JASPER, Texas – Pro Chris McCall of Jasper, Texas, caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 34 pounds, 3 ounces to lead day two of the Stren Series Central Division event on Sam Rayburn Reservoir.
Pros are competing for as much as $64,500 and valuable points that could qualify them for a trip to the $1 million Stren Series Championship for a shot at $140,000. The highest-finishing pro from each division at the Stren Series Championship will also earn a spot in the new $2 million 2007 Forrest Wood Cup where they will compete against top pros from the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League and Ranger owners’ tournaments for bass fishing’s first $1 million top award.
“I tried to stay out of some of my best areas today,” McCall said. “I knew if I could catch around 10 pounds that should be OK.” McCall was covering lots of water and hitting some of his secondary areas, saving what he called a milk run of his 20 or so best areas for day three.
“I’ve been catching them in 2 to 8 feet of water over hydrilla,” McCall continued. “I’ve been throwing Gambler plastics and Rat-L-Traps to get my bites.”
Rounding out the top five pros are Art Garza of Buna, Texas (10 bass, 33 pounds, 14 ounces); Jerry Dolezal of Bullard, Texas (10 bass, 33 pounds, 1 ounce); Ron Hopkins Sr. of Mounds, Okla. (10 bass, 30 pounds, 12 ounces); and Trent Huckaby of Fort Stockton, Texas (10 bass, 29 pounds, 12 ounces).
Charles Simmons of Waco, Texas, earned $725 for the Snicker’s Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 6-pound, 13-ounce bass.
Phillip Hudnall of Newkirk, Okla., leads the Co-angler Division in the chase for a top award worth as much as $35,000, including a 519VX Ranger if contingency guidelines are met. He caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 25 pounds, 7 ounces.
“Today, we were fishing the middle arm of the lake over a big hydrilla flat in about 6 to 8 feet of water,” Hudnall said. “I was throwing a 6-inch watermelon candy Zoom Trick Worm, but I also threw a hand-poured fluke for one cast and caught a 5-pounder. I’m hoping that lure produces for me tomorrow.”
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Bill Rogers of Jasper (nine bass, 24 pounds, 10 ounces); Emmett Barnett of Waldron, Ark. (six bass, 22 pounds, 6 ounces); Gilbert Herald of Pittsburg, Texas (eight bass, 21 pounds, 12 ounces); and Bill Guillory of Jasper (five bass, 21 pounds, 2 ounces).
Terry Brandhorst of Waterloo, Iowa, earned $245 for the Snicker’s Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to a 7-pound bass he caught.
Stren Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of three rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday and Thursday, and the top 20 pros and co-anglers – based on two-day accumulated weights – advance to day three. Anglers start at zero Thursday and compete for 10 spots in each division in the final round. Winners are determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.
Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $36.5 million through 235 events in 2006.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.