Pro Picks: Pickwick Lake

Tournament site

The Wal-Mart FLW Tour has put in at Pickwick Lake only once before, but this waterway is by no means an unfamiliar tour stop to most of these pros. The FLW Tour has also launched a tournament out of Wheeler Lake – two easily accessible pools up the Tennessee River – in 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2005. Not only that, Pickwick Lake itself has hosted Stren Series tournaments, including last November’s championship, in four out of the last five years. In short, the Pickwick-Wilson-Wheeler chain may be one of the tour’s most familiar venues, certainly so on the TVA system. In 2000, Rick Clunn won the prior FLW Tour event launched out of Pickwick by dredging ledges with his crankbait. Your picks might want to lean towards anglers who you know can handle impoundment fluctuations and adapt because current always plays a key role here. Keep in mind, too, that these lakes, particularly Pickwick, boast healthy populations of both largemouth and smallmouth bass. Whichever bite is dominant will undoubtedly determine the top anglers at this one.

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Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop No. 3

Pickwick Lake, Florence, Ala.

March 1-4

Clark Wendlandt FLW pro Cedar Park, Texas Record: 2-0 Points: 1,580	VS.	David Dudley FLW pro Lynchburg, Va. Record: 2-0 Points: 1,329
1) DAN MOREHEAD.Dan knows the Tennessee River extremely well. He also knows how to approach Pickwick when the water is very cold. I look for him to excel this week. 2) CLARK WENDLANDT.I love the Tennessee River, especially in the prespawn. I have been looking forward to this tournament since the schedule was announced. 3) DAVE LEFEBRE.I know I pick Dave every tournament, but he is just that good. He likes cold water and, being from up North, he understands how to fish it. He also finished in the top 10 at the Stren Championship here last year. 4) MARK HARDIN.Mark did great at Okeechobee, and he also has Lanier coming up next week. I think he will be in tune with the patterns on Pickwick. 5) DAVID FRITTS.Fritts finished third in a tournament about 10 years ago on Pickwick, which was held at the same time of year. His experience should help him here.		1) DAVID FRITTS.Well, what else can you say? It’s crankbait time. Ledges, stumps, shell beds – it’s all music to this man’s ears. In the end, he’ll be playing the champion’s song; it’s called “Ledges, Stumps and Shell Beds are the Love of My Life,” and it’s written by David Fritts. 2) ANTHONY GAGLIARDI.For the people who haven’t caught onto this young talent, you need to connect. This is not just a roll he’s on, but pure God-given talent. He can do it all. 3) SHINICHI FUKAE.I am going to stick with this man as long as he’s on a role and his confidence is high. He’s just a great fisherman. So until he does badly, he is in my top five. 4) JONATHAN NEWTON.Let’s see, he’s a guide on Wheeler. We’re at Wilson and Pickwick. It’s his home turf, and I think that’s good enough reason for a pick. 5) DARREL ROBERTSON.I don’t know what it is about him and this lake, but he always catches them when he comes here. His confidence is sky-high.

Carl Svebek FLW pro Siloam Springs, Ark. Record: 1-1 Points: 1,320	VS.	Art Berry FLW pro Hemet, Calif. Record: 0-2 Points: 1,182
1) CLARK WENDLANDT.After a dismal start at Okeechobee, Wendlandt came back at Murray to show us just what he’s made of. I look for him to turn this tournament into the second of a long streak of top finishes. 2) STEVE KENNEDY.He’s a steady finisher on Pickwick, so I think he’ll have them figured out. He’s due for a top finish. Pickwick’s the place. 3) DAVID FRITTS.Whew! It was cold when I rolled into town. And if it is cold, you can guess that the crankbait bite might be good. If the crankbait bite is good, you can bet that Fritts will end up on the top of the heap. So he’s a logical choice: There’s no one better at crankin’ than Fritts. 4) J T KENNEY.Well, it hasn’t been a stellar start for Kenney in the first two events, so I know that he’s ready to change that at Pickwick. He’s got the talent, know-how and drive. He’s due. 5) KEVIN LONG.He’s a rookie on tour who has lots of experience, though, with smallmouths. That could serve him well at Pickwick. I look for great things from him this year.		1) JONATHAN NEWTON.A strong angler pretty much anywhere, but in this part of the country he could be capable of going wire to wire at this derby. Here’s a hint: His home lake is Wheeler. 2) MATT HERREN.So I’m driving from Lake Murray to Pickwick and I see people driving next to me that have a sign in their window saying, “I love Matt Herren.” Anybody with a following that size will be in the finals in his home state. 3) WESLEY STRADER.A very strong up-and-in fisherman with lots of knowledge about all four lakes available at this tournament, I’m expecting a big finish from Wesley here. 4) SAM NEWBY.As the Stren Series Championship winner at Pickwick, expect lots of TV time on the Pop Tarts boat here. He’s probably going to get jiggy with it. 5) CLARK WENDLANDT.This season reminds me of his 2003 FLW AOY effort. He’ll be back.

Dave Lefebre FLW pro Erie, Pa. Record: 1-1 Points: 1,294	VS.	Randy Blaukat FLW pro Lamar, Mo. Record: 0-2 Points: 1,289
1) CLARK WENDLANDT.I’m afraid he’s back. Plus, he knows where 8-pound smallmouths live in Pickwick. Trust me, I’ve seen the pictures. 2) JONATHAN NEWTON.If he can get through the tournament without getting eaten by a lock monster, ol’ Jonny Neutron will be tough here as always. 3) WILLIAM DAVIS.Without a doubt, he’s one of the funniest guys on the tour. Seriously, this dude is whacked. I think his local knowledge will help him get his first top-10 here. 4) MATT HERREN.I’m sticking with Mr. Herren until he either forgets how to catch them or turns 75 years old, whichever come first. Probably the latter. 5) STEVE KENNEDY.I get the feeling that we’re going to see Steve’s face on TV after this one. He spanked them here in the Stren Championship and he’ll catch them now – as long as he doesn’t throw the buzzbait.		1) CLARK WENDLANDT.Clark is one of the few anglers who have figured out the big smallmouth on Pickwick Lake. Actually, Pickwick is the least productive of the three lakes available to the pros; Wilson and Wheeler are much better. If Clark stays in Pickwick and gets on the big smallmouths, it might be his time again. 2) RANDY BLAUKAT.I’m on a confidence roll right now and have had a lot of time to practice here. I am very familiar with fishing low, clear, cold water in Missouri, and I look forward to this one. 3) MIKE ELLENSTEIN.Mike is a first-year pro coming off a good finish at Murray. His home lake is Kentucky Lake, and he is an expert on smallmouth there. I think similar patterns will exist here, so I look for Mike to do well. 4) TOSHINARI NAMIKI.I admire Toshi because he finds the fish on his own, which is my definition of a real pro. Unlike many pros who get local help, especially on Pickwick, Toshi’s work ethic and independence will reward him with yet another top-10 finish here. 5) SHINICHI FUKAE.Shin’s marathon practice sessions have served him well the past few years, and that will really benefit him at a place like Pickwick.

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