Pundits’ Picks: Forrest Wood Open

FLW Tour pundits present their picks for the Wheeler Lake FLW Outdoors Fishing Challenge and tell you why they picked them.

Finally, we separate the wheat from the chaff. After listening to Jeff Schroeder and Clark Wendlandt crow about their picks for a good part of the 2003 season for no apparent reason, two pundits with an actual track record of excellence – that is, we, current FLW Tour co-angler Rob Newell and 2002 Pundit of the Year Gary Mortenson – finished in a tie for first place at the Kentucky Lake event.

In short, at least for now, the wrongs have been righted. However, unlike many of the pundits, we’re not content to rest on our laurels. There is another prestigious pundit trophy awaiting its rightful place on the mantel.

On that note, perhaps now is as good a time as any to put the entire season into perspective. The pros, who issued more smack talk than Mike Tyson before the season commenced, are now hopelessly behind the pundits in the team race. In fact, the pundits have a commanding 627-point lead over the pros heading into the final regular-season tournament of the year.

Hence, the long-awaited battle between the pros and pundits is turning out to be, shall we say, rather anticlimactic. The only highlight of the pros’ season was when Emily Wendlandt bolstered their entire team total at Beaver Lake. Perhaps the pros should consider hiring the young pundit phenom for consultation next season.

Now, moving onto bigger and better things, let’s recap who is involved in that race for 2003 Pundit of the Year. Currently, our fearless magazine editor and FLW communications director Dave Washburn is atop the leaderboard with 3,781 points. However, in what amounts to one of the tightest races in recent memory, Washburn is followed closely by Wendlandt (3,721 points), Newell (3,715 points) and Mortenson (3,700). We won’t even get into the point totals of Schroeder, Randy Blaukat and Gerald Swindle as we want to maintain at least some level of decorum in our introduction.

So, without further ado, here are the winning predictions for Wheeler Lake.

– Gary and Rob
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Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop No. 6
Forrest Wood Open
Wheeler Lake, Florence, Ala.
June 18-21

Rob Newell
Contributing editor, FLW Outdoors
Previous tournament score (Kentucky Lake): 745
Yearly total: 3,715

1) Dan Morehead. Morehead gunning hard for FLW Angler of the Year and has put in extra time and effort on Wheeler to make sure nothing happens to his lead.
2) David Dudley. Dudley is fresh off an EverStart win and momentum is on his side as he attempts to wrestle the AOY title from Morehead.
3) Clark Wendlandt. Wendlandt is 55 points behind Morehead in the AOY race, but don’t think Wendlandt has given up hope. Leave a tiny crack in the door and Wendlandt will try to blow it down.
4) Steve Kennedy. For my fellow pundits who think I am just now jumping on the Steve Kennedy bandwagon because he won the last FLW tournament, guess again. The record will show that I picked Kennedy the last time the FLW Tour visited Wheeler. I did not get rich on him then, but I will this week. Kennedy has the raw fishing talent to compete with the big boys and now that he knows he can do it after his Kentucky win, watch out.
5) Todd Ary. Todd Ary is my dark-horse pick. He is an Alabama pro fishing his rookie season on the FLW Tour and he has done well. He is in 28th place in the points and made his first top 10 at Kentucky Lake last month. Wheeler is one of his home waters, so I look for another solid performance from Ary.

Gary Mortenson
Editor, FLWOutdoors.com
Previous tournament score: 745
Yearly total: 3,700

1) Clark Wendlandt. Although this pains me as usual, Wendlandt has been a proven force all year on the tour and he has a fantastic track record on Wheeler Lake to boot. Currently, Wendlandt is third overall in the tour standings, and he has already amassed a seventh-place finish on Wheeler in 2002 and a fourth-place finish on the same lake in 1998. Plus, I can’t afford not to pick Wendlandt as he will almost certainly pick himself – as usual.
2) Larry Nixon. One of my favorite anglers on the tour, Nixon has turned in fantastic performances both times the FLW Tour has visited Wheeler. In 2002, Nixon won the tournament outright and, in 1998, he placed 18th. Other than a stumble at Beaver Lake (119th), Nixon has performed well during the 2003 season. Nixon is also currently in 11th place in the tour standings overall – demonstrating a level of consistency necessary to contend at every tournament.
3) David Dudley. The Manteo Machine, fresh off his EverStart victory at Lake Vermilion, is red-hot. He’s second overall in the tour standings and only 26 points behind Dan Morehead for the AOY title. Being the competitive guy he is, Dudley will definitely put up the fight of his life on Wheeler in an effort to wrest the title away from Morehead. This is going to be a great battle, and Dudley, in my opinion, won’t shy away from the task at hand.
4) Rick Clunn. Very quietly, Clunn is having a very credible year on tour. Flying under the radar screen for the better part of a year, Clunn currently finds himself in a tie for 11th place in the overall tour standings. He has two top-10 finishes this year and finished in second place at Wheeler in 1998. It’s official, I’m back on the Rick Clunn bandwagon.
5) Kevin VanDam. After struggling at times this year, VanDam finally appears to be back on track. But what is even more important in the realm of punditry is the fact that the Kalamazoo Kid is currently sitting in 48th place in the 2003 FLW standings. Why is this important, you ask? The reason is simple: Only the top 48 anglers in the year-end standings will advance to the championship. Hence, VanDam knows that he has little or no room for error at Wheeler Lake if he intends to make the championship. If he moves only one place down in the standings, he knows he’s out. Personally, I see VanDam coming into this tournament as focused as ever. Hopefully, he proves me right.

Dave Washburn
Executive editor, FLW Outdoors
Previous tournament score: 675
Yearly total: 3,781

1) Clark Wendlandt. I broke my own rule when I didn’t pick Wendlandt on Kentucky Lake, and he punished me for it by mounting a comeback on day two to finish 15th. I’m not going to make the same mistake twice. Wendlandt is my pick to win this one. If you have to ask why, look up his stats! The man is a superhuman fishing machine.
2) David Dudley. Dudley currently ranks second in the Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year points race, but he is certainly well within striking distance. Jay Yelas mounted a come-from-behind victory last year, and Dudley is looking to do the same.
3) Larry Nixon. This veteran Chevy pro is an all-around tactician, and he is never content just to make the cut. He won last year with a last-minute change in strategy. I look for him to make another solid run at the top spot again this year.
4) Steve Kennedy. Kennedy doesn’t have much of a track record on Wheeler Lake, but he lives in Alabama, he is coming off the biggest victory of his life, and he is well-positioned to make the FLW Tour Championship with a top-five performance here. With all these things in his favor, Kennedy’s my pick to finish fourth. Besides, he is one of the most likable guys on tour. If anyone deserves a trip to Richmond, Va., it’s him.
5) Dan Morehead. Morehead may have stumbled a bit on his home lake last month, but he’s not going to let AOY slip away. He has only missed the top-10 cut twice this year, so fully expect for him to finish the year strong. He’s locked in a battle with Dudley for the AOY crown, but he will prevail.

Jeff Schroeder
Editor, FLWOutdoors.com
Previous tournament score: 619
Yearly total: 3,604

1) Scott Martin. Roland’s legacy should be about due to take a stab at his second title. For some reason, his dagger seems especially sharp on this part of the Tennessee River. If not the winner, he’s a contender for certain.
2) Clark Wendlandt. He’s known as the Beaver Lake master, but here’s a little secret: Wendlandt’s just as good at Pickwick-Wilson-Wheeler. He top-10ed the last three times the FLW has visited this Tennessee River chain of lakes, plus he scored a near victory in EverStart competition there in March. Wendlandt is your can’t-miss pick; he knows where the bass are there.
3) Larry Nixon. The General’s a stud almost anywhere he fishes, but he always seems to lead the herd in northern Alabama. And it doesn’t hurt that he’s the defending Wheeler Lake champion.
4) Greg Pugh. From the town of Cullman, just down the road a spell from Wheeler, Pugh’s ready to tee it up in sweet home Alabama. Nobody knows these well-heeled tournament lakes better than the locals.
5) David Dudley. He had his worst FLW finish of last year at Wheeler, but he finished fourth at Pickwick in 2000. So he can fish here when he throttles up. Second place in points, Dudley wants that AOY title bad, so he’s going wide open next week. I wouldn’t want the Manteo Machine chasing me.

Check out the pros as they weigh in with their picks for the Forrest Wood Open.

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