Quick Bites: FLW Atchafalaya Basin, Day 4
Wal-Mart FLW Tour
Atchafalaya Basin, Morgan City, La.
Saturday, pro finals
About time … The last time Paul Elias won a major tournament was in 1998, when he captured $100,000 in a BASS event. While he has had a certain measure of success since then, making a few cuts and winning some checks, Elias has been sort of a one-day wonder on the pro tour. Not this week. “It’s been a rocky road,” he said. “It’s been five years since I won a major tournament, and that starts working on your head a little bit. I’m just glad to get over the hump again.” Also glad to see him clinch the $100,000 FLW victory was the Louisiana crowd, which adopted Elias, who hails from Pachuta, Miss., just up the Gulf Coast, as the hometown favorite in the finals. While he lives relatively nearby, one surprising fact is that Elias had never fished the Atchafalaya Basin prior to this FLW tournament. No matter. “These people down here are so incredibly nice,” he said. “This is a sweet victory.” … Elias also won the Energizer Keeps On Going award for being the pro who came from farthest back to make the finals. He started the tournament Wednesday in 20th place.
Just like home … While Bill Chapman finished in an FLW personal-best second place, collected $35,000 and won the Shop-Vac Clean Sweep award for most weight over the first three days (46-8), he still can’t help but think of what might have been. “I lost an 8-pounder yesterday,” said Chapman, who lost by just over 6 pounds. “I had it right up to the boat.” Still, the West Virginia pro loved his Atchafalaya experience. “I’m used to fishing the backwaters of the Ohio River and it looks just like this, except there are 20 times more fish here,” he said.
Inspired by Jimmi … Pennsylvania’s Dave Lefebre is making his dreams come true. Truly giddy about making the FLW finals and then finishing third, the EverStart Northern Division standout reflected on how this week compared to his EverStart victory on the Mississippi River last year: “This means more to me than that did,” he said. “These are the best fishermen in the world. … I still can’t even believe I’m here.” Lefebre is quickly making his case for the right to stand among them. Interestingly, he credits his friend, Connecticut pro Jimmi Leuthner, for inspiring him to go for it the last two years. “Jimmi and I are pretty much at the same level,” he said. “When he placed second at Okeechobee (in 2001), that’s when I felt I could come out here and do this.”
Fun-time Wes … Seventh-place Wes Thomas, who had been wearing Mardi Gras beads for luck throughout the week, was sporting even fancier beads Saturday. A Wal-Mart representative heard about his lucky beads, so she gave him another set for the finals, which was custom-fit with five fish on them. He wore them throughout the day and did indeed land his five fish. “It was fun while it lasted,” he said.
Return to Atchafalaya? … Without a doubt, the enthusiastic standing-room-only audience packed into the large weigh-in tent in Bayou Vista Saturday was the largest crowd ever to witness an FLW final weigh-in. There had to be some 3,000 fishing fans in there voicing their support for the pros, many with an obscured view. And they were loud. The pros loved it. “This place is phenomenal,” J.T. Kenney said. “I hope to come back here big-time.” The huge turnout plus the exceptional bass fishery equals a strong possibility that we’ll see the FLW return to the Atchafalaya Basin very soon.
Sound bite
“It’s kind of like a person going to McDonald’s and buying hamburger for every meal. I think the fish just kind of got tired of looking at all those jigs and spinner baits.”
– Tenth-place Dwayne Horton, who managed to land only one keeper bass Saturday.
Quick links, Day 4:
Photos
Results
Press release
Elias earns first FLW Tour victory