SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER, La. – Bill Chapman of Salt Rock, W.Va., will be looking to land a $100,000 stringer of bass Saturday as he leads five Wal-Mart FLW Tour finalists into the final round of competition on the Red River.
On Friday, Chapman landed five bass weighing 14 pounds, 11 ounces to top the semifinal-round field of 10 anglers in the Pro Division. Like most competitors, he is fishing shallow water where bass are holding close to cover. His baits of choice are tube baits and spinnerbaits.
Chapman, who is making his first top-five appearance, survived the opening-round cut from 175 pros to the top 10 Thursday in fifth place with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 28 pounds, 4 ounces. Anglers started from zero Friday, and the final five start from zero again Saturday.
“If the sun shine (Saturday), I’ll do well,” said Chapman, explaining that the fish he is catching are much more aggressive if the sun is shining and the wind is blowing. “If it doesn’t, I’m going to struggle.”
Chapman has finished 11th, 12th and 13th in previous Wal-Mart FLW Tour events, missing the top 10 by less than five ounces twice.
Craig Powers of Rockwood, Tenn. (five bass, 13-1); Dwayne Horton of Knoxville, Tenn. (five bass, 12-14); Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich. (five bass, 12-6); and Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky. (five bass, 8-15) will join Chapman in the final round of the tournament presented by ALPO Pet Foods.
In the Co-Angler Division 20-year-old Brandon Ledford of Rome, Ga., won $15,000 and a year’s supply of CITGO gasoline Friday with five bass weighing 9 pounds, 2 ounces that he caught while fishing with Chapman. He advanced to the final day of co-angler competition in fifth place.
Jack Morse of Oglesby, Texas (five bass, 8-11); Tommy Szwankowski of Hope, Ark. (five bass, 7-7); John Bruce of Buford, Ga. (four bass, 6-11); and David Cochran of Hot Springs, Ark. (five bass, 5-6) rounded out the top-five Co-Anglers.
Overall, 79 bass were caught Friday including 12 five-bass limits. More than 98 percent of the fish were returned to the Red River alive.
The tournament, which is the fifth of seven stops on the $4.45 million 2001 Wal-Mart FLW Tour, concludes Saturday with a 3:30 p.m. weigh-in at the Shreveport Wal-Mart on Westport Ave. Saturday’s final takeoff from Clark’s Red River Marina in Elm Grove starts at 6:30 a.m. A Family Fun Zone featuring fishing seminars, free product samples, interactive displays and children’s games will open in the Wal-Mart parking lot starting at 11 a.m.