing. Surrounding them was a throng of ESPN television personnel and fans. In a few minutes the anglers would take-off for the day of fishing.

But before that, Mike McKinnis, producer of the BASSMASTER Show, wanted to get a shot of all the anglers lined up. He started asking people to get out of the shot. A few moments later and the dock was mostly cleared, with the exception of one man.

	“	I didn't think anything of it. I thought he wanted a picture of all the real pros. It didn't bother me, I know I can't compare with these guys. ”
		— Ken Christ, after being kicked out of a picture of professional bass fishermen

McKinnis pointed at him, and said "You! Outta here!"

The man McKinnis pointed to was Christ.

As Christ moved off, McKinnis realized his mistake. But from that moment until the weigh in, the "You! Outta here!" statement was a running joke with Christ, McKinnis, and the rest of the anglers.

"I didn't think anything of it," Christ said. "I thought he wanted a picture of all the real pros. It didn't bother me, I know I can't compare with these guys."

Or can he?

Christ may be the only amateur and a seemingly non-descript face among the household names of bass fishing. But after the first day of competition, he can finally say, "I belong."

Christ finished the day in third place, making the final cut of six anglers. He will be fishing on Saturday, while anglers like Larry Nixon, Rick Clunn, Davy Hite and Mark Davis have been eliminated. Those four share seven B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year titles and seven BASS Masters Classic championships. But Christ obviously had an advantage on them in this contest.

"While pre-fishing yesterday my eyes just lit up," Christ said. "I kept finding places that looked just like home. As a matter of fact, if you could take away the Adirondack Mountains, it would look just like the Missouri River."

He is concentrating his efforts in the channel between Flower and Middle Saranac lakes. The channel lays out like a winding river, with shallow, clear water, rocks strewn about, reeds and vegetation along the shore and current to position fish.

"It's perfect for what I like to do," Christ said.

What he likes to do is pitch a tube jig on light line in shading spots around rocks where smallmouth bass are holding out of the current. The tactic worked well enough that Christ caught more than 12 keepers during the day to make the cut. He finished the day tied for third with Gary Klein with 9 pounds, 14 ounces and behind leader Shaw Grigsby (11-9) and second place Peter Thliveros (11-7).

Kevin VanDam (9-9) was fifth and Clark Wendlandt (9-6) was sixth.

"I've reached my goal, which was to make it to the next round," Christ said. "Now I've got a new goal, to at least get in the medals."

A medal is not outside the realm of possibility. Christ fishing area on day one was actually his second pick. He decided not to fish his best area because Klein was close and he didn't want to infringe. And by the time he got to his second choice, he was so nervous that his first three bites went like this: A hook set and a line break on what would have been one of his bigger fish; then a lost fish that would have improved his weight and another line break.

"By the time I settled down, things started working well for me," Christ said. "Maybe I've got all the kinks worked out."

And maybe now, he jokes, "I don't have to get outta here."

Christ is competing in his first professional event. His second will be the BASS Masters Classic July 25-27 in Birmingham. He qualified for the Classic and the Great Outdoor Games by winning the B.A.S.S. Federation National Championship.