PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Sam Newby of Pocola, Okla., claimed the Forrest Wood Open’s top award of $210,000 cash Saturday on Lake Champlain with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 1 ounce, topping his nearest competitor, Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., by a mere ounce.
With a final-round field that included five former Wal-Mart FLW Tour champions vying for victory in the four-day, $1.05 million tournament presented by Kellogg’s, Newby had some experienced competition to contend with.
“When I beat Dean, I pretty well thought I had it won,” said Newby, who was fishing in his first full season as an FLW Tour pro. “Everything finally went the way I wanted.”
Newby also earned a berth in the $800,000 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship presented by Castrol on Cross Lake in Shreveport, La., Sept. 11-14. As the championship’s No. 5 seed, he will fish against 47 of the world’s top bass anglers for a top award of $260,000 – the largest championship award in professional bass fishing.
Newby advanced to the semifinal round of 20 competitors Thursday in 14th place with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 32 pounds, 8 ounces. He then qualified for the 10-man final round in second place after catching five bass weighing 16 pounds, 4 ounces Friday.
Yamaha’s Rojas won $105,000 for his second-place effort with five bass weighing 16 pounds. Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minn., took third place and $54,500 with five bass weighing 14 pounds, while Stanley Works pro Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla., finished fourth and collected $39,000 with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 14 ounces. Todd Auten of Lake Wylie, S.C., finished fifth and earned $33,500 with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 9 ounces.
Chevy pro Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., won the Energizer Power to Keep Going and Going award for the greatest comeback during the event. He fought back from 103rd place on opening day to qualify for the final round in fifth place.
Competition in the final regular season event of the $5.1 million 2002 Wal-Mart FLW Tour began Wednesday with 356 anglers from across the nation competing in two divisions, pro and co-angler. Rick Lisek of Springfield, Mo., won $40,000 Friday in the Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 12 ounces.
Yamaha pro Jay Yelas of Tyler, Texas, who came into the Forrest Wood Open as the underdog contender for the Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year title, bested 2001 Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., to claim the prestigious award by seven points. As Angler of the Year, Yelas is recognized as the top professional bass angler in the world. His picture will be featured on special collector’s edition Kellogg’sÒ cereal boxes, and he will receive a $25,000 cash bonus plus a Ranger boat for his accomplishment. Yelas finished ninth in Saturday’s final round.
Named after Ranger Boats founder, Forrest L. Wood, the Wal-Mart FLW Tour is run by FLW Outdoors, the world’s leading marketer of competitive fishing tournaments. The organization operates 170 tournaments through the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, EverStart Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit and Ranger M1. FLW Outdoors will award anglers up to $22 million in 2002.