Biffle heads top-10 list
Oklahoma native sets sights on first FLW Tour victory of career
D’IBERVILLE, Miss. – Three-time FLW Tour runner-up Tommy Biffle remained in the hunt for his first-ever FLW tour event championship after successfully battling dense fog, a strenuous 200-mile run and some of the most difficult fishing conditions in recent memory. However, despite all hurdles, Biffle managed to register a magnificent two-day catch of 20 pounds, 1 ounce – a feat that underscored the fact that the Wagoner, Okla., native has been the most consistent angler in the tournament to date.
While other fishermen could be seen shaking their heads in amazement over Biffle’s accomplishment – given the relatively unfavorable fishing conditions – the 2000 FLW Tour Championship runner-up acknowledged that he has benefited from a combination of good luck and being in the right place at the right time.
“To tell you the truth, it’s been really tough out there,” said Biffle. “I just found a good spot and that clearly has helped. But in a tournament like this, with these conditions, it’s still a good accomplishment to make the top 10. Whether I finish 10th or in first place, I’ll be pleased with my performance.”
Although Biffle clearly would like to make the top-5 cut, which will take place after tomorrow’s weigh-in, it appears that he will need to have some of that good fortune in reserve. While some anglers have strayed far from the weigh-in sites over the past two days, few, if any, have traveled as far as Biffle to land their daily catch.
“If everything stays the way it is, I’m planning on running 300 to 350 miles tomorrow,” said Biffle, who acknowledged that the new takeoff point for day three will add at least 50 miles to his overall journey. “And that’s going to be really tough. The water level is falling and I’ll probably only have about 30 minutes to fish once I get there. But I think I’m going to go for it.”
Chuck Economou of Redington Beach, Fla., who is making his second appearance in an FLW top-10 semifinal, was in second place with a total catch of 18 pounds, 11 ounces. However, Economou said this tournament feels different than most.
“It feels great to make the top 10,” he said. “I’ve been totally relaxed this entire tournament. And that’s a good feeling because the last time I felt this way in an FLW tournament, I finished second overall.”
Economou believes he has what it takes to make the finals as well.
“My confidence is high right now,” said Economou, who placed second in the FLW Tour event in Memphis in May of 1999. “And I think I can be consistent again tomorrow provided the conditions stay the same. If that’s the case, I think I’ll do very well.”
Johnny McCombs of Morris, Ala., found a 7-pound, 14-ounce bass that allowed him to jump from 41st place into third after day two.
“I was lucky to catch that fish,” said McCombs, who landed a two-day total of 18 pounds, 5 ounces. “That’s the biggest fish I’ve ever seen come out of this river. Basically, I fished in the same area that I did on the first day, the only difference was that I was able to land a few more big fish today.”
McCombs also won a check for $750 for catching the largest fish of the day, which so far has also been the largest fish of the tournament.
Day-one leader Chris Daniels of Clayton, N.C., was in fourth place heading into tomorrow’s semifinals after registering a total catch of 17 pounds, 8 ounces.
“I fished harder today than I did yesterday, but it didn’t really work out today,” said Daniels, who caught 10 fewer pounds of fish today than on day one. “I only had three bites. I think I’m going to the other side of the river tomorrow to see what happens.”
Marty Stone of Linden, N.C., recorded a two-day catch of 13 pounds to finish fifth.
Rounding out the top 10 were Jim Carnell (sixth) of Muskogee, Okla., with a catch of 12 pounds, 14 ounces; Denny Brauer (seventh) of Camdenton, Mo., with a catch of 12 pounds, 4 ounces; Dale Teaney (eighth) of Williamsburg, Ohio, with a catch of 12 pounds, 1 ounce; Rick Clunn (ninth) of Ava, Mo., with a catch of 11 pounds, 10 ounces; and Greg Carpenter (tenth) of Royal, Ariz., with a catch of 11 pounds, 5 ounces.
Workman puts in yeoman-like effort to jump atop the co-angler leaderboard
Daniel Workman of Oakwood, Ga., used a total two-day catch of 7 pounds to vault into first place in the Co-Angler Division heading into tomorrow’s co-angler finals. Workman, who had never made a top-10 appearance on the FLW Tour until today, said he was ecstatic with his performance.
“This is what I’ve been dreaming about for a long time,” he said. “I eat, sleep and drink fishing, so for me, this just doesn’t get any better. I felt really confident coming into this tournament and so far everything is working out.”
Given the difficult fishing conditions, Workman said he knew that he had to stay focused to make the top 10.
“I knew that whoever was more mentally tough was going to do well,” he said. “I also knew it was going to be tough to get the bites today. The key was to keep the bait in the water as much as possible.”
And what is tomorrow’s strategy?
“I don’t know what to expect,” Workman said. “I’ll have to see what my (pro) partner is doing and try to keep pace.”
Tommy Szwankowski of Hope, Ark., used a two-day catch of 6 pounds, 13 ounces to finish in second place. Jim Blake of Lincoln, Neb., was in third place with a total catch of 6 pounds, 12 ounces. Andrew Arnold of Princeton, Ky., finished in fourth place with a catch of 6 pounds, 9 ounces. And despite not catching a fish on Thursday, day-one leader Beverly Little managed a fifth-place finish with a total catch of 5 pounds, 13 ounces. Little also found herself as the only female remaining in the tournament in either division.
Rounding out the top 10 finalists were Fred Hill (sixth) of Roxboro, N.C. with a catch of 5 pounds, 9 ounces; Richard Prestigiacomo (seventh) of Avon Park, Fla., with catch of 5 pounds, 7 ounces; Rodney Chmolack (eighth) of Phenix City, Ala., with a catch of 5 pounds, 3 ounces; Frank Divis (ninth) of Fayetteville, Ariz., with a catch of 5 pounds, 2 ounces; and David Brunaugh (tenth) of Carbondale, Ill., with a catch of 4 pounds, 15 ounces.
David Geeter of Augusta, Ga., won $500 for catching the largest fish of the day in the Co-Angler Division – a 2-pound, 8-ounce largemouth.
Competition continues at 8 a.m. Friday at D’Iberville City Marina and the weigh-in begins at 5 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 3615 Sangani Blvd. in D’Iberville. Saturday’s takeoff from the D’Iberville City Marina starts at 6:30 a.m. followed by the final weigh-in at Wal-Mart at 3 p.m.
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