Birge, Walker, Wheeler and Meyer Moving on to Day 4 in La Crosse
LA CROSSE, Wis. – Four MLF anglers are moving on to Championship Saturday at the FLW Tackle Warehouse Super Tournament on the Upper Mississippi River. Zack Birge, David Walker, Jacob Wheeler and Cody Meyer will all try to be the last man standing Saturday afternoon. Here’s how the four pros fared on Friday:
Birge in Second, 1-1 Behind Leader Monsoor
Birge made a 48-place leap in the standings on Day 3 with his 16-6 limit that is still the biggest of the tournament. That big bag pushed him into contention and put pressure on local legend Tom Monsoor.
The Oklahoma pro caught a five-fish limit for the third day in a row, totaling 13-2 and bringing his total weight to 40-15. With 13-5 today, Monsoor was able to stay 1-1 ahead of Birge heading into the final day.
The Favorite Fishing pro is no stranger to success in La Crosse and fishing river systems. Growing up fishing the Arkansas River, Birge feels comfortable with the similarities between the Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers.
“This place is similar to back home but it’s different,” Birge explained. “Growing up fishing the Arkansas River, it helps me recognize patterns and things quicker than at other places. I love La Crosse and I love fishing here. I’m going to go fish hard all day tomorrow and just see what happens.”
Walker Weighs in 15-1, Biggest Bag of the Day
Walker began the day outside the Top 10, but he knew all he really needed to do was stay consistent. Getting off to a fast start can help out the cause in a big way, and that’s just what happened for the Tennessee pro on Friday.
“My day got started pretty quick with a 2-pounder on my first cast,” Walker recapped. “I didn’t catch anything for about an hour and a half, so I had to move, which is something I’ve had to do every day this week. I caught a couple more on a swim jig, including a 3-pounder at the next spot and that’s what really got me started.”
Although he made a move, Walker spent his entire day in the Goose Island area on Pool 8. With all the sloughs and back channels in that area, Walker fished the area like he owned it: he never saw another angler. That privacy helped him land the biggest bag of the day at 15-1 and finish the day in third place.
“I really felt like I did as good as I possibly could have today,” Walker mentioned. “I culled a couple out and then towards the end of the day I thought I looked pretty good. Ended with more than 15 pounds. It’s definitely the best day I’ve had out here so far and hopefully I can do it again tomorrow.”
Walker is 1-8 behind Monsoor for the lead.
Wheeler Advances with Chance to Repeat
Wheeler walked away with the first FLW Super Tournament title on Lake Chickamauga, and he’s in contention to do it again on the Upper Mississippi. Wheeler hauled in a 12-10 limit, but he admitted it wasn’t easy.
“It was a grind,” Wheeler said as he walked his five bass the weigh-in. “I stayed on Pool 8 all day and only caught six fish. I committed to throwing a frog all day and fished a bunch of new water. I caught one good one that was 3-6 and that really made the difference in keeping me in this thing.”
Wheeler will begin the final day of competition in fifth place, 2-4 behind leader Monsoor. It’ll be a tough gap to overcome, but the Duckett Fishing pro believes that the conditions are setting up well for him on Saturday.
“The water level is coming up and it is for sure transitioning a lot of these fish,” Wheeler said. “That’s a big deal for me. I’m going to try and switch some stuff up for tomorrow and try to catch a dang big bag.”
Meyer Moving On
After thinking that he wasn’t going to make the cut for the Top 50 on Thursday, Meyer had a similar attitude about cracking the Top 10 on Friday. The California pro brought in an impressive 14-11 bag to finish in 10th place, just 6 ounces ahead of 11th-place Clayton Batts.
Meyer and FLW angler Scott Wiley are the only two pros inside the Top 10 without 15 bass weighed-in through three days. Both have 14 bass total. Meyer is 4-7 back of Monsoor for the lead.
Coverage for Day 4 begins at 8 a.m. CT on FLWfishing.com.