Quick Bites: FLW Series Western, Clear Lake, Day 4

Wal-Mart FLW Series National Guard Western Division

Clear Lake, Kelseyville, Calif.

Final round, Saturday

Zaldain fan club … Making the three-hour drive from San Jose, Calif., were the family and friends of rookie pro Chris Zaldain. Zaldain’s mother in particular was a worried wreck shortly before the final weigh-in. “I am very nervous,” she said. “Even last night I didn’t sleep that much. Yesterday, I was watching every minute of the weigh-in on the computer and clapping all by myself.” Zaldain’s mother said she knew Chris would become a fisherman ever since he was 5 years old. “He would wake up so early every day and want to go fishing.” Despite a disappointing finish, Zaldain kept his head held high, a sign of a pro with a bright future. “That’s the thing about the swimbait: It can be your best friend or your worst enemy,” he said. In fact, his fan base will need to get reorganized for the East-West Fish-Off, where Zaldain, the ninth-ranked Western Division angler will compete against Andy Morgan, the 22nd-ranked Eastern pro.

The power of one … Husband and wife Andre Moore and Kim Bain fish the same tournaments, so it only makes sense to travel together. Both compete as professionals, which means they need their own boats. So instead of driving all over the country in two trucks, Moore and Bain use an innovative trailer that allows them to tow two boats with one vehicle. So how does it work at the ramp? The bottom boat is launched first, and then the second boat is lowered with a hydraulic lift. Not a bad idea with the price of gasoline hovering around $3 a gallon.

Amistad it is … The worst-kept secret is officially out. The FLW Series East-West Fish-Off, which is scheduled to take place Feb. 7-9, 2008, will be held on Lake Amistad in Del Rio, Texas. At that time of the year, the bass will most likely be on beds or real close to it. Much like most Western events, the lake, which straddles the U.S.-Mexico border, will likely churn out near-record catches.

McAbee Jr. claims AOY … Now that the qualifying season is officially over, so too is the Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year race in the Western Division. In the end, pro Randy McAbee Jr. of Bakersfield, Calif., edged out 2006 Forrest Wood Cup champion Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., by 19 points with a total of 763 out of a possible 800. “This was definitely a goal of mine when the schedule came out,” said McAbee. “Not only to win Angler of the Year but to make the top 30 and qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup through the Fish-Off. But still, with the quality of anglers out West, I never fully expected to be in this position.” McAbee started the 2007 FLW Series season off by finishing fourth at Lake Havasu in early February. At the FLW Series’ next stop, on the California Delta in March, he finished 11th. McAbee then finished the season out with a 21st-place effort on the Columbia River in September and a sixth-place showing at Clear Lake last week. “I’ve been on cloud nine since Lake Havasu,” he added. “That tournament at Havasu really boosted my confidence and helped me throughout the year.” McAbee, the No. 1 National Guard Western Division pro, will face the No. 30 BP Eastern Division pro, Dion Hibdon. “We might as well start against the best,” McAbee said of the prospects of fishing against Hibdon, one of only five anglers in the history of the sport to have won both the Forrest Wood Cup and the Bassmaster Classic. “It is going to be an honor to compete against a legend like Dion.”

Bracket racket … The last time FLW Outdoors used the bracket format was at the 2006 Forrest Wood Cup on Logan Martin Lake. Come February, the bracket will return – and with it will be some interesting matchups. For instance, how about Chevy pro Larry Nixon, one of the best anglers to ever pick up a rod and reel, vying against Mike Folkestad, one of the best ever from the West? Or how about a matchup of National Guard-sponsored anglers Clifford Pirch and Scott Martin?

Quick numbers:

2: Number of top-10 finishes for Zaldain in his rookie campaign as a professional.

11: Weight, in estimated pounds, of pro winner Tim Klinger‘s kicker bass Saturday.

1: Number of dollars, in millions, of the total purse at the final Western Division qualifier. That total purse is the largest ever for a tournament held on Clear Lake.

191-9: Weight, in pounds and ounces, of the total catch by the 10 pro finalists Saturday.

Sound bites:

“Two ounces? Can you believe that?” – Randy McAbee Sr., after barely losing to his son.

“I love fish water; it keeps us in business.” – Charlie Evans, after being splashed by one of Klinger’s giant bass.

“I’m going to take care of Klinger one way or another.” – Moore, who caught 25-7 on day four and still finished second.

“My only problem is that I wasn’t throwing that plastic fish around.” – Moore, on choosing not to use a swimbait.

“I love what FLW is doing on the West Coast. That’s why I’m here, to support the new National Guard Division.” – 10th-place pro Jay Yelas, who nearly qualified for the East-West Fish-Off despite competing in only three of the four qualifiers.