Pundits’ Picks: Logan Martin Lake
Well, it all boils down to this, fantasy-fishing fans. Two pundits left, battling head-to-head at the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship for the coveted 2004 Pundit of the Year title.
Clark Wendlandt took the top score of three remaining pundits at Lake Champlain, which left Mark Zona and Gary Mortenson on the chopping block. When all the backroom dealing had been done, the sneaky phone calls had been made in the middle of night and the dust had settled, this is who the losers voted out of Punditville:
Zona: 5 votes
Mortenson: 2 votes
So, Zona is banished to Loserland. Perhaps the most aggressive pundit all year long in terms of alliance-making and -breaking, the Z-Man’s tactics might have backfired on him in the end. Let’s just hope Wendlandt’s clean shoes didn’t leave too much of a mark on his way out.
Now it’s down to Wendlandt and Mortenson – who have each already won a prestigious POY title in their respective pundit careers, by the way.
Who will be the first to repeat? We’ll find out at the championship. Top score wins.
Tournament site
While this tournament is the FLW Tour’s first visit to Logan Martin Lake, this one marks the first time in a while that the championship is being held on what cannot be classified as a “tough” lake. Logan Martin is packed with bass and it’s a large fishery. So, particularly in a field of just 48 boats, everyone’s going to have access to some good fish. The key to finding them, many think, will be the ability to manage current. Logan Martin’s an impoundment on the Coosa River, and the impact on the tournament will be sizable if Alabama Power pulls water through the lake during the week. Look for crankbait fishermen and those who like to go deeper to come up big if the water starts moving. On the other hand, the 48 pros who made the championship didn’t get there by not knowing how to handle current, so that doesn’t really help much in your picks. Besides, there’s a lot of good shallow-water fishing at the lake, too, with docks and tons of structure for fish to hang out in. Name your bait, they’re probably going to throw it this week.
Hot picks
With just two pundits left and the championship’s bracket format an issue, multiple picks were scarce. The only pro that both Wendlandt and Mortenson picked is Alton Jones. Let’s leave it up to you to figure out what that means.
Good luck with your brackets, fellow Fishing Challengers, and good luck to everybody in Alabama.
– Jeff Schroeder
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Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship
Logan Martin Lake, Birmingham, Ala.
Aug. 11-14
Clark Wendlandt
FLW pro, Cedar Park, Texas
Previous tournament score (Lake Champlain): 800
1) Aaron Martens. Aaron just finished second in the Classic and he loves spotted bass. He also finished second when the Classic was on Lay Lake, which is the lake below Logan Martin. He has a very tough bracket, though. If he wins it, he will have to earn it.
2) Alton Jones. Alton has been fishing well all year and I think he will shine on Logan Martin.
3) Clark Wendlandt. I feel really comfortable with this lake and, for that matter, all of the Coosa River. I have a good track record here and I look forward to the challenge.
4) Randy Blaukat. This pick is just a feeling I have. Randy has competed in several events here and I am sure he feels very comfortable with the lake.
5) Dave Lefebre. This bracket is also very tough, but I’ve picked Dave in almost every tournament this year and he has not let me down yet.
Gary Mortenson
Editor, FLWOutdoors.com
Previous tournament score: 690
1) Greg Hackney. Arguably the hottest angler in the land these days, Hackney finally has proven that he deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the other elite names in professional bass fishing. With second-place finishes in the 2004 angler of the year competitions in both the FLW and BASS circuits, Hackney has demonstrated that he can catch fish under any circumstances and on any conceivable body of water. Look for the Gonzales, La., native to put the finishing touches on his nearly perfect season in the finals of the 2004 FLW Championship.
2) Alton Jones. Quite simply, the Yamaha pro is not somebody I’d want to be competing head-to-head with in the championship. Jones has been steady as a rock all year long and his familiarity with Logan Martin is only going to make him that much tougher to deal with this time around. Arguably one of the top-10 anglers in the world today, Jones should be standing tall on the final day of competition.
3) David Dudley. As the biggest money-winner in the history of the FLW Tour, Dudley is nothing short of a fishing machine. In addition, he’s also the defending 2003 FLW Tour champion. Although Dudley claims that this year has been a disappointment to date, Logan Martin offers ample opportunity for redemption. To be sure, Dudley is a tough angler to beat under any circumstances. But when he’s fixated on the ultimate prize while carrying a huge chip on his shoulder, he’s as dangerous as they come. In short, watch out for the Manteo Machine come the final day of competition.
4) David Walker. With a third-place finish at the 2002 Bassmaster Classic on virtually the same water as this year’s FLW championship, Walker should have little problem adapting to the pressure of fishing Logan Martin Lake. As a former FLW Tour Angler of the Year, Walker has demonstrated that he has what it takes to wrest control one of the biggest prizes in professional bass fishing. And although he has been inconsistent at times during his career, Walker has been nothing but steady all year long – finishing fifth place overall in the 2004 FLW year-end standings.
5) Matt Herren. Although Herren has flown under the radar all year long, the Alabama native produced a very respectable ninth-place finish in the 2000 FLW Angler of the Year standings. While not a household name just yet, his strong familiarity with Logan Martin Lake and his local angling knowledge of the Coosa River chain should put him on even par with the elite pros during the championship. In fact, Herren is arguably one of few dark-horse candidates with a very real chance of pulling off a major upset.
Links:
Losers’ Picks
Play the FLW Outdoors Fishing Challenge
Championship brackets