Quick Bites: FLW Tour, Lake Norman, Day 1

Wal-Mart FLW Tour

Lake Norman, Charlotte, N.C.

Opening round, Thursday

Back-to-back Big Bass … Co-angler Jimmy Cox was doubly elated when his 4-pound, 7-ounce largemouth took Snickers Big Bass honors just moments after his partner Scott Canterbury topped the Pro Division with an 18-pound, 5-ounce limit that included his division’s Snickers Big Bass, a 5-1. Regarding the likelihood of a single boat producing both of the biggest bass, Cox said, “It’s pretty unusual, but I thought we both might do that.” Canterbury looks poised for another strong finish on the heels of his second-place performance at the FLW Tour event on Alabama’s Lewis Smith Lake that concluded April 6.

All shook up … Making her first FLW Tour appearance, co-angler Dierdre Davison of Tega Cay, S.C., recalled a recent impression from the Wal-Mart FLW Series BP Eastern Division event at Wheeler Lake: “I had the pleasure of fishing with (Bee Branch, Ark., pro) Larry Nixon. He told me to fish with a shaky-head worm and said, `Get your five in the boat, and then you can put it down and fish with something else.’ I held that shaky head all day long.” Davison also stuck with the shaky head through day one at Lake Norman. Good call, as she tied for 21st place with 9 pounds, 1 ounce.

Snacks and smiles … Camped in the front row under the weigh-in tent, Joanne McMurray of Troy, Mich., brought an insulated basket full of McDonald’s cheeseburgers, which she gave to her favorite pros as they exited the stage. Some, like Kevin Long of Clewiston, Fla., also got a box of homemade chocolate-chip cookies. He responded: “Man, this is awesome. It’s just neat to have people who really get into the fishing and pay attention to what you’re doing. And these are lucky cookies – these are the good ones.” (No word on the criteria for who gets a burger, cookies or both, but all recipients responded with genuine appreciation.)

Quick numbers:

42: Number of places in the Pro Division between 10 pounds (106th place) and 10-15 (64th).

1: Number of competitors wearing a pink-bandana head scarf. This fashion statement belonged to co-angler Sondra Rankin.

3: The number of the largest assemblage of onstage offspring accompaniment. Pro Glenn Chappelear of Acworth, Ga. brought his 7-year-old son, Caleb, and daughters Hannah, 10, and Rachel, 9, to the weigh-in stage on day one.

0: Number of hooks in the crankbait hanging from the tip of a Disney-branded Shakespeare spincaster that Colson Kindy, age 2 1/2, carried onstage as his dad, Jeremiah Kindy, weighed his catch.

185: Number of pro limits.

64: Number of co-angler limits.

Sound bites:

“You make me sound like I’m fishing better than I am.” – Dion Hibdon, responding to FLW Tour weighmaster Chris Jones‘ glowing summary of his career accomplishments. Hibdon tied for 71st with 10 pounds, 10 ounces.

“My dad!” – Nine-year-old Zach Swauger, when asked to name his favorite fishing buddy.

“I’m notorious for leading.” – Leo Reiter, on the need to follow up his top co-angler performance on day one with a consistent effort.

“They’re not supposed to be able to read.” – Iams pro Chip Harrison, lamenting the number of barking dogs that ran out onto the docks he was fishing. It was unclear whether the canine attention was directed at the angler or his dog food-sponsor boat wrap.

“I’ve seen it a million times, and it still makes me shudder ever time I see it.” – Adam Lock, the ninth-place co-angler and National Guard recruiter on his emotional ties to the Guard’s promotional video, entitled “Citizen Soldier.”

Day two of FLW Tour action on Lake Norman continues at Thursday’s takeoff, scheduled to take place at 6:30 a.m. EDT at Blythe Landing Marina, located at 15901 NC Highway 73, Huntersville, NC.