HENDERSON, N.C. (June 16, 2006) – Pro Tim McDonald of Hagerhill, Ky., caught a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 10 ounces to lead day three of the Stren Series Northeast Division season-opening event on Kerr Lake.
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, Ranger owners’ tournaments and The Bass Federation for bass fishing’s first $1 million top award.
There was a three-way tie between McDonald, Jacob Powroznik of Prince George, Va., and Larry Evans of Southpoint, Ohio. All three anglers caught a 15-pound, 10-ounce limit, but McDonald was the highest finisher in the opening round, making him the leader going into the final day.
While many anglers have been targeting rocky points and some offshore structure with Carolina rigs and spinnerbaits, McDonald has had a series of 100 to 150 boat docks he’s been covering each day. The boat docks seem to be replenishing, although McDonald is only hitting each dock once per day.
“I’ve strictly stayed shallow, fishing around, under and in the center of the docks,” McDonald said. “My primary bait has been a Zoom Brush Hog, but you have to present it a special way that maybe I’ll get to talk about tomorrow. You can’t just go up to a dock and flip to it and catch them, though.”
McDonald reported that the bite seems to go in spells throughout the day as bass move in and out of bays to the docks.
“I caught 12 keepers yesterday and more on the first day during the overcast weather,” McDonald said. “Today, once I had my limit, I moved offshore to help my co-angler catch some Carolina-rig fish.
“I lost a 5-pounder today, so it’s good to know that there are some big fish left in my spots. I’ve got an area that I’ve been saving for the last day as well.”
Rounding out the top five pros are Curt Tindall of Brandon, Vt. (five bass, 13 pounds, 13 ounces); and Todd Auten of Lake Wylie, S.C. (five bass, 13 pounds, 10 ounces).
Greg Lineberry of Galax, Va., 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 four bass weighing 8 pounds, 13 ounces.
Lineberry fished with pro Chris Baumgardner of Gastonia, N.C., on day three and he reported that they were also fishing docks. Lineberry has been using a finesse jig with a Zoom green-pumpkin finesse worm to coax his bass into biting all week.
“I was surprised. I thought it would take at least 9 or 10 pounds to make the (co-angler) cut today,” Lineberry said. “I’m glad it worked out for me.”
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mark Wagy of Dewitt, Va. (four bass, 8 pounds, 7 ounces); Michael McMahon of Hackettstown, N.J. (four bass, 8 pounds, 3 ounces); Gary Cossaboom of Winchester, Ontario (four bass, 7 pounds, 13 ounces); and Gary Love of Roanoke Rapids, N.C. (three bass, 6 pounds, 15 ounces).
Anglers take off each morning from Satterwhite Point Marina in Henderson each morning at 6 a.m. Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at 4 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 200 North Cooper Road in Henderson. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
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 presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners’ Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, visit 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.