FLW Championship preview: Low water, light current won’t slow pros as they head back to ‘Bama
Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship, Logan Martin Lake, Aug. 2-5
Two years ago, Luke Clausen won the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship at Logan Martin Lake with a pretty straightforward approach: He fished light line and finesse baits around docks. Expect more of the same from many pros this week at the 2006 FLW Tour Championship – which returns to Birmingham, Ala., for the second time in three years – but don’t be surprised if a few leading catches come from deeper waters, too.
“As far as the quality of the fishing goes, it’s really similar to how it was two years ago,” Missouri pro Randy Blaukat said Monday. Blaukat qualified for this year’s championship as the 27th seed and also competed in the championship at Logan Martin in 2004. “This lake has good fishing considering how much pressure it receives, and I think it will be split 50-50 in terms of guys fishing deep versus shallow. 
The people I’ve talked to are catching them a bunch of different ways. I think it’s wide open to different techniques, and I don’t think there will be one dominating pattern.”
No. 2 seed Matt Herren agreed. “It’s going to be interesting. Luke caught them by finesse-fishing docks. There will be a bunch of fish caught that way, but I don’t think it will be like we saw two years ago. You can catch them on deep structure on Carolina rigs and crankbaits, or you can catch them shallow finesse-fishing docks. I’m just going to catch whatever I can catch. I can fish out deep or I can fish shallow. It’s just a matter of whatever works that day.”
Still, few docks on the expanse of Logan Martin will go unexplored over the course of the week, thanks to Clausen’s domination in the shallows two years ago.
“Now, that’s all you see are guys throwing Shaky Heads on docks,” Blaukat said. “Everything is setting up very similar to the last time we were here, but over the course of four days, I think you need a variety of patterns because this place gets absolutely pounded.”
One big difference between then and now is the water level, which is lower by about a foot thanks to the dry, hot conditions prevalent over the summer. Consequently, Alabama Power hasn’t been pulling much water through the reservoir, and that could throw a curve ball at the anglers who like to key on the current bite.
“It’s actually lower than I’ve ever seen here,” Blaukat said. “And they’ve pulled less water than I’ve ever seen. It’s almost like you can sit on the main river channel like a lake, not moving.”
Low current and high, hot sunshine plus surface water temperatures in the 90s could push many pros toward the bank, whether they like it or not, as the bass head for cover in the shade.
“One day’s pretty good and then one day’s pretty bad,” said Herren, an Alabama native. “It really depends on what they do with the water and the current. If there’s current, we’ll catch them. If not, we won’t. There are no secrets left on this lake. It’s had three (Bassmaster) Classics and one FLW Championship, so there’s no new water left to learn. It’s just about getting the right bites on the right day.”
The pros getting the right bites should advance through their brackets with daily weights in the 7- to 13-pound range, like two years ago. But watch out for the inevitable heavyweight brackets where two pros both come in weight double-digit stringers and have to battle it out.
“In my case, I’m probably going to have to catch 25 pounds. Just watch, I’ll come in with 22, and Tony will come in with 23,” laughed Blaukat, who squares off against Georgia pro Tony Couch in the opening round. “I just plan on fishing both patterns, shallow and deep, and really just letting the day unfold.”
Said Herren, “The big thing is just finding a way not to run out of fish. It’s hot, it’s old August in the South, and this lake gets beat around about seven days a week.”
Lake history, facts
Located in east-central Alabama on the Coosa River, Logan Martin Reservoir sits approximately 30 miles east of Birmingham, Ala. Logan Martin Lake was initially formed by the construction of the Logan Martin Dam, built in 1964 by the Alabama Power Company for power generation and flood control. The reservoir, which borders St. Clair and Talladega counties, extends 48.5 miles from the dam upstream to Neely Henry Dam. Logan Martin covers more than 15,000 acres. It also boasts healthy populations of largemouth and spotted bass in addition to a wide spectrum of striped, white and hybrid bass.
Catch the action
Anglers from 28 states and Japan qualified for the championship after competing in six qualifying events stretching from Lake Okeechobee in Florida to Lake Champlain in New York. These qualifiers are seeded according to their Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year rankings and No. 1 will compete against No. 48, No. 2 against No. 47, No. 3 against No. 46, etc. This bracket-style competition has produced some 
exciting matches that will likely lead to some nail-biting finishes as Arkansas legends Larry Nixon (No. 8) and George Cochran (No. 41) face off in the opening round alongside Gain Rookie of the Year Gabe Bolivar (No. 7) and veteran Gary Yamamoto (No. 42) among others.
Championship contenders will take off from Pell City Lakeside Park, located at 2801 Stemley Bridge Road in Pell City at 7 a.m. each day, and daily weigh-ins will be held at 5 p.m. in the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena. The outdoor show features more than 140 exhibits; fishing seminars by Hank Parker, Forrest L. Wood and other bass-fishing legends; and free daily giveaways running from 2 to 8 p.m. Aug. 2 and 3, noon to 9 p.m. Aug. 4 and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 5. August 2 is free FLW Outdoors hat day. August 3 is free Stren fishing line day. August 4 is free Berkley tackle day, and Aug. 5 is free rod and reel and free Fujifilm camera day. Daily giveaways are for children 12 and under accompanied by an adult.
One lucky fan attending the final weigh-in Aug. 5 will also win a new Ranger Z20 Comanche bass boat powered by Yamaha. Three qualifiers will be drawn for the boat giveaway during each day’s 5 p.m. weigh-in, with the final three qualifiers and the eventual winner drawn Aug. 5. Fans must be present to qualify and win. Admission is free, and entry forms will be available at the outdoor show.
The week’s festivities also include a taping of “The Best Damn Sports Show Period” in the BJCC Arena Friday at 1 p.m. and a free concert presented by Chevy featuring country artist Craig Morgan at 4 p.m. Saturday in the BJCC Arena.
Following the two-day opening round, 24 pros advance to the semifinal round based on their two-day accumulated weight. Head-to-head competition continues in the one-day semifinal round, after which 12 pros advance to the final round. The 12 finalists start from zero and compete for one day to determine the winner of the sport’s biggest award – $500,000 cash. Even the pro who finishes 48th earns $15,000 just for qualifying.
Forty-eight co-anglers, who are paired with the pros and fish from the back deck, will compete for two days, after which the top 24 co-anglers based on accumulated weight advance to the third and final day of co-angler competition. Weights are cleared for the co-angler final round, and the winner takes home $25,000.
In addition to the tournament festivities, professional anglers will visit approximately 200 patients ranging in age from 5 to 18 years old at Children’s Hospital in Birmingham on Aug. 4 at 10 a.m. Aside from signing autographs and providing a needed break for the children, the anglers hope to cultivate an appreciation of the environment by teaching about the conservation of fish habitat and being respectful of nature. The anglers will also take this opportunity to explain why more than 50 million people pick up their rods and wet a line each year – because fishing is a fun, wholesome activity the entire family can enjoy.
Coverage of the 2006 FLW Tour Championship will be broadcast to 81 million FSN subscribers as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television program Sept. 24 and Oct. 1. “FLW Outdoors” airs Sundays at 11 a.m. Eastern time.
You can also catch all the weigh-in action at FLWOutdoors.com with FLW Live. The first weigh-in will be broadcast Wednesday, Aug. 2, at 5 p.m. Central time and will continue throughout all four days’ weigh-ins.
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