Yamaha’s Yelas takes Angler-of-the-Year lead
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Chad Grigsby of Colon, Mich., caught five more largemouth bass weighing 15 pounds, 6 ounces Thursday to retain his lead in the $1.05 million Forrest Wood Open presented by Kellogg’s on Lake Champlain with an opening-round total of 10 bass weighing 35 pounds, 4 ounces.
During semifinal-round action Friday, Grigsby will be up against 19 of the world’s best professional bass anglers in a final bid to make the all-important 10-man final round Saturday for a shot at $210,000 first-place cash – one of the largest awards in competitive bass fishing. Weights are cleared for the final two rounds of the four-day tournament.
“I’m not one for predictions,” said Grigsby, who caught his bass flipping a jig to grass. “But there are a lot of fish in the area, and I have them all to myself.”
On Wednesday, Grigsby landed five largemouth bass weighing 19 pounds, 14 ounces to secure first place on a day when 292 of 356 anglers landed five-bass limits of mostly smallmouths and set a new Wal-Mart FLW Tour record of 1,638 bass weighing 4,082 pounds, 6 ounces. Thursday’s catch was nearly as good with anglers landing 1,595 bass weighing 3,783 pounds, 2 ounces, including 280 limits. The previous record of 1,428 bass weighing 3,606 pounds, 9 ounces was set on Michigan’s Lake St. Clair in 1999.
Team Yamaha pro Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Ariz. (10 bass, 35 pounds, 1 ounce); Stanley Works pro Scott R. Martin of Clewiston, Fla. (10 bass, 34 pounds, 10 ounces); Yamaha pro Jay Yelas of Tyler, Texas (10 bass, 33 pounds, 15 ounces); and Kevin Vida of Clare, Mich., (10 bass, 33 pounds, 3 ounces) rounded out the top five pros.
Yelas, who trailed Chevy pro Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., by 28 points in the Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year race coming into the Forrest Wood Open, took control of his own destiny when VanDam dropped to 44th place Thursday. If Yelas finishes 16th or better with at least 14 pounds, 6 ounces, he will win his first Angler of the Year title. Anything less than 16th place and 14 pounds, 6 ounces will give VanDam his second consecutive Angler of the Year title, an FLW Tour first. Only Kellogg’s pro Clark Wendlandt of Cedar Park, Texas, has won two Angler of the Year titles, in 1997 and 2000.
“I said before the tournament that it was (VanDam’s) to win or lose,” Yelas said. “It’s kind of like chasing Tiger Woods. I haven’t felt any pressure all week because it was out of my hands until now.”
Craig Clayton of Rogers, Ark., took the co-angler lead Thursday with a five-bass catch weighing 16 pounds, 8 ounces that boosted his two-day total to 10 bass weighing 31 pounds, 5 ounces. Bronx native Judy Israel, who now resides in Clewiston, Fla., qualified as the No. 2 co-angler with 10 bass weighing 29 pounds, 3 ounces. She was the only woman to make the top 20 cut. Joel Etheredge of Springville, Ala., (10 bass, 29 pounds, 1 ounce) qualified third. Co-angler competition concludes Friday with the winner earning $40,000 cash.
Big bass and $1,250 in the Pro Division went to Bill Chapman of Salt Rock, W.Va., for a 5-pound, 14-ounce bass while big bass honors and $750 in the Co-angler Division went to Joe Small of Marion, Ark., for a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass. The Snickers Big Bass Award of $1,000, given to the pro or co-angler who catches the heaviest bass during the first two days of competition, went to Al Gagliarducci of Agawam, Mass., for his 6-pound bass caught Wednesday. Snickers will also award $5,000 to Jim Nolan of Bull Shoals, Ark., for catching the heaviest bass during the opening round of any Wal-Mart FLW Tour event this season. Nolan caught an 8-pound, 9-ounce largemouth on Arkansas’ Lake Ouachita in March.
Competition at the Forrest Wood Open presented by Kellogg’s continues at 7:45 a.m. Friday at Mooney Bay Marina in Plattsburgh, N.Y., followed by a 5 p.m. weigh-in at the Wal-Mart SuperCenter located at 25 Consumer Square in Plattsburgh. Saturday’s final takeoff starts at 5:30 a.m. followed by a 3 p.m. weigh-in at Wal-Mart.
A Family Fun Zone in the Wal-Mart parking lot opens at 3:45 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday. The Fun Zone offers fishing enthusiasts a chance to meet some of the nation’s top anglers, collect autographs and receive expert fishing advice. There are also children’s games to entertain the family. Admission to the Fun Zone and weigh-ins is free.
Ninety-eight percent of the bass caught on Lake Champlain were released alive. If the tour maintains a 98 percent live-release rate through the tournament, Energizer will donate $25,000 to the Children’s Miracle Network.
The Forrest Wood Open on Lake Champlain will air on “FLW Outdoors” on the Outdoor Life Network Saturday at 8 p.m. EST. “FLW Outdoors” will air a second Forrest Wood Open special on OLN June 29 at 8 p.m. EST.