Staff Picks: Lake Okeechobee

January 14, 2005 • MLF • Archives

Tournament site

Obviously, as the customary season opener for the FLW Tour, the Big O is familiar territory for pro anglers and fantasy-fishing fanatics alike. However, the Lower 48’s second-largest freshwater lake is a new animal this season and might be as tough to pick this year as any. The reason? Last summer’s hurricanes. The Big O’s been all stirred up. Areas that once held the Okeechobee’s thick grass and monstrous bass have been blown away, but they’re not gone. Pros will find new water all over the place. As evidenced by the EverStart event here earlier in the month, the keys will likely remain the flipping bite and, perhaps more importantly, the ability to find fish in a crowd.

Hot picks

The staffers are unanimous in their appreciation for Greg Hackney‘s fishing abilities. He earned picks from all six of them. Reigning FLW AOY Shinichi Fukae came in second with four nods. Local Billy Bowen Jr. and David Dudley were next with three votes apiece. Rookie Bobby Lane and not-so-rookie David Walker also earned multiple picks from the staff, each with two.

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Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop No. 1

Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston, Fla.

Jan. 19-22

Patrick Baker Editor FLWOutdoors.com
Record: 0-0 Points: 0

VS.

	Jeff Schroeder Editor FLWOutdoors.com
	Record: 0-0 Points: 0

1) DAVID DUDLEY .Dudley has become a ubiquitous component of these picks, but the $1.7 Million Man (in FLW Outdoors earnings so far) is better than even money for pundits at any FLW Tour event. At Okeechobee, he’s the only pro to have graced the top 30 in the last three seasons, including third place last year. I’ll wager he’s hungry for the top 10 after a relatively underwhelming performance at 2004’s season-ending championship.

2) GREG HACKNEY .Another usual suspect, but for good reason after a sterling season in 2004. Multiple strong finishes at the Big O coupled with his knack for flipping will put Hackney ahead of the pack.

3) BILLY BOWEN JR .His record at Okeechobee is unmatched.

4) SCOTT MARTIN .Proven track record at the Big O + momentum from runner-up slot at last year’s championship + home-field advantage = winning pick.

5) MARK ROSE .In an effort to beat Schroeder at his own game, I need a wild card to pull it off and this one smells sweeter than most.

1) BILLY BOWEN JR .The last three years Okeechobee has introduced somebody new to the FLW winner’s circle. In fact, they’ve all been FLW rookies. Bowen, on the other hand, is no rookie; the Florida pro’s baits have been helping tournament anglers win at the Big O for years. However, Bowen has yet to win the big one at home. He’s so due that it hurts.

2) LARRY NIXON .The Big O’s as familiar as the back of your hand to most of these pros, but this year – thanks to the hurricanes – it’ll fish like a completely new venue. I like the wily veteran to figure it out quickly and come in second.

3) SHINICHI FUKAE .On the other hand, the reigning AOY from abroad fishes every lake like it’s his first time there (and it usually is) – and he still comes out on top. A new Big O just levels the playing field for the amazing Shin.

4) DAVID WALKER .Steady as they come at Okeechobee. Points play.

5) GREG HACKNEY .The hottest hand in pro bass fishing. Forget the venue; Hackney lands them anywhere. Sorry, Wendlandt, but the Hack Attack might just be the new you.

Chris Eubanks Editor FLW Outdoors
Record: 0-0 Points: 0

VS.

	Rob Newell Contributing editor FLW Outdoors
	Record: 0-0 Points: 0

1) DEAN ROJAS .He’s paid his dues. It’s time for an FLW Tour win.

2) GREG HACKNEY .One would think that, after a phenomenal season last year, there is no way Hackney could immediately jump into the top five in the season opener. Well, he’s rested and ready to fish. No one has more patience than Hackney, which is needed when fishing for Florida bass in thick grass. It’s only a matter of time before Hackney wins, but he’ll finish second this tournament – a common theme for the Hack Attack over the past year.

3) SHINICHI FUKAE .I guess we’ll find out if the Cinderella story will continue into 2005. After witnessing Shin’s fish-finding ability last year, it would be foolish not to pick him.

4) ART BERRY .I’m going out on a limb with Berry, but he’s impressed me over the past two years in the EverStart Series Western Division. He has a knack for big fish and is familiar with fishing for Florida bass in shallow, vegetation-filled water at the California Delta.

5) BOBBY LANE .I was originally going to pick Dave Lefebre, but after his train-wreck performance at the Lake Okeechobee EverStart event a couple weeks ago, I felt compelled to change my prediction. I hope Lefebre surprises me, but in the meantime I’m going with a sleeper. Lane is a rising star who did finish strong at the EverStart season opener.

1) CHAD MORGENTHALER .I can assure you this man is sick of watching Lake Okeechobee victories elude him. In the last two years between FLW and BASS events, he has posted four top-10 finishes on Okeechobee. He is very much in tune with Okeechobee bass; he just needs a break to win.

2) J T KENNEY .Cliche, I know. But I’m convinced that in a previous life Kenney was a bass in Okeechobee. He understands the nuances of Okeechobee bass in ways I don’t comprehend.

3) GREG HACKNEY .Knick-knack-paddy-WHACK! I’ll take the Hack Attack.

4) BOBBY LANE .My rookie pick. He’s always a solid stick on the Big O.

5) SHINICHI FUKAE .Even if Fukae spends half the practice time he spent here last year, he’ll be on fish.

Keith Lebowitz Co-host “FLW Outdoors” on FSN
Record: 0-0 Points: 0

VS.

	Gary Mortenson Editor FLWOutdoors.com
	Record: 0-0 Points: 0

1) DAVID DUDLEY .I could pick any one of the five guys on this list to win at Okeechobee, but Dudley’s history on the Big O – two top 10s and a 21st in last three events here – tells me that he likes to kick off the FLW season by making a statement. Dud had a roller-coaster ride of a season in 2004, and he doesn’t like roller-coaster rides. Besides, he tells me that he can two-step better than any other angler out there. If nothing else, I would like to see him shake that thang onstage if he wins. Talk about a sight for sore eyes.

2) CLARK WENDLANDT .If any angler stands to cash in on FLW’s top-50 payouts, it’s the two-time FLW Angler of the Year. Wendlandt has finished in the top 40 in 13 of the last 16 tournaments he’s entered. His last three at Okeechobee include a 12th and a 6th place. Watch out for Wendlandt this year, too. A huge Dallas Stars fan, I hear he’s so upset at the NHL lockout that he’s been night fishing on days that the Stars would have played. He’s a lock to make the championship again.

3) GREG HACKNEY .Can’t even argue the fact that, as a whole, Hackney was the most consistent angler on the professional bass fishing circuit last year. The Hack Attack will be on again this year. Finished 12th and 15th, respectively, in the last two events on the Big O. Angler of the Year candidate for certain. His favorite movie is “Jaws,” but I dub him “The Predator.” If the nickname sticks, I want credit.

4) SHINICHI FUKAE .The big question of the year: Can he do it again? I don’t think the language barrier will stand in the way of Shin making another run at the Angler of the Year title. Finished in the top 14 in five of seven events last year. That’s unheard of. Now he has experience fishing on these lakes, and that’s just scary. Fourth at Okeechobee last year, fourth again this year.

5) J T KENNEY .Can’t ignore what he just did against a very strong field in the first EverStart event on Okeechobee. He’s always a strong contender, especially considering his victory here a few years back. Kenney had been struggling over the past year and half, but seems to have found his mojo on his favorite lake. He told me he’d seek out a shrink in the offseason to get his head right, and apparently he found a comfortable couch to lay on.

1) GREG HACKNEY .Coming off a remarkable performance on the FLW Tour last year, the Gonzales, La., pro appears poised for yet another strong season. Although Okeechobee is always a crapshoot, Hackney’s 15th-place finish in 2004 and 12th-place finish in 2003 on the Big O demonstrate that he has all of the tools necessary to net the first tournament title of 2005.

2) DAVID DUDLEY .Although the Manteo Machine had a relatively disappointing 2004 season by his own standards, he remains one of the most dangerous anglers on the entire tour. Regardless of the conditions or the strength of the field, Dudley is always a top-20 threat. His third-place finish at Okeechobee in 2004 and 21st-place finish in 2003 only serves to solidify that notion.

3) DAVID WALKER .Quite simply, the low-key angler from Sevierville, Tenn., seems to have the Big O figured out. With a 14th-place finish in 2004 and a 22nd-place finish in 2003, Walker has what it takes to break into the top five.

4) BILLY BOWEN JR .Local Ocala, Fla., native Billy Bowen has turned in two straight top-10 performances on the Big O in the last two years – sixth and eighth place, respectively. With years of experience fishing Florida waters, this pick is a relative no-brainer.

5) SCOTT MARTIN .Nobody is going to put in less travel time or have more intimate knowledge of Lake Okeechobee than Scott Martin. Roland’s son has looked more and more like a seasoned veteran over the last two years. Throw in an 18th-place finish in 2004 and an 11th-place finish in 2003 and you have all of the makings of a true contender.

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