Co-angler Paul LaFleur of Benton, Ark., earned his first top-10 finish and first win with FLW on the back of a 17-pound, 2-ounce day-two bag that gave him a tournament total of 31-04 at the Walmart FLW Tour event presented by Igloo Coolers on Lake Chickamauga.
“I threw a big worm and a drop-shot the whole time,” says LaFleur. “Today was mainly the big worm. The ledge bite wasn’t good. I caught two real quick, and then it went dead and I caught all the rest up shallow.”
LaFleur fished day one with Jacob Wheeler and the second day with Stacey King. Midway through day two, King made the decision to move shallow, and LaFleur capitalized.
“I caught five keepers yesterday [Thursday] and probably a dozen or so today,” LaFleur adds. “When I caught my second big one my heart just started racing, and I knew I might have a chance to win.”
LaFleur’s key baits were a Texas-rigged plum-colored YUM Ribbontail worm and a YUM Sharp Shooter, which he fished on the drop-shot rig.
Top 10 Co-anglers
1. Paul LaFleur – Benton, Ark. – 31-04 – $25,000
2. Cody Frazier – Soddy Daisy, Tenn. – 29-07 – $7,291
3. Bronk McDaniel – Alexandria, La. – 28-04 – $5,107
4. Stephen Crawley – Bush, La. – 27-15 – $3,884
5. Cecil Wolfe – Scarborough, Ontario – 27-12 – $2,911
6. Zachary Francis – Abingdon, Va. – 26-14 – $2,674
7. Josh Smith – Hamilton, Ohio – 26-04 – $1,937
8. Joey Cifuentes – Clinton, Ark. – 25-06 – $1,743
9. John Hunter – Shelbyville, Ky. – 25-04 – $1,645
10. Lawson Hibdon – Versailles, Mo. – 25-03 – $1,548