Quick Bites: Wal-Mart Open, Day 3

Co-angler Bobby Hendricks of Bullard, Texas, holds up part of his winning 4-pound, 1-ounce catch. Hendricks, who won $40,000 for his efforts, won the second FLW tournament in a row. Photo by Gary Mortenson.

April 19, 2002 • Jeff Schroeder • Archives

Wal-Mart FLW Tour
Wal-Mart Open
Beaver Lake, Rogers, Ark.
Friday: Pro semifinals, Co-angler finals

A rare feat – and a rare deed … Co-angler winner Bobby Hendricks pulled off an amazing feat by becoming the first competitor – pro or co-angler – ever to win back-to-back FLW tournaments. With the size of these fields and the amount of good fortune it takes to win a four-day tournament, the odds of a competitor winning two in a row are truly astronomical – especially on the co-angler side where they must rely on their pro partners to put them on fish. In just over one month, Hendricks has become one of only three co-anglers to win more than one FLW tournament. Robert Vogelsang of Jessup, Md., won in 1999 and 2000 and Todd Lee of Jasper, Ala., who finished this week at Beaver Lake in 18th place, was the first multiple co-angler winner with victories in 1996 and 1998. But no one has ever gone back-to-back. “I haven’t come down off the cloud yet,” said Hendricks, who hails from Bullard, Texas. “I knew if I was patient, good things would come.” How did he do it? Hendricks says he never fishes the same way his pro partner is fishing. Today, fishing with pro Randall Hutson of Washburn, Mo., who was sight-fishing, he caught his two bass weighing 4 pounds, 1 ounces using a spinner bait not far from the takeoff ramp at Prairie Creek Marina. By 2 o’clock Hendricks’ livewell was still empty, but 10 last-minute casts proved to be the difference. “That spinner bait is going on a plaque on the wall,” he said. … Hendricks is donating half of his $40,000 check to the Canaan Land Boys’ Home near Montgomery, Ala. He did the same thing with the $15,000 he collected in March for winning at Lake Ouachita.

Rojas’ secret revealed … Lake Havasu, Arizona’s Dean Rojas wasn’t kidding when he said he had a “secret” on day two. That secret was a stash of 3-pound bass he found late Thursday. “I found a couple of 3-pounders on the bed,” he said. “I knew they would still be there because they’re spawning.” Those fish plus a few more translated into a five-bass limit weighing 10-15 and the Pro Division lead heading into Saturday’s finals. Rojas wouldn’t say if he had any more “secrets” waiting for him in the finals, but he likes the sight-fishing at Beaver Lake and seems very confident. “I’m just going to let it all hang out tomorrow and catch the five biggest bass I can,” he said.

No doubting Thomas … Another pro who’s keeping a secret is third-place Jeffrey Thomas of Broadway, N.C. While most anglers are sight-fishing for bedding bass this week, Thomas said he is “doing something a little bit different.” Of course, we won’t know what that is until after tomorrow. Whatever it is, it’s working. He caught five bass weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces Friday.

This just in from the You’ve-Got-To-Be-Kidding-Me Department … Co-angler Frank Divis of Fayetteville, Ark., also a former winner on the FLW Tour, lost not one, but TWO bass that he estimated weighed 5 pounds apiece Friday. He had both of them all the way to the boat when they each came off. The missed fish would have assured him the win, but instead cost him $32,000 in cash since he ended up in fifth place ($8,000) with the two bass he did land. “That’s fishing, isn’t it?” said an exasperated Divis. “But I’ll be fishing here again next year.”

Lest we forget … Pro Clark Wendlandt of Cedar Park, Texas, placed second Friday with five bass weighing 9 pounds, 14 ounces. The 1999 and 2001 Beaver Lake champion is still fishing strong, and tomorrow he’s gunning to be the first angler ever to defend the Wal-Mart Open title as well as become the first one to win it three times.

Sound Bites

“Well, they’ve never fished against me either.”
– Pro Rob Harty, a first-time FLW finalist, when asked how he feels about fishing against some of the other, more-seasoned top-10 pros on Saturday.

“They don’t seem too interested in biting when they’re doing their thing.”
– Pro Mike Wurm, describing a pair of spawning bass that he couldn’t coax into biting Friday. Wurm caught three fish weighing 5 pounds, 3 ounces and finished in 11th place.

Quick Links, Day 3:

Rojas rolls into finals
Hendricks captures first place in Co-angler Division, makes history along the way
Photos
Results
Press release