Whoa. Is it 2006 already? Wasn’t it just yesterday we were talking to Sam Newby about Gabe Bolivar, 1-ounce victories and little brown jigs at Pickwick Lake? Man, time flies when you’re trying sort out who’s fishing where next season.
Anyway, so it is 2006 (already!). That means it’s January, and Lake Okeechobee looms. That also means it’s time once again for the original Pundits’ Picks on FLWOutdoors.com.
Here’s the deal. It’s the same game as last year: pro v. pro and staff v. staff in a fantasy-football-style round-robin tournament to determine, at the end of the season, who is the greatest Wal-Mart FLW Tour pundit of them all. There are all kinds of game rules and regulations that probably won’t matter to you, the reader, but about which we squabble vigorously amongst ourselves all season long. The bottom line is that it’s all about the picks.
First, let me introduce three new players to the pundit arena.
New to the Pro Division, Art Berry comes to us from the sunny hamlet of Hemet, Calif., where he grew up on the cool, clear SoCal waters teasing mega-bass into biting his arsenal of swimbaits. His record as an angler out West is almost without peer at this stage of his young career, but it remains to be seen whether that prowess will translate into superior punditry power, as well.
In the Staff Division, young firebrand Brett Carlson, an editor with FLWOutdoors.com, comes to our realm of bass punditry from the world of walleyes. A bit of a know-it-all, he thinks his enthusiastic but as-yet-unrefined knowledge of all things fishing will work well as a kind of olive-branch-style diplomacy between the two fish species. We’ll see how that works out for him at the end of the season.
Also in the Staff Division is newcomer Jason Sealock, associate editor with FLW Outdoors. Jason spends more time in the boat chasing down pro anglers with his camera than most of us combined. So if he can’t figure out who’s hot and who’s not, he either needs to have his eyes checked or he’s simply just a few sandwiches short of a picnic. Watch out for this one.
Welcome, all. The rest of us, well, we’ve been here before for Pundits’ Picks past. The rivalries run deep, and there’s certainly no love lost among some of us.
Speaking of rivalries, I would be remiss not to congratulate Clark Wendlandt, known around here as “Clean Shoes,” for winning his unprecedented third Pundits’ Picks title in a row last season. What can I say? Not only can the guy catch `em, he can pick `em, too. A hearty congrats to him, and – in a departure from wishful-but-misguided predictions of his demise in years past – this year I guarantee that Clark will win the pundit title yet again. If you can’t beat `em, join `em, right?
Last thing, the usual disclaimer: The picks in this column in no way represent any sort of favoritism on the part of FLW Outdoors staff or its pro anglers. These are merely guesses – only arguably educated – as to who we think might do well at any given tournament.
Now, onto the 2006 Pundits’ Picks.
– Jeff Schroeder, editor, FLWOutdoors.com
Tournament site
Lake Okeechobee this year is much the same as it was last year. That is, it’s similar in that it’s a whole new lake once again. Last year, hurricanes mucked up the water so much that all the leading catches came from one area where the water was relatively clear, Monkey Box, which really crowded up the fishing. Another round of hurricanes over the summer has stirred things up again and completely redesigned some of the lake’s features, particularly on the south end of the lake. The Monkey Box is out and Moonshine Bay is in. There’s still going to be some crowded fishing, but look for the pros to be able to spread out and find more clear, open water than they did last year. That will benefit some of the pros who tried to avoid the mob scene last year but ultimately came up short, but don’t forget that Okeechobee is a place where you can always catch them in a crowd.
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Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop No. 1
Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston, Fla.
Jan. 18-21
Brett Carlson
Editor
FLWOutdoors.com
Record: 0-0
Points: 0 |
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Jason Sealock
Associate editor
FLW Outdoors
Record: 0-0
Points: 0 |
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| 1) MATT HERREN.This guy is so consistent it is scary. In his three years on tour, Herren’s lowest finish in the Angler of the Year race is 11th. As a rookie, I’d rather not shoot myself in the foot early. I’ll save that for later in the year. |
| 2) DAVID WALKER.His awesome resume on Okeechobee goes well with a spite pick directed toward former pundit and FLWOutdoors.com staff member Patrick Baker. Rumor has it, Walker’s letdown at the 2005 Wal-Mart Open led Baker toward an early pundit retirement. I guess one man’s trash is another’s treasure. With a full offseason to rest and a new sponsor to boot, Walker starts an energetic 2006 season on the right note. |
| 3) CLARK WENDLANDT.With a new season and a slate wiped nearly as clean as his shoes, Wendlandt shakes off a bad year and begins his quest for a third AOY title. Digression: I’m still waiting for the bad year in which I earn $100,000. |
| 4) BOBBY LANE.After doing everything in my power not to pick him, Lane somehow ends up on my list in the fourth slot. Knowing the Sea Captain (that being Sealock – YAR!!!) will likely pick Lane too, I’ll settle for a push here. |
| 5) RAY SCHEIDE.Very risky pick, but the last time the Big O fished this open, Scheide won the event by 13. Unbelievably, we’re talking 13 pounds, not ounces. Part of me wanted to pick Grigsby, but first I want to see how his new marriage – which we all know can do strange things to a man – will affect his fishing. |
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| 1) RAY SCHEIDE.He’s a proven winner here. He’s great at locating bass under those mats. Now, if he’ll just lay off his fish in practice, he could post a big bag on either of the opening days and get himself into the finals with a respectable limit on the other day. |
| 2) KELLY JORDON.This event could find us right in the middle of the spawn. And there is a lot more clear water this year than in the past. And if it doesn’t turn out to be a sight-fishing event, Jordon already proved he can put the “smackdown” on the mats. |
| 3) DAVE LEFEBRE.Lefebre can catch them whether he’s looking at them or flipping blind in the mats. With a lot more water to fish this year, he can develop a plan more thoroughly. If he struggles early, I’ll just grab my camera and follow him around. Fudge Shop always seems to catch fish when I’m shooting him on the water. |
| 4) DAVID CURTIS.Did anyone fish better than this guy last year? I don’t think so. He’s done well everywhere he’s been. This tournament could have a lot more possibilities than just flipping and sight-fishing. He’s great with spinnerbaits and crankbaits and can flip and pitch with the best of them. He’s come full circle in his fishing career, and he’ll show up big for this one. |
| 5) ROGER CRAFTON.I know. Don’t be a rookie and pick the obvious locals. How about Crafton, though? He’s my dark horse. He’s proven he can post big bags on Okeechobee and has a lot of experience on its waters. If he can put two solid days together in the opening round, he’ll be a threat in the finals. |
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Keith Lebowitz
Co-host
“FLW Outdoors” on FSN
Record: 0-0
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Jeff Schroeder
Editor
FLWOutdoors.com
Record: 0-0
Points: 0 |
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| 1) BOBBY LANE.This was an easy pick – and it’s just the first event. Bobby not only cracked the top 10 in his first three FLW Tour events in 2005 – two of which were held in Florida – but he’s kicked off 2006 with a bang as well: second place at the Stren Series opener on the Big O. |
| 2) DEAN ROJAS.He almost won here last year. The creator of the Frog is looking to leap to his first-ever Angler of the Year title. He wanted it bad last year, but fell short. Always a threat on Florida bodies of water. |
| 3) J T KENNEY.Wait until you see what the A&W Root Beer jerseys look like. I got a sneak peak at them, and I think the Florida Flippin’ King wants to give his some television coverage. He’s one of the pros that everyone will be watching this week. Can he make consecutive runs at the AOY Title? I’m thinking yeah. |
| 4) TOSHINARI NAMIKI.How many top-10s did he have last year? FOUR! And he earned every one of them. He is meticulous with his attention to detail at every event he fishes. I’ve watched him practice and tournament fish, and the guy is the real deal. He fell just short of becoming the second Japanese angler in a row to win AOY. |
| 5) JASON KNAPP.Many of you are just learning about this young pup on the FLW Tour, but look out. Every pro that I’ve talked to about Jason – which is more than 10 – says that Knapp has all the skills to be a champion on the FLW Tour. He will be making his FLW Tour debut from the front of the boat, and Mr. Knapp will not be overwhelmed by the field of veterans. |
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| 1) BOBBY LANE.For anybody who knows Florida bass fishing, there’s no need to explain this pick. It seemed that practically his entire family fished the Stren event two weeks ago – with much success – but Bobby’s the only Lane on the docket for the FLW. So you can bet he has more inside information all to himself than anybody else in the field. |
| 2) DAVE LEFEBRE.Dave brings his A-game practically everywhere he goes, and that’s probably for the best because one gets a sense that, half the time, he doesn’t really know where he is. And I mean that in a good way. Asked about the prospect of this year’s fishing on a hurricane-impacted Big O, he said, “I don’t know. Looks about the same to me. I imagine it’s going to be pretty good, as usual. Why? What have you heard?” I think that kind of blissful ignorance – whether it’s for show or not – is a big key to Lefebre’s success. He just doesn’t seem worried about crowds, Monkey Boxes or moving grass mats. His finishes at Okeechobee the last three years? 27th, fifth and 26th. The results don’t lie. |
| 3) J T KENNEY.Where was J.T. at the Stren Southeast opener two weeks ago? DNF: Did not fish. I bet Bobby Lane was licking his chops when he saw that tournament field and its biggest omission. No such luck at the big show. |
| 4) DEAN ROJAS.Found a way to pop them in the Monkey Box mob last year. With Moonshine Bay setting up as this year’s Monkey Box, look for smiling Dean to maneuver his way around the bumper-boat crowd again and do a little howling at the moon. |
| 5) RAY SCHEIDE.Everybody’s talking about Moonshine Bay, but don’t overlook the potential of South Bay and the Cornfields. Word is, South Bay might not be as storm-ravaged as some have reported – at least as far as the fish go. If it’s good, look out. Ray loves the South Bay area, which is nice and close to Clewiston. He dominated this tournament there two years ago. |
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Gary Mortenson
Editor
FLWOutdoors.com
Record: 0-0
Points: 0 |
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Rob Newell
Contributing editor
FLW Outdoors
Record: 0-0
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| 1) SCOTT MARTIN.Martin usually possesses a pretty sizable advantage heading into the Lake Okeechobee event since the Big O represents his home waters. However, this year, that advantage will be magnified even more. After a tremendously devastating hurricane season in 2005, the Big O is a much different body of water than it was at this time last year. As a result, many of the prime fishing locations have shifted significantly. Martin should take full advantage. |
| 2) BOBBY LANE.As one of the top young guns on the FLW Tour, Bobby Lane continues to demonstrate that he will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come. However, the Sunshine State native is even more deadly when he plies his trade on Florida waters. He put on a great performance at this same venue earlier this month, turning in an impressive second-place showing in the opening Stren Series event of the 2006 season after netting a whopping 60 pounds, 2 ounces over four days. Simply put, betting against Lane this week isn’t very bright. |
| 3) J T KENNEY.A transplant from Frostburg, Md., Kenney now calls Florida his home. After guiding on the Big O for the past couple of years, Kenney has acquired some very intimate knowledge of this body of water. Like Martin, Kenney is poised to capitalize on the changes brought by last year’s hurricane season. |
| 4) DAVE LEFEBRE.Simply put, the Pennsylvania native has become the most consistent angler on the FLW Tour over the past few years. He can fish in deep water, he can sight-fish, he’s versatile and can outwork most of the field on any given day. Okeechobee will be no exception. |
| 5) DEAN ROJAS.Rojas finished in third place on the Big O in 2005 and continues to be one of the premier anglers in the sport. Like Lefebre, Rojas is usually sniffing around the top-10 cut no matter what body of water he is fishing. And chances are things will be no different in 2006. |
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| 1) MIKE SURMAN.Flipping is a sure way to win on Okeechobee. Despite the other fishing options available this year, Surman will stay dedicated to the flipping game. |
| 2) J T KENNEY.Like Surman, Kenney will live or die with the big stick – and it doesn’t have to be directed at matted vegetation, either. Kenney knows the flipping game backwards and forwards on Okeechobee. He flips the sparse cattails just as well as the matted stuff. No matter how the fish are set up on the Big O, Kenney makes the flipping stick work. |
| 3) BOBBY LANE.Should the weather get really warm and the fish start spawning in the pressured Moonshine Bay area, Bobby Lane is my casting-worm pick. Lane understands the subtleties of long-casting a worm to weary spawning fish. |
| 4) GREG PUGH.Rattling lipless crankbaits over hydrilla is another primary pattern on Okeechobee in January, and Greg Pugh has proven he’s good at it. With Surman and Kenney covering the big sticks, long-caster Lane on the worm, Pugh has got the trap bite covered. |
| 5) JASON KNAPP.My dark horse pick. Jason fished as a co-angler for several years before turning pro this year. He caught them as a co-angler and has continued to catch them as a pro. |
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Links:
Pro Picks: Lake Okeechobee
Destination: Lake Okeechobee
FLW Outdoors Fantasy Fishing Challenge kicks off for 2006 season