Pundits’ Picks
Greetings and salutations to all in fantasy-fishing land. In case you are not aware, we here in Punditville made a little agreement at the beginning of the season: the pundit with the highest score from the previous event is allowed to open the next Pundits’ Picks column.
My fellow pundits are now realizing what a grave mistake they made with such an agreement, as I am back in the driver’s seat. And much to their regret, I will likely be writing the lead for the rest of the season.
I turned in a score of 859 points at Ouachita. Compared to the rest of the Conseco Challenge fantasy casters across the nation, I am hardly a blip on Larry Nixon’s depth finder.
But home is where the heart is, and nothing could be truer here in Punditville. It doesn’t bother me to be in the back of the pack – as long as Dave, Jeff and Gary are groveling behind me. What is that old saying about aiming low and never being disappointed?
Ouachita was a sweet victory for me because my fellow pundits never saw it coming. Admittedly, I was worried when Dave picked Jim Tutt and Wesley Strader. Tutt surged into the top 20 on day two and Dave got full points for Strader’s win. And when Jeff’s picks of Rick Clunn and David Dudley blasted out of nowhere into the top 20 on day two, I was a bit shaken, albeit momentarily.
Due to a couple of solid picks, my colleagues thought they had fared pretty well at Ouachita. So you can only imagine the shock and dismay on their faces when the Conseco Fishing Challenge computer crunched the numbers and returned the results: yours truly, the Prince of all Punditdom, once again reigned supreme.
So while Jeff conjures up conspiracy theories, analyzes data for impossible computer glitches and generally refuses to accept my inherent abilities as a gifted fantasy-fishing pundit, I am ready to move on to Beaver Lake to continue my domination.
Reports indicate that Beaver Lake is higher and colder than it was at this time last year. These conditions should throw a wrinkle into the “Beaver Lake Bed-Fishing Benefit” that we have grown accustomed to over the last couple of years. This could shift the advantage back to the flippers and pitchers or the deepwater technicians.
– Rob
____________________________________
Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop #4
Wal-Mart Open
Beaver Lake, Rogers, Ark.
April 17-20
Rob Newell
Contributing Editor, FLW Outdoors
Last tournament score (Lake Ouachita): 859
Overall score: 2,576
1) Clark Wendlandt. Some are baffled that I continue to pick Wendlandt to win, especially since he nearly sunk me at Ouachita. I recently had a little talk with Wendlandt about the situation. When I explained that the fragile career of a professional pundit was at stake he said he would “try to keep that in mind at Beaver.”
2) Gary Klein. Klein and I can’t seem to get in sync. I neglected him at Okeechobee and he finished fourth. Then I picked him at Wheeler and he flopped. I left him out again at Ouachita and he punished me made with a 10th-place finish. We will get it right at Beaver. Klein has added drop-shotting to his power-fishing arsenal. His mastery of the technique was apparent at Ouachita. Shallow or deep, Klein will have bass cornered at Beaver.
3) Aaron Martens. Martens had to miss Ouachita for another tournament. But he is headed to Beaver, and the lake has plenty of spotted bass that will be entranced by his magical drop-shot rig.
4) Craig Powers. After a third-place finish at Ouachita, I feel that Powers is getting ready to roll. I will hop aboard his train as it roars through the Ozarks.
5) Gerald Swindle. Swindle won Beaver the year the lake was flooded. He also had a strong finish last year when the fish were on beds. Swindle is also prepared to handle any curve balls Beaver bass can throw him.
6) Curt Lytle. Lytle has a definitive history of lining his bank account with Beaver Lake tournament winnings. He has a unique deepwater flipping technique that seems to fool Beaver bass, especially in cold water conditions. Besides, Lytle might have stoked his fishing fire with his recent sixth-place finish at Ouachita.
Jeff Schroeder
Editor, FLWOutdoors.com
Last tournament score: 846
Overall score: 2,282
1) Kevin VanDam. Okay, I’ve already picked him twice this year to win and he hasn’t. So it goes with these mind-numbing Pundits’ Picks. However, here’s my rationale for going with the Kalamazoo Killer for round three: He IS the best, most consistent pro on tour (standings leader) and he has nowhere left to finish but first. His finishes this year, in order: 31st, 16th and second. Only place left is a win. He has to win sometime.
2) Aaron Martens. Not sure if his patented drop-shot will be effective in warm weather at Beaver. No matter. It’s guaranteed that the resourceful Martens will find a way to catch them. If he hadn’t missed Ouachita, Martens would have stolen Angler of the Year from VanDam this year. You don’t do that unless you’re versatile and just plain good. Martens scores his second runner-up finish this season at Beaver.
3) Clark Wendlandt. Would have picked him to win except for two reasons: 1) His 113th-place finish at nearby Ouachita left me scratching my head, and 2) odds are that history’s only repeat Wal-Mart Open champion is going to have a seriously tough time making it a three-peat. He still owns Beaver, though, and finishes third.
4) Rick Clunn. Like VanDam, Clunn has been rocketing up the standings with each tournament fished this season. He’s back on track and could win at Beaver – again. Plus, look at how he’s finished there: 1999 – 105th, 2000 – first, 2001 – 78th. This is an on year for Clunn at Beaver.
5) Jimmi Leuthner. Why pick the rookie Leuthner when his tournament performances have been falling steadily since his out-of-nowhere runner-up finish at Okeechobee? The smiley guy has confidence, and that counts for a lot. Plus, a little inside information: Leuthner’s been practicing exclusively at Beaver Lake for a month – just like he did before Okeechobee.
6) Jim Tutt. Gets the nod for the sixth spot because he’s having his best year ever. There are dozens of other guys who should make this list, too – like Wesley Strader, Gerald Swindle, Gary Klein and Johnny McCombs – but King Tutt, fourth in the FLW standings, will top them. He’s focused, he’s fishing patiently and he’s been winning in 2002.
Gary Mortenson
Editor, FLWOutdoors.com
Last tournament score: 764
Overall score: 2,585
1) Clark Wendlandt. Over the last three years, Wendlandt has recorded the following finishes on Beaver Lake: first, 10th and first. By the way, Wendlandt is one of the best sight-fishermen in the country. The bass should be spawning. Enough said.
2) Gary Klein. For some stupid reason, I left Klein off my roster at Ouachita. And I paid the price. I’m not doing that again. However, I’d also like to point out that this isn’t simply a “gut” pick either. Klein finished in eighth place on Beaver Lake in 2001 and recorded a fifth-place finish in 2000. Plus, he’s having success on the tour in 2002.
3) Wesley Strader. Strader is as hot as any angler on tour in 2002. During the FLW Tour event on Lake Wheeler, Strader finished in ninth place. At last month’s Lake Ouachita tourney, he finished first. In between those tournaments, he finished in 17th place at the Ranger M1 tournament in Mobile. He’s crushing on the EverStart Series and he’s been in the running at nearly every tournament he’s been in this year. Go with the hot hand.
4) Randy Howell. Like my three other picks, Howell has been largely successful on Beaver Lake over the past three years as well – finishing in third place, 23rd place and seventh place, respectively. And he’s due for a top-10 finish again after two mediocre showings over the past two tournaments.
5) Gerald Swindle. Aside from being blessed with the gift of gab, Swindle has proven that he is one heck of an angler as well. But how well has he done on Beaver, you ask? In 2001, Swindle took second place. In 1999, he took 15th place. And let’s not forget that he won this event in 1998. This year he’ll almost certainly make the top five.
6) David Dudley. This pick was a toss-up between Dudley and Kevin VanDam. VanDam is the safer pick here, but Dudley has a huge upside. And I’m a gambler by nature. Like Strader, Dudley is on fire this year. He’s already walked away with a cool $700,000 at the Ranger M1 and has done marvelously on the FLW Tour all year. And Dudley finished in 17th place on Beaver last year, so he clearly knows the lay of the land … errrr … water.
Dave Washburn
Executive Editor, FLW Outdoors
Last tournament score: 710
Overall score: 2,400
1) Clark Wendlandt. Despite letting me down with a 113th-place finish on Lake Ouachita, I’m sticking to my rule: Always choose Wendlandt. Maybe Arkansas isn’t the Promised Land for this Kellogg’s pro as I stated last month, but Beaver Lake certainly is. He has won the Wal-Mart Open twice and finished 10th once in the past three seasons. The odds of him having two disappointing tournaments in a row are about the same as Jeff winning the Pundits’ Picks. It isn’t going to happen.
2) Curt Lytle. Lytle is Beaver Lake’s unsung hero, but a quick look at the stats will show you that he’s a true contender. Forty-seven percent of his career FLW Outdoor earnings have come from Beaver Lake. He won EverStart tournaments there in 1999 and 2000 and finished sixth in the 1999 Wal-Mart Open. Watch for Lytle to flip his way into the runner-up spot with his custom-made 7.5-foot rod.
3) Gerald Swindle. Like Wendlandt and Lytle, Swindle has a solid track record on Beaver Lake. He won the very first Wal-Mart Open held there in 1998, placed 15th in 1999 and finished second in 2001. After the 2001 tournament, when he fell 14 ounces short of Wendlandt’s winning weight, Swindle said he learned a lot about sight-fishing that he felt would pay dividends in the future. Well, the future is here. Look for Swindle to give Wendlandt another run for his money.
4) Guido Hibdon. Here is one of the all-time greats. With a career that spans more than two decades, Hibdon is the unofficial patriarch of professional bass fishing. He’s also widely known as the father of sight-fishing, which is a technique that will serve him well on Beaver Lake. Only once in the last four years has he fallen out of the top 30 in the Wal-Mart Open. His highest finish was third in 1999, and I expect him to nearly match that this year. Hibdon is a mentally tough competitor.
5) Carl Svebek III. After a disappointing performance by my local contingent on Lake Ouachita, I’m staying away from Arkansas anglers this time. Svebek is from Texas, so he should be a safe pick. He also has two top-five Wal-Mart Open finishes on Beaver Lake and a top-20 EverStart Series showing. This Land O’ Lakes angler is a master of the wacky worm with a knack for finessing his way to the top of the standings. He’ll crack the top five this year, too.
6) David Dudley. I didn’t pick Castrol pro Dudley on Lake Ouachita, and I paid the price. No, he didn’t make the top six, but he did finish 16th. And that’s more than I can say for all but one of my Ouachita picks. Dudley not only finished 16th, but he did so after an opening-day shutout. That’s tough. So is winning the world’s most lucrative bass tournament (the Ranger M1) with the help of not one but two chainsaws. In the first quarter of 2002, he racked up three top-10 FLW Outdoors finishes and $720,500 in earnings. He has also cracked the top 20 on Beaver Lake twice. He’s on a role, and it isn’t going to stop anytime soon.
Links: