Horton hauls in lead on Wheeler Lake

Pro Timmy Horton of Muscle Shoals, Ala., caught five bass Friday that weighed 15 pounds, 13 ounces to sit atop the leaderboard heading into the final day of the $1 million Forrest Wood Open presented by Kellogg’s on Alabama’s Wheeler Lake. Photo by Jeff Schroeder. Angler: Timmy Horton.

June 20, 2003 • Gary Mortenson • Archives

Out-duels rest of pro field to take a 2-pound, 9-ounce lead over nearest competitor

FLORENCE, Ala. – If there was any doubt that BASS superstar Tim Horton could make the transition to the FLW Tour, it was dispelled today in dramatic fashion. Using a total catch of 15 pounds, 13 ounces, Horton – making his first FLW top-10 appearance of his career – grabbed sole possession of first place heading into tomorrow’s final day of competition. And not surprisingly, the local hero and crowd favorite from Muscle Shoals, Ala., said he couldn’t have been happier with the way things have turned out so far.

“It’s pretty exciting; it really is,” said Horton, who had only fished on FLW Tour event since 1997 heading into the Wheeler Lake tournament. “It was quite a day. Today, I had 15 minutes of fishing out there that you dream of.”

However, Horton admitted that things didn’t start out so smoothly this morning.

“By about 11:30 a.m. I only had two fish in the boat,” he said. “But then I went to a place that I was saving all week. And things kind of worked out.”

His key spot, which produced a host a 3-pound largemouth bass, propelled Horton atop the FLW leaderboard for the first time in his career.

“I had been using a 10-inch Yum worm to land most of my fish, but the water kind of muddied up a little bit today, so I switched to a jig,” he said. “I wound up catching about half of my fish on that jig.”

Although Horton said that he plans to return to his key spot in tomorrow’s competition, he acknowledged that he has two other areas at his disposal if things don’t work out initially.

“I’ll probably go to that spot first thing in the morning,” said Horton. “But if things don’t work out within the first 45 minutes, I’ll move on. Luckily, I only have three main spots, so I’ve kind of narrowed it down. But if the fish aren’t there, I’m not sure what I’m going to do.”

Adding to the pressure is the fact that three FLW Tour heavyweights – Aaron Martens, Kevin VanDam and Scott Martin – are all within striking distance of the lead.

“I haven’t been nervous all week, but I’m starting to get nervous now,” he said. “Fishing for $200,000 is definitely a little bit nerve-wracking. Most of the tournaments I’ve won before, I’ve had a pretty big lead heading into the finals. But there are a lot of good fishermen only a few pounds behind me. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”

Practice makes perfect for Martens

After today’s competition had concluded, it was difficult to tell if Aaron Martens of Castaic, Calif., was more relieved than excited or more excited than nervous. But what’s not in dispute is that fact that the California native is back on a roll, bolstered by one of the best practice sessions he’s had all year.

“Practice is important to me and it really helped that I had about six days before the tournament to figure things out,” he said. “I’ve had a bad year on the FLW Tour for the most part and it was mainly because I didn’t have enough practice time in past tournaments. But I finally feel comfortable again out there.”

And it showed. Martens, who has been fishing extremely well all week, produced another quality performance today, recording a healthy 13-pound, 4-ounce stringer to vault him into second place heading into tomorrow’s finals.

However, Martens acknowledged that he is going to have to have another outstanding day on the water if he is to have a shot at the title.

“(Horton) is fishing well and I think it’s all going to come down to who has the best spot tomorrow,” he said. “We’re all going to catch a lot of fish, but the key is going to be who gets the big bites. A lot of these guys are very capable of pulling a 20-pound sack out of the grass tomorrow. And I’m not really fishing the grass. So I’m pretty nervous right now. I won’t be comfortable with anything until the final guy has weighed in tomorrow.”

Martin makes a move

Scott Martin of Clewistion, Fla. – son of fishing legend Roland Martin – finished the day in third place after landing a total catch of 11 pounds, 5 ounces. However, while happy with his position, he agreed with the assessment of other top pros that the big bite is going to make or break a lot of anglers in tomorrow’s competition.

“I’m comfortable where I’m at, but I’m definitely going to need a couple of big bites tomorrow,” said Martin, who is fishing a combination of plastic worms, jigs and Matzuo crankbaits near grass edges in about 4 to 6 feet of water. “(Horton) is on some fish and he’s probably going to come back with at least 12 pounds. So, I’m going to have to go out there and probably catch about a 17-pound sack to have a chance.”

With a first-place prize of $200,000 on the line, Martin said he has no intention of fishing conservatively in the finals.

“I really want first or second place,” he said. “Even if I wind up in second place, you still win $100,000. And to me, that’s almost as good as a win. My goal is to go out there tomorrow and try to get a 12- to 13-pound limit right away and then go for the big bites. I’ve been able to adjust every day so far and I’m going to have to do it again tomorrow to have a chance.”

Best of the rest

Amazingly enough, legendary bass angler Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., has never won an FLW tournament in his career. However, with four second-place FLW finishes already under his belt, VanDam looks to be making another strong push for that elusive title. Using a catch of 11 pounds, 2 ounces, VanDam finished the day in fourth place and remained within striking distance of the lead.

Chad Cook of Summerville, S.C., grabbed fifth place in today’s competition after turning in a total catch of 10 pounds, 11 ounces.

Rounding out the top-10 pro finalists were: Keith Williams (sixth) of Conway, Ark., with a total catch of 7 pounds, 3 ounces; Bill Chapman (seventh) of Salt Rock, W. Va., with a catch of 7 pounds; Dale Teaney (eighth) of Williamsburg, Ohio, with a catch of 6 pounds, 14 ounces; day-two leader Tommy Biffle (ninth) of Wagoner, Okla., with a catch of 6 pounds, 13 ounces; and Dion Hibdon (10th) of Stover, Mo., with a catch of 6 pounds, 10 ounces.

Tomorrow’s takeoff is scheduled to take place at 6:30 a.m. at Joe Wheeler State Park, located at 4401 McLean Drive in Rogersville, Ala.

Click here for a preview of day four.