Tournament `wide open’ as only 3 pounds, 2 ounces separate top five contenders
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Larry Nixon didn’t get the limit or the weather he wanted. In addition, he was forced to fish a style that he was uncomfortable with. He also didn’t get one bite after 9:15 a.m. And if that weren’t enough, Nixon also broke off a 5-plus-pound largemouth earlier in the day. But while most anglers wouldn’t have been able to regroup after facing such a difficult set of circumstances, Larry Nixon of Bee Branch, Ark., proved once again that he isn’t like most anglers. Using a catch of 17 pounds, 15 ounces, Nixon – as he’s done so often throughout his career – stole the show and proved why he truly deserves the title of living legend.
So, was Nixon happy that he managed to lead the entire pro field into the finals despite having virtually nothing go his way during today’s competition? Of course not.
“You’re never pleased unless you know 100 percent what is going on out there,” said Nixon. “I only have a pound-and-a-half lead right now, and that ain’t squat on this type of lake. Right now this tournament is wide open. Anybody can win this thing.”
Nixon, who is targeting mud and clay banks in shallow water with a combination of 1/2-ounce Diamond Shad crankbaits and copper Rat ‘L Traps, said he is definitely hoping for a change in the weather come tomorrow.
“I really hope the wind lets up a little bit,” said Nixon. “But I don’t really care if it rains. In fact, I hope we get some bad weather tomorrow. I think that will work to my advantage.”
Although Nixon said that he struggled out on the water today, he said that things are slowly but surely falling into place.
“I’m having to fish a way I’m not comfortable fishing,” he said. “But I’m slowly eliminating a bunch of (bad) water. And if everything works out weatherwise, I should be able to put a good stringer together.”
As the newest member of the FLW Outdoors television analyst crew, Nixon just might wind up in the ironic position of interviewing himself after tomorrow’s finals if he “struggles” as much Saturday as he did today.
Pruitt regroups to snag second place
Although Bud Pruitt confessed to having some early morning jitters, all it took was one cast – and one monster 7-pound, 9-ounce largemouth – to get him back on track.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have gotten at least a couple of big bites each day of the tournament,” said Pruitt, a resident of Spring, Texas, who ultimately turned in a 16-pound, 6-ounce stringer. “So when I got that big bite today, that really got me going – it really settled me down. And that was important.”
Like Nixon, Pruitt also argued that the tournament title is up for grabs.
“I didn’t think I was going to be comfortable with anything outside of 20 pounds today,” said Pruitt. “But it turned out to be pretty tight. This lake really has some megabass in it, so this tournament is really wide open. But I think if I can catch 17 pounds tomorrow, I think I have a good chance to win.”
Tour rookie grabs third place
It didn’t take long for Chris Elliott of Gloucester, N.C., to make his mark on the FLW Tour. In fact, it only took three tournaments. Using a catch of 16 pounds, 1 ounce, Elliott grabbed hold of third place heading into tomorrow’s finals, despite less than half a season of FLW Tour experience under his belt.
“It’s pretty exciting,” said Elliott of his performance to date. “This has just been a great experience. The hard part is trying not to let the pressure get to me.”
If the pressure was getting to Elliott, it didn’t show.
“I think if the wind quits blowing tomorrow, I think I can weigh in a 17- or 18-pound bag and make a good run at the title,” he said. “But I should be able to bring in 12 to 15 pounds no matter what happens. The key is who is going to get those big bites tomorrow.”
Elliott said he landed the majority of his catch fishing spinner baits around milfoil in about 3 to 4 feet of water.
Best of the rest
Stanley Mitchell of Fitzgerald, Ga., used a 15-pound, 15-ounce catch to finish the day in fourth place; while day-two leader Darrel Robertson of Jay, Okla., landed in fifth place with a catch of 14 pounds, 13 ounces.
“There’s not very many pounds separating the guys, so everybody here has a real chance to win this,” said Robertson, who set a FLW Tour record in yesterday’s competition after weighing in a mammoth two-day stringer of 49 pounds, 8 ounces.
Rounding out the top 10 finalists were John Crews (sixth) of Jetersville, Va., with a catch of 12 pounds, 6 ounces; Wesley Strader (seventh) of Spring City, Tenn., with a catch of 12 pounds; Rick Clunn (eighth) of Ava, Mo., with a catch of 11 pounds, 12 ounces; Jody Cordell (ninth) of Flowery Branch, Ga., with a catch of 6 pounds, 6 ounces; and Dan Morehead (10th) of Paducah, Ky., with a catch of 6 pounds, 5 ounces.
Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled to take place at 7 a.m. at the Lighthouse Marina, located at 1925 Johnsons Marina Road in Chapin, S.C.
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Results of day-three pairings
Quick Bites: Lake Murray, Day 3
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