Quick Bites: FLW Series Lake of the Ozarks, Day 1
Gagliardi ponders 2007 prequalification, Kennedy knows better and Morgan tells a fib
Wal-Mart FLW Series
Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach, Mo.
Opening round, Wednesday
Prequalified fishing … After more than a 4-month absence, the FLW Series is back in action. For many pros, the months of October, November and December are typically reserved for some much-needed R&R before competition fires back up again in January. But with a berth in the no-entry-fee $2 million Forrest Wood Cup at stake, the atmosphere in the Ozarks is anything but relaxing. Many pros are using these last two events as a kick-start for their 2007 seasons. Simply put, a guaranteed spot in the 2007 Cup would enable an angler the rare opportunity to fish strictly to win for an entire season. Sounds strange, but with points fishing not a factor, swinging for the fence might be at an all-time high in 2007. Reining Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year Anthony Gagliardi is one pro looking to take advantage of this rare opportunity. Coming into this event, Gagliardi sat in 25th place in the FLW Series points race. After sacking 16-9 on day one, Gagliardi is looking like a good bet to prequalify for the championship before the 2007 season even starts. “It’s not a situation any of us have been in before,” said the Prosperity, S.C., pro. “It may enable an angler to take more risk and do something a little different to try to win the tournament. I know for sure it would take a lot of pressure off. It may also add a little intimidation factor perhaps.” Fishing to win each and every time out, think of how scary-good Gagliardi could be. Better yet, don’t, it could be harmful to an angler’s psyche.
Kennedy knows better … Veteran pro Steve Kennedy was pleased with his day-one performance on Lake of the Ozarks. Despite the cold weather and strong winds, the Auburn, Ala., native caught 15-7 to sit 18th on the pro side. Even better, he broke off two quality fish that could be there for the taking on day two. But Kennedy also knows firsthand how awesome a fishery Lake of the Ozarks can be. Last year at the Stren Series Central Division event held in Osage Beach, Kennedy caught 31 pounds during the two-day opening round but still failed to make the cut. This time around, he knows he needs to put the pedal to the metal if he wants to be fishing Saturday.
Seasons are a changing … After a warm and stable practice, the first significant cold front of autumn has reared its ugly head. In fact, Thursday and Friday’s forecasts call for lows in the 30s with blustery winds. No doubt the 30-degree drop in temperature has changed the bite, but consider what is happening in Pierre, S.D., the host of the 2006 FLW Walleye Tour Championship. At last Saturday’s weigh-in, the high temperature reached 91 degrees, just 2 degrees from a record. Forecasted for today in Pierre is 4 inches of snow. Yep, in just four days, the weather went from the 90s to white flakes. Maybe that will keep the groaning in Missouri to a minimum.
Slippery Andy … After day one, it’s hard to tell if pro Andy Morgan just underestimated himself or if he is just a flat-out fibber. Reportedly, Morgan struggled through practice, catching only three or four keepers per day without finding a consistent pattern. He also said he thought 13 pounds a day would make the cut easily. After these poor prognostications, the Dayton, Tenn., pro went out and calmly sacked 21-2 to sit third among a field of 196 highly accomplished pros. Morgan also said he’s using a variety of baits in a variety of areas, which probably means he’s catching them all on one spot with one key bait. “I just fished the conditions,” said Morgan. “The conditions just lined up. I just went out there and fished. I didn’t do anything special.” By the way Andy, the cut weight right now sits at just an ounce under 16 pounds. The next time Morgan complains about how tough the bite is, don’t believe him.
Quick numbers
7: Weight, in pounds, of the heaviest bass caught today by pro Art Ferguson III.
99.5: Percentage of fish released alive back into Lake of the Ozarks Wednesday.
32-15: Weight, in pounds and ounces, of the 10 bass caught by the Eakins family. The elder Eakins, Jim, caught five bass weighing 17-1 while his son Troy caught 15-14. Jim sits fifth while Troy is in 12th.
77: Number of pros who cracked the 10-pound mark on day one.
Sound bites
“I culled probably an 18-pound stringer today.” – first-place pro Dave Lefebre, revealing how ridiculously good the fishing was on day one.
“We’ll weigh them both, but not together.” – FLW Series Tournament Director Chris Jones speaking to co-angler leader Gayle Julian. Julian caught two giant bass that he wanted to check for the Snickers Big Bass award.
“I told my wife that today is the fifth day of practice, so they’re running out of places to hide.” – sixth-place pro Matt Herren.
“I’ve got dead trolling-motor batteries, a dead back and a dead leg.” – pro Tim Peek, who fished main-lake points in 25 mph winds.
“I’m not jiving with this place. Hopefully Andy will tell me something for tomorrow.” – 2004 FLW Tour Championship winner Luke Clausen, begging for advice after catching 11-10 on day one.
Tomorrow’s takeoff is scheduled to take place at 7 a.m. Central time from PB II-Grand Glaize Beach just off Highway 54 in Osage Beach.