CLEWISTON, Fla. – Day three of the $500,000 Wal-Mart FLW Tour season opener on Lake Okeechobee brought few surprises and lots of bass as five hopeful anglers advanced to the final round for a shot at $100,000 cash – one of the richest awards in professional bass fishing.
Leading the charge was Mark Hardin of Canton, Ga., who landed five bass weighing 24 pounds, 15 ounces Friday using a fire-tiger colored crankbait in the rim canal. Three-time FLW Tour winner David Fritts of Lexington, N.C., (five bass, 20-14); FLW Tour newcomer Kelley Williamson of Purdy, Mo., (four bass, 20-03); Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., (five bass, 18-04); and Team Coleman anchor Kim Stricker of Howell, Mich., (five bass, 16-03) comprise the remainder of the elite pro field.
“Today was a great day,” said Hardin, noting that recent cold fronts and low water caused many bass to stage in the canal. “I thought I could catch a big stringer. On the first and second day, I caught just enough to get in. I laid off my area a little, so I hope I have enough to win.”
Hardin landed in fifth place on opening day with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 5 ounces then held his position on day two with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 3 ounces. Catch weights were erased Friday and only the top 10 pros and co-anglers competed. Weights are cleared again for the final round Saturday in which the day’s heaviest weight wins.
In the Co-Angler Division, Andrew Arnold of Princeton, Ky., claimed top honors and collected $15,000 with one bass weighing 5 pounds, 3 ounces.
“I just came down with my wife on vacation and came here and had three good partners,” said Arnold, who caught the winning bass on a crankbait during his first FLW Tour top-10 appearance. “I fished two or three different ways and it feels great. I’m very, very pleased.”
Arnold caught two bass weighing 5 pounds, 4 ounces on opening day followed by two bass weighing 8 pounds, 8 ounces on day two before advancing to the final day of co-angler competition in the tournament presented by EverStart.
Michael Brown of Chatsworth, Ga., (two bass, 4-02); Doug Caldwell of Kane, Pa., (one bass, 4-01); Arlyn Johnson of Enon, Ohio., (two bass, 3-04); and Gary Henry of Conyers, Ga., (one bass, 2-13) rounded out the top five co-angler spots.
Clear skies and warm afternoon temperatures have been the norm as 350 anglers from 34 states probed the shallow waters of Lake Okeechobee for big bass, which at times seemed on the verge of spawning. A total of 48 five-bass limits were caught during the first three days of competition. Nearly 100 percent of the 1,048 bass caught thus far have been released alive, including the tournament’s biggest bass, a 9-pound, 10-ounce largemouth caught on opening day by 1999 Angler of the Year David Walker of Cannon, Ky.
If Operation Bass, the world’s premier tournament organization, maintains at least a 98 percent live release rate throughout the 2001 season, Energizer will donate $25,000 to the Children’s Miracle Network.
Competition continues at 7 a.m. Saturday at Roland Martin’s Marina located at 920 East Del Monte Ave. in Clewiston followed by a 3:30 p.m. weigh-in at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 1005 West Sugarland Highway in Clewiston. Wal-Mart will also host the FLW Tour Family Fun Zone featuring fishing seminars, free product samples, interactive displays and children’s games starting at 11 a.m. Saturday.