ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. – Takahiro Omori, a Japanese bass pro who moved to Emory, Texas, and started fishing the Wal-Mart FLW Tour in 1996, landed his first tour victory and $100,000 Saturday on Lake Martin with five bass weighing 10 pounds, 14 ounces. The win was especially gratifying for Omori since four of his countrymen also competed in the tournament as part of an international angler exchange that will send several top American anglers to Japan this fall.
“I can’t believe it,” said Omori, who used a crankbait most of the week to catch his limits. “When I started out fishing the FLW Tour five years ago, I couldn’t really speak English and I was camping out to get by. Now, I’ve finally made it.”
Omori advanced to the semifinal round of 10 competitors Thursday in ninth place with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 18 pounds, 14 ounces. He then qualified for the five-man final round in first place after landing five bass weighing 14 pounds, 15 ounces Friday.
Second place in the $500,000 tournament presented by Snickers Cruncher Bar went to Guido Hibdon of Gravois Mills, Mo., who collected $35,000 with five bass weighing 10 pounds, 4 ounces.
Aaron Martens of Castaic, Calif., took third place and $20,000 with five bass weighing 10 pounds, 1 ounce, while Ricky Shumpert of Lexington, S.C., finished fourth and collected $16,000 with five bass weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces.
Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo., finished fifth and earned $14,000 with four bass weighing 5 pounds, 14 ounces.
Hibdon won the Energizer “Keeps on Going” award for the greatest comeback during the event. He fought back from 64th place on opening day to qualify for the final round in fifth place.
Competition began Wednesday with 350 anglers from 34 states and Japan competing in two divisions, pro and co-angler. Willie White of Powder Springs, Ga., made history Friday as the first black angler to win an Operation Bass Tournament. He won a year’s supply of CITGO gasoline and $15,000 cash in the Co-Angler Division with four bass weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces.
Of the, 1,747 bass caught during the four-day event, more than 99 percent were released alive. Energizer will donate $25,000 to the Children’s Miracle Network if Operation Bass maintains at least a 98 percent live release rate throughout the 2001 season.
The fourth stop on the seven-event, $4.45 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour is May 12-19 on the Red River near Shreveport-Bossier, La. The tournament presented by ALPO Pet Foods will feature another $500,000 purse.