Wal-Mart FLW Tour
Forrest Wood Open
Pickwick Lake, Florence, Ala.
June 21-24
Locked up … When 164 anglers became stuck in Wilson Dam Lock shortly before weigh-in on day one, fans and officials wondered if they would make it back in time to weigh their fish without penalty. Just under half of the tournament field fished upriver in either Wilson or Wheeler lakes that day, meaning the anglers had to spend some time locking through a dam or two. When they returned at the designated time to lock through at Wilson Dam Lock, they were held up when a lift gate wouldn’t close. There was a 35-minute delay while dam technicians fixed the gate before the boats were released, but no one seemed to sweat it too much. The lock is located within close proximity to the weigh-in site at McFarland Park and every angler made it in on time. “The anglers didn’t seem too worried about it,” lockmaster Gary Harding of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the next day. “Still, that’s why we wanted to get everybody down a little early today.”
Soar like Clunn … With his win in Florence, pro Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo., is rewriting the record books at every tournament he fishes. His numbers to this point in the FLW season speak for themselves:
* 3 consecutive top-five finishes, a record. He placed 1st at the Wal-Mart Open in Bentonville, Ark., 2nd in Memphis, Tenn., and 1st at the Forrest Wood Open in Florence.
* 1st in career top-five appearances – 8
* 2nd in career top-10 appearances – 10
* 1st in number of five-fish limits this year – 14
* 1st in career winnings – $677,100
* 1st in winnings this year – $441,800
* 2nd in heaviest final-round stringer this year – 20 pounds, 7 ounces (Memphis, bested only by Gary Klein’s winning catch of 21-15 at the same tournament.)
So how does he maintain his dominance? To hear him tell it, winning a pro tournament is about more than just sound fishing technique, it’s about a state of mind: “I really try to win every tournament I enter, and you’ve got to do more than just talk about it. One of my greatest goals is to maximize the human potential, and I think the human potential is infinite. What you’ve seen Tiger Woods do in golf is ultimately possible in this sport. It’s just a matter of fulfilling potential.” He also takes inspiration from those master fish catchers – birds. He once described the osprey as his “kindred spirit,” and, depicting his fishing technique, Clunn said, “It would be the eagle dance.”
Sweet seconds … To Clark Wendlandt of Cedar Park, Texas, winning his second Angler of the Year award was even more rewarding than his first. His first title came in 1997 when the FLW Tour was still a fledgling pro bass fishing tour – when it didn’t quite enjoy the remarkable amount of support and fan following it does now – and it came far away from home on Lake Minnetonka near Minneapolis. This year, Wendlandt reveled in the enthusiasm shown by the bass fishing fans in Alabama and was glad he was closer to home when he won it. “This community here is so strong in fishing,” he said, describing his experience in Florence. “I mean, the majority of people here own bass boats.” Wendlandt is the only pro ever to repeat as Angler of the Year.
Florence: Fantastic! … FLW anglers, fans and tournament officials alike were unanimous in their praise of Florence as one of the most accommodating host cities on tour this year. Fans turned out in droves all four days to catch the weigh-in action; local and national media swarmed to cover the event extensively; and local law enforcement was on hand at every turn to help guide folks around. Anglers, especially, appreciated not only the huge marina facility at McFarland Park and unparalleled smallmouth fisheries of Pickwick, Wheeler and Wilson lakes, but they really felt the community rally behind their sport. “I fish in a lot of world-class events,” said Clunn, “but I have never been treated as well as I was here.” Wendlandt echoed the sentiment when he addressed the weigh-in crowd, saying, “I tell you what, you are all my family.” The fishing-friendly environment might best be explained by Florence Mayor Eddie Frost’s assertion that “we made a commitment that we want you back, we want you back, we want you back.” And he’ll have us back: Florence has been chosen to host next year’s high-profile EverStart Invitational Challenge.
If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it … David Hudson of Jasper, Ala., captured the Pure Fishing Co-Angler of the Year title in his home state, earning priority entry into the Pro Division on next year’s Wal-Mart FLW Tour as well as a new Ranger Comanche R91. He’ll take the boat, but don’t expect him to jump into the front of it for next year’s tour. It seems Hudson prefers to fish as a co-angler. “I’m having a lot of fun right where I’m at,” he said, “so I’ll stay right here.” And why not? The buzz is he’s better from the back of the boat than many pros are from the front. Said pro Tom Mann Jr., Hudson’s day-one partner, “That David Hudson is one fishing machine. There’s not an ounce of amateur in him.”
Ladies first … The Forrest Wood Open became the first Wal-Mart FLW Tour event with an all-female pairing during competition. On day one, pro Shirley Crain of Van Buren, Ark., was paired – at random – with co-angler Judy Israel of Clewiston, Fla.
Worth the trip … When pro Art Berry set out from his home in Lakeside, Calif., on the long drive to Florence the Saturday before the Forrest Wood Open, he thought he’d have a couple days of practice before the tournament began. Instead, he encountered bad weather and the trip took four days. “The first time I saw the water was the first day of competition,” he said. Nevertheless, Berry caught a respectable 8 pounds, 4 ounces the first day and an impressive 15 pounds the second day, sending him into the top 10 for the tournament. He eventually placed 10th and took home $20,000 in winnings. “I had no practice at all,” the elated Berry said. “I just went fishing.”
A tale of two Irwins … Co-angler Tim Irwin of Knoxville, Tenn., had his best performance of the year, catching a day-two high of 13 pounds, 6 ounces and eventually placing fifth for the tourney. Irwin – who, at 6-foot, 7-inches tall and 290 pounds, is quite possibly the largest man on tour – is a former NFL offensive lineman who played for the Irwin Jacobs-owned Minnesota Vikings in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Accepting his winnings in Florence, Irwin thanked Operation Bass Chairman Jacobs, saying, “Thank you for this, Irwin, and thank you also for signing those Minnesota Vikings paychecks.” In addition to fishing, Irwin is now practicing law in Knoxville.
Co-angler quickies … Winner Jerry Wade of Indianapolis, Ind., was ecstatic about his $40,000 in winnings. Previously, the largest check he’d won was $800. … Day-one Big Bass winner Troy Pickett of Roberta, Ga., caught his winning, 6-pound, 4-ounce largemouth after he had hung his Carolina rig in a stump. He was forced to reel the monster in by hand. He said the fish, worth $750, “was the luckiest fish I’ve ever caught.”
Quick numbers:
1: Rank of Wilson Dam Lock, by height, among all single lift locks east of the Rocky Mountains. Its normal lift height is 93 feet.
50 million: Number of gallons of water held by Wilson Dam Lock when it is full.
20: Number of minutes it takes to empty Wilson Dam Lock.
Sound bites:
“It’s been a whole lot of fun because, look at it this way: How can a guy who worked in a factory two years ago get on a cereal box?”
– Pro David Walker, recapping his experience as 1999 Angler of the Year.
“No. When you wake up in the morning and make 30 grand, it makes you smile regardless.”
– Pro finalist Marty Stone of Linden, N.C., when asked if he felt any pressure going to the final round.
“I’ve never had this kind of pressure. It’s unbelievable.”
– Pro runner-up Arlie Napier of Middlesboro, Ky., when asked the same question. Napier, a rookie pro on this year’s Wal-Mart FLW Tour, decisively defeated the third-place Stone by 6 pounds, 7 ounces in the final round.