Pundits’ Picks
For me, last month’s Conseco Fishing Challenge was pretty much a straightforward proposition. Four of my anglers advanced to the top 20; two of those reached the top 10 and one of them, Larry Nixon, won the tournament. As for my other two anglers, Rick Clunn turned in a respectable performance finishing in 36th place. However, Randy Howell – the angler I expected to win the tournament – let me down big time, ultimately finishing in 139th place. Had Howell come through, I would have been knocking on the door in the national Conseco Challenge competition.
But no matter, the most important thing is that I clobbered the other three “pundits” at Wheeler and grabbed hold of first place in the year-end cumulative standings. While the relative performances of my fellow pundits at Lake Wheeler were sorry at best, Jeff really has some explaining to do. Perhaps he should go back to the Montessori School of Fantasy Fishing? I might even be willing to pack him a lunch and drop him off at the bus stop.
– Gary
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Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop #3
Lake Ouachita, Mt. Ida, Ark.
March 13-16
Gary Mortenson
Editor, FLWOutdoors.com
Last tournament score (Lake Wheeler): 992
Overall score: 1,821
1) Jay Yelas. Despite taking a five-year hiatus from the FLW Tour, Yelas is back with a vengeance. With only nine FLW tournaments to his name, Yelas has logged an amazing three top-10 performances, including Lake Ferguson and Lake Eufaula in 1997 and the 2002 event on Lake Okeechobee. Yelas, an east Texas resident who should be at home fishing the grass and heavy cover of Lake Ouachita, is set to have a breakout performance.
2) Larry Nixon. What else can you say about this guy? He’s on fire, he’s a legend and he’s won two FLW titles over the last three FLW Tour events dating back to the June 2001 event on Lake St. Clair. Not only that, he currently hails from Bee Branch, Ark., which is little more than a hop, skip and a jump away from Lake Ouachita. All in all, it’s way too risky not to include Nixon on your list.
3) George Cochran, Sr. A resident of Hot Springs, Ark., Cochran will literally feel right at home on Lake Ouachita – a lake that has never before been included on the FLW Tour. Consequently, while other anglers are trying to figure out the nuances of how to fish the lake, Cochran will be busy fine-tuning his winning strategy. With four top-10 performances to his credit, including a win at Kentucky Lake in 1996, Cochran will be up for the challenge.
4) Rob Kilby. Another resident of Hot Springs, Ark., Kilby boasts three top-10 FLW appearances. But more importantly, two of those were on Arkansas waters – a fifth-place finish on Beaver Lake in 1999 and an eighth-place finish on the same lake in 1998. Like Cochran, Kilby should be able to take advantage of the field’s relative lack of experience on Ouachita.
5) Rick Clunn. Rob Newell can’t seem to keep Wendlandt off his list and I can’t seem to keep Clunn off of mine. However, while Wendlandt has turned in two straight competitive performances, Clunn has not been, well, himself as of late. But being the stubborn pundit that I am, I expect that to change this tournament. Clunn, one of the true legends of the sport, is just too good of a fisherman to turn in another mediocre performance. With plenty of deep water to fish and a competitive fire that is virtually unmatched, Clunn will rebound on Lake Ouachita. Why? Because I said so.
6) Kevin VanDam. One of the best, if not THE BEST, anglers in the world. VanDam is extremely versatile and consequently, I’m looking for him to outfox the majority of the competition on Lake Ouachita. To be honest, if VanDam won this tournament and I didn’t have him on my list, I would feel like an idiot. And I’m not about to let that happen.
Dave Washburn
Executive Editor, FLW Outdoors
Last tournament score: 772
Overall score: 1,690
1) Jim Tutt. Back in October 2000, Tutt finished second in the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League regional on Lake Ouachita by 6 ounces. The narrow defeat weighed heavily on him, sparking his worst season in five years of FLW Outdoors competition. With an EverStart Series win and a top-10 FLW Tour finish so far in 2002, this Team Kellogg’s angler is back at the top of his game. And he has something to prove at Ouachita.
2) Mike Wurm. Besides having the right name for a pro bass angler, Wurm has earned five top-10 Wal-Mart FLW Tour finishes. He’s also a Hot Springs native, so Lake Ouachita is practically in his backyard. I’m counting on this Team Coleman pro and his local insight to make a run at the top. He says his favorite pattern this time of year is slow-rolling spinner baits off the ends of Ouachita’s deep grass beds. If anyone knows the right beds to target, it’s Wurm.
3) Clark Wendlandt. Here is a good rule of thumb when making Conseco Challenge picks: Always choose Wendlandt. Arkansas seems to be the promised land for this Team Kellogg’s pro. In the last three years, he has won the Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake twice and finished 10th once. He likes targeting shallow bass, but he has the skills to go deep when needed. With a 12th-place finish at Okeechobee and a seventh-place showing at Wheeler, he’s well on his way to winning an unprecedented third Land O’Lakes Angler-of-the-Year title. Look for him to keep his streak alive.
4) Larry Nixon. This Chevy pro is one of the all-time greats. After his dominating win on a tough Wheeler Lake, he seems to be at the top of his game. The win was his second in less than eight months, so I look for him to come through with another solid finish in his home state. Nixon says he feels rejuvenated after a self-described lull in his fabled career, and he is loving every minute of competition. Those two factors make him a force to be reckoned with.
5) Keith Green. It appears that I’m leaning heavily on the Arkansas contingent to produce some big weights on Lake Ouachita. Nevertheless, Green, who hails from Arkadelphia, is a solid top-five pick. He has three top-10 Wal-Mart FLW Tour finishes plus a proven track record in the Bass Fishing League’s Arkie Division. In fact, he has nine top-10 BFL finishes to his name including a near miss at the 2000 All-American on nearby Lake Hamilton. He missed the All-American’s top prize by just 5 ounces. He’ll find redemption on Lake Ouachita.
6) Wesley Strader. Consider Strader my wildcard. The young Fujifilm pro has a history of flirting with Wal-Mart FLW Tour victories. He’s proved that he has what it takes with a fifth-place finish in the 2001 Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake and a ninth-place finish on Wheeler Lake this season. He also made a solid run toward a final-round appearance in the 2002 Ranger M1 before finishing 17th. Strader is equally adept at catching both largemouth and spotted bass. Look for him to challenge the leaders on Lake Ouachita.
Jeff Schroeder
Editor, FLWOutdoors.com
Last tournament score: 746
Overall score: 1,436
1) Kevin VanDam. In the two years or so that VanDam has fished the FLW Tour, he’s never finished worse than his 31st-place performance this year at Lake Okeechobee. That’s an amazing feat, considering the size of the fields. At Lake Wheeler, he improved on that by almost half by moving up to a 16th-place finish. Two reasons why he’ll win at Ouachita: 1) if he moves up the ranks by another half, the only spot left is first place; and 2) he’s so due.
2) Rick Clunn. This tournament could shape up into something like we saw at Arkansas’ Beaver Lake in 2000. That year Clunn outfoxed the field and won by using crankbaits in deeper water while many anglers were sight-fishing shallow water for spawning bass. Right now, while the Ouachita bass are still deeper in pre-spawn mode, they’ll be hanging out in the lake’s multitude of grass beds and crankbaits will be the order of the day. Both Ouachita and Beaver are cool, clear, deep Ozark area impoundments – and both some of the most scenic natural settings on tour. The earthy Clunn lives on the edge of the Missouri Ozarks, so this is a kind of coming-home party for him.
3) Alton Jones. Texas grass-fishing specialists should do well at Ouachita, and right now Jones is one of the hottest Texans on tour. It would be hard to imagine him not taking some momentum from his near wire-to-wire standout finish at Wheeler into Ouachita. Jones will grab third place for the second tourney in a row.
4) Clark Wendlandt. Speaking of outstanding Texans, number-one-ranked Wendlandt should, as usual, put up solid numbers. The sight-fishing specialist loves fishing the clear waters of Arkansas, being the only pro ever to repeat as Wal-Mart Open champion on Beaver Lake. While there likely won’t be a lot of sight-fishing, take it on a hunch that the Texas Tornado will figure something out.
5) Rob Kilby. Ask anybody who’s going to win this tournament and you get a hundred different answers. One thing most people agree on, however, is that Ouachita could especially favor the locals since it’s the FLW’s first tour stop here. Hot Springs pro Kilby has historically finished well in his home state with two top-10s at Beaver Lake. This time, the tourney’s in his backyard, and you just know he’s itching to put on a show.
6) David Dudley. The question here is: Will the Manteo Machine rest on his laurels following his $700,000 win in Mobile? That remains to be seen, but I’m laying my own humble dollar on the line to say that Dudley is on the brink of a truly historic year. One tough competitor, Dudley’s focus will stay strong – maybe even stronger – following his M1 win. Besides, it’s tough to beat a guy who brings chainsaws along when he goes fishing.
Rob Newell
Contributing editor, FLW Outdoors
Last tournament score: 735
Overall score: 1,717
1) Clark Wendlandt. By default. As I explained earlier, I will continue to pick Wendlandt as the winner for the duration of the Conseco Challenge. He has not won yet, but he is leading Angler of the Year and I would think that would only spur him on until he gets it right. Besides, Ouachita, with its deep grass and clear water, is fit for Wendlandt’s strengths.
2) Larry Nixon. He is on a roll from his Wheeler victory and he is from Arkansas. Enough said.
3) Paul Elias. A deepwater cranking specialist, Elias could shine here.
4) Mike Wurm. Since this is the FLW’s first visit to Ouachita, I had better figure in the local advantage. Consequently, Wurm fits the bill for fourth.
5) Kevin VanDam. He will undoubtedly make the top 10 at Ouachita, so I will put him in my fifth-place slot.
6) Keith Williams. Keith has some momentum coming off a top-five at Wheeler and a top-20 at the M1. Additionally, he is from Hot Springs and his father is Jerry Williams, so I’m betting he knows a thing or two about Ouachita.
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