Quick Bites: Wal-Mart Open, Day 3
Wal-Mart FLW Tour
Wal-Mart Open
Beaver Lake, Rogers, Ark.
Friday, pro finals day one, co-angler finals
Yeah, but does it do windows? … All week long, co-angler Roy Altman Jr. has been singing the praises of a bait he calls the Spot Remover. It’s a jig he and his bait company, Buckeye Lures, designed after Altman competed in the 2001 EverStart Series Championship at Pickwick Lake. Formulated specifically to target spotted bass, the flat-head jig stands up straight on the lake bottom and favors an extremely slow retrieve. It was just what the doctor ordered this week, too, since Altman caught all but one of his bass on the Spot Remover and won the $40,000 co-angler title. “It’s been a Spot Remover week, baby,” he said. “One of the bites I got, a largemouth, bit just like a brim. … I couldn’t believe how light the bite was. That made me slow down even more.”
How much more you got? … Pro leader Dan Morehead can do no wrong, it seems. The tour points leader says he hasn’t been keying on any one of the three bass species that Beaver Lake offers, rather, he’s just catching an assortment of them – and keeps on winning. He caught 18 keepers Friday when much of the rest of the field had trouble just nabbing a limit. Even when Morehead runs into trouble, he somehow manages to turn it into opportunity. One of his biggest catches Friday was a largemouth that bit his crankbait after he had hung it up on a rock. The fish actually jarred the bait free. “I really can’t complain,” he said. “It’s been a really good day.”
Third to first … While Morehead continues to roll, one interesting stat of the 2003 FLW season might compel him not to let up at all Saturday (not that he would): In two of the first three tournaments, the third-place pro after Friday wound up winning Saturday. In fact, at one of those tournaments, Lake Okeechobee, Morehead led day three and finished in third place, surpassed on Saturday by Pat Fisher, who placed third Friday. Chris Elliot did the same thing at Lake Murray. Only Paul Elias led both days of the final round at the Atchafalaya Basin and won. Still, Morehead doesn’t seem worried: “It’s hard to do a lot of catching up on this lake. I feel (darn) good about this tournament.”
In contention … If that third-to-first theory holds any water, watch out for Russ Moran Saturday, who led the opening round and placed third Friday. Using the popular Shaky Worm technique, he struggled to a limit but still sits in striking distance 4 pounds behind the leader. Whatever happens Saturday, though, the FLW rookie says he’s just happy to be here: “It’s my first time in the top 10, and I’m having a great time. I have far exceeded my expectations.”
Going whaling … Randall Hutson, last year’s Wal-Mart Open runner-up, slipped into a familiar spot with his second-place showing Friday. Just 9 ounces behind, he has the best shot at catching Morehead, but he knows it’s not going to be an easy task. Asked how much weight he thinks he will need to win, he said: “48 pounds.”
Quick numbers
10: Number of times that co-angler runner-up Darrell Stevens has finished in the top 10 on the FLW Tour.
4: Number of times that Stevens has top-10ed at Beaver Lake (1998-2000, 2003).
3: Number of times that Stevens has finished in second place at Beaver Lake (1999, 2000, 2003).
Sound bites
“Look at that plumper. That’s what you call pregnant right there.”
– Fourth-place pro Jim Moynagh, after catching his biggest fish of the day, a very fat spotted bass. Pregnant bass could be the key to victory Saturday. Noted Dan Morehead: “They’re wanting to spawn something fierce right now.”
“This works like golf. The more rounds you play, the more the better players rise to the top. I’ve got another round to play tomorrow.”
– Pro Rick Clunn, perhaps with an nod towards the Masters at Augusta this weekend, who scratched his way to eighth place Friday with three bass weighing 5 pounds, 1 ounce.
Quick links, Day 3:
Photos
Results
Press release
Morehead marches closer to Wal-Mart Open title
Altman wins co-angler title on Beaver Lake