Quick Bites: FLW Tour, Lake Okeechobee, Day 3
Wal-Mart FLW Tour
Tour Stop #1
Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston, Fla.
Day 3, Semifinal Round
Keepin’ it cool … Today’s pro leader, Mark Hardin of Canton, Ga., doesn’t mind the cool weather that has plagued some anglers in South Florida this week. At last year’s FLW tournament on Beaver Lake, Ark., anglers experienced similar conditions with cooler weather and finicky fish. There, Hardin placed sixth and won $24,000. He says it’s because he knows where to look for the fish when a cold front moves through. This week, he’s been focusing exclusively on the rim ditches around the Big O, and it has paid off. While he only had five bites today, they were all big. He led the field with 24 pounds, 15 ounces, including a massive 9-pound, 3-ounce fish. “At 12 o’clock when I caught that big one,” he says, “I told my partner (Michael Brown of Chatsworth, Ga.), `I’ve got to sit down.'”
Think again … Due to the cold, muddy water and tough fishing conditions today on Lake Okeechobee, anglers said they had a rough go of it. That’s predominantly why Andrew Arnold took the win in the Co-Angler Division with a total weight of just 5 pounds, 3 ounces – and that was just one fish. The Princeton, Ky., native rightfully had his doubts about his chances for victory early during the weigh-in inside the Wal-Mart FLW tent. Asked by Operation Bass’ Charlie Evans how it would feel to win the tournament, Arnold responded, “It would be a good time, but I don’t think it’s going to happen.” But he was wrong. Five co-anglers weighed in after Arnold, but none could top the weight of his only bass.
Fritts’ forecast … The last time pro David Fritts won an FLW tournament (the 1997 FLW Championship), he squeaked into the semifinal round in 10th place. And that may have been by design. In 10th place going into today, he pulled out a hefty 20-pound, 14-ounce stringer at the scale when the day was done, launching him into second place and into good position possibly to take another win tomorrow. The funny thing is, yesterday the Lexington, N.C., angler hinted that he might be on more fish than his 10th-place performance in the opening round might have indicated. “I can catch more than I’ve been catching,” Fritts said Thursday. “I just haven’t really had the opportunity.” With the tournament field whittled down to just 10 boats today, Fritts was able to work his area without a lot of other fishing traffic – and it paid off. “I just needed to be able to go to my fish,” he said.
Well, just don’t get mad if he doesn’t kiss you back … While pro Paul Elias might have placed seventh and missed the cut today, he could have done worse if it wasn’t for his co-angler, Doug Caldwell of Kane, Pa. Elias hooked his biggest bass of the day and, just as he brought it to the boat, it came off. Fortunately, Caldwell had dipped the net over side of the boat, and when he brought it back up, there was Elias’ big fish – completely free of the hook. Said Elias, “I told him, `Man, if you weren’t so ugly, I’d kiss you right now.'”
Quick Number:
3: Place of pro Kelley Williamson going into the final round. It is also the exact number of days he has ever fished the Wal-Mart FLW Tour. This is the Purdy, Mo., native’s first FLW Tournament.
Sound Bites:
“Well, all of a sudden it’s a Michigan state championship here.”
– ESPN’s Tommy Sanders, describing the success of pros Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Kim Stricker of Howell, Mich., both of whom advanced to the final round.
“He is a fishing machine.”
– Co-angler Art Johnson, describing his pro partner for the day, VanDam.
“It’s been a great tournament. I’d like to thank my sponsors, Judy and Eric, for allowing me to fish in it.”
– Co-angler Abbie Israel, tipping his cap to his wife, Judy, and his son, Eric, onstage. With Abbie Israel’s sixth-place finish today, all three Israels have now placed in the top 10 in FLW tournaments. Both Judy and Eric Israel finished in the top 10 as co-anglers at FLW Lake Okeechobee in 1999. Judy placed ninth while Eric, coincidentally, also placed sixth.
Quick Links, Day 3: