Quick Bites: FLW Series Lewis Smith Lake, Day 3

Wal-Mart FLW Series

Lewis Smith Lake, Jasper, Ala.

Opening round, Friday

AOY update … Although nothing is technically official at this point, it appears Kellogg’s pro Dave Lefebre won the first-ever FLW Series Angler of the Year award. It was a nail-biting finish, however, as several pros were in contention until the final cast. Lefebre began the tournament in fifth place behind leader Clark Wendlandt, David Dudley, Jacob Powroznik and Andy Morgan. Behind Lefebre in sixth place was former Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship winner Luke Clausen. Wendlandt caught only one keeper during the entire tournament and Powroznik and Morgan didn’t fare much better. Dudley looked like the man to beat heading into day three. With a two-day total of 10 pounds, the Lynchburg, Va., pro only needed a single keeper to win it. That bite never came, and only Clausen had a chance at unseating Lefebre. With a flair for the dramatic, Clausen brought in a huge bag, a five-bass limit that weighed 10 pounds, 15 ounces. The Chevy pro finished the tournament in 14th place while Lefebre finished 32nd. Because Lefebre came in with a 24-point lead, he hung on to defeat Clausen by six points. Talk about a photo finish. Lefebre has earned two AOY titles in a single season, as he was also the Stren Series Northeast Division points winner. “What a great accomplishment,” said the Union City, Pa., native. “I just can’t handle this. A lot of my idols are fishing this. This is such a stacked field.” Lefebre also gets the rare opportunity to fish next season knowing he has already qualified for the 2007 Forrest Wood Cup. “I’ll fish like I used to fish before I went pro. I get to go for the gusto each time out. It will be a fun year; I can fish with my instincts more and not so much with my practice.” It also appears Wendlandt hung on for the coveted $75,000 award that goes to the Ranger Cup winner.

Tako’s two-fish tango … One of the strangest moments of the tournament came when Takahiro Omori’s two feisty bass attacked each other. The larger of the two spots was so aggressive that it attempted to gulp down the smaller fish. It only got about a quarter of the smaller fish’s body in its mouth before the two reached an impasse. If the larger fish would have swallowed a little bit more, would that have counted as one or two bass as part of a creel? A question for tournament officials to ponder.

Lawson seals the deal, barely … Co-angler David Lawson came into the fifth and final FLW Series event in 12th place. With as tough a bite as there was on Lewis Smith Lake, Lawson knew he would only need one fish to qualify for the 2007 Cup. During his four-day practice period, the Richmond, Ky., native never caught a keeper. He also failed to register a keeper during the first two days of competition. Time was running out, to say the least. On day three with his back against the wall, Lawson squeaked out a 2-pound, 9-ounce bass that will allow him to sleep easy tonight. In FLW Outdoors events, anglers who catch no fish receive no points. Lawson’s lone keeper bit during the last hour of the last day of competition. Better late than never.

Farewell until the Big O … With the exception of the Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series Championship, this event marks the last FLW Outdoors-administered tournament of the 2006 season. This season included a whopping 249 tournaments spread across 12 tournament trails – giving anglers all over the United States a chance to compete in the sport they love. After a short break, FLW Outdoors will return with guns blazing in 2007. In fact, the first major tournament is scheduled to take place Jan. 3 on Lake Okeechobee in Okeechobee, Fla., as part of the Stren Series Southeast Division. The first FLW Series event of 2007 will take place Jan. 24 on the Big O. Have a great holiday season and sharpen those hooks for next year.

Quick numbers

0: Number of tour-level victories for pro leader Sean Hoernke.

3: Number of consecutive top-10 finishes in the FLW Series for pro Matt Herren.

100: Percent of bass released alive back into Lewis Smith Lake on day three.

5: Number of five-bass limits caught by the entire pro field on day three.

63: Number of pros who caught a keeper each day of the opening round.

79: Number of pros who reached a total weight in double digits.

10: Number of co-anglers who reached a total weight in double digits.

0: Number of bass caught on day three by Angler of the Year contenders Wendlandt and Dudley.

Sound bites

“I think I’ll get a check, but the most important thing is that I’m going to the FLW Championship.” – Pro Curt Lytle, who earned $10,500 and an automatic berth into the 2007 Cup.

“Man, it seems like I’m always asking Sean to take his fish to the front of the stage.” – Tournament Director Chris Jones, speaking about pro leader Hoernke.

“It’s a tough bite right now, but it’s a gorgeous lake that we caught at the wrong time.” – Legendary pro Guido Hibdon.

“I was thinking about deer hunting all week. I just hope my deer hunting season goes better than this.” – Pro Chris Daves, who caught one bass all week that weighed 3 pounds, 3 ounces.

“War Eagle man, they’re fearing that thumb.” – Pro Kyle Mabrey, who wants the Auburn Tigers to defeat the Alabama Crimson Tide for the fifth consecutive season in football.

“This week the fishing was great, but the catching was terrible.” – Pro Harold Allen of Shelbyville, Texas.

The final takeoff is scheduled to take place at 7 a.m. Central time from the Lewis Smith Lake Dam.