Rookie, veteran near tournament titles

Final day at Falcon Lake under way

ZAPATA, Texas – Nicky McNeely and Bill Rogers have little in common except that they lead their respective divisions at the season-opening Stren Series event on Falcon Lake. McNeely, the 36-year-old pro, has never fished a professional tournament until this week. Rogers, the 59-year-old co-angler, has 20 top-10 finishes in his FLW Outdoors career.

Regardless of their backgrounds, both are seeking a common goal today: victory. For McNeely, it would be an unforgettable start to a potentially prosperous career. Before the schedule came out he had never heard of Falcon Lake let alone fished it. Now, he has already caught 85 pounds of bass over three days. What a way to start a tournament career.

“After my practice, I thought I could catch a bunch of fish but I didn’t know if it would be enough,” said the Natchitoches, La., pro. “I saw the possibility of 40-pound stringers. I should have had one myself yesterday.

“I think I was in 14th place after the first day and the thought (of winning) crossed my mind. But after weigh-in the second day it just kind of hit me. It’s a great feeling to come out and be able to compete against these guys.”

For Rogers, this is one he needs. Without question, he’s one of the best co-anglers in the game. In the last four Stren Series Texas seasons, Rogers has finished no worse than fourth in the points race. His record speaks for itself, but his only victory is a Wal-Mart BFL win on Sam Rayburn, his home lake. Plus, he’s had several leads late in tournaments only to come up short in the end.

“This means everything to me,” said Rogers. “You would think it’s your time. I really don’t think I could have a better chance than what I got with my partner and all. It’s just got to happen. But regardless if I win, it’s an accomplishment in itself.”

A co-angler has never caught 78 pounds of bass over three days at any tournament, on any lake. If day four goes as planned, the Jasper, Texas, native could very well break triple digits.

“I’ve never had a tournament like this one right here. I really want to get 100 pounds.”

The winners in both divisions are determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days.

Logistics

Pros are competing for a top award of $25,000 plus a $40,000 198VX Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance electronics if contingency guidelines are met. Ranger will award another $3,000 cash if the winner is a Ranger Cup participant. If the winner is not a Ranger Cup participant, Ranger will award $1,500 to the highest-finishing participant in the contingency program. Yamaha or Evinrude will match 50 percent of Ranger Cup earnings if “Powered by Yamaha” or “Powered by Evinrude E-Tec” guidelines are met. That puts the total potential first-place award at $69,500.

Co-anglers will cast for a top award of $5,000 plus a $30,000 Ranger boat and trailer if contingency guidelines are met.

The final weigh-in will be held at the Zapata County Community Center located on Highway 83 in Zapata at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

On the Web

For those who can’t catch the weigh-in action in person, FLWOutdoors.com offers FLW Live, an online application that brings fans real-time weigh-in results, streaming video and audio.

Saturday’s conditions

Sunrise: 7:28 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 52 degrees

Expected high temperature: 79 degrees

Water temperature: 63-66 degrees

Wind: W at 11 mph

Maximum humidity: 49 percent

Day’s outlook: mostly sunny