Rojas rolls into finals

Pro Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., used a 10-pound, 15-ounce catch to qualify for the finals in first place. Photo by Gary Mortenson. Angler: Dean Rojas.

April 19, 2002 • Gary Mortenson • Archives

Two-time defending FLW Beaver Lake champion Clark Wendlandt lurks just behind in second place

ROGERS, Ark. – By all accounts, Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., did exactly what he set out to do today. Not only did he fish well enough to qualify for the all-important final round of FLW competition, he did so with extreme ease, turning in a five-fish limit weighing 10 pounds, 15 ounces – nearly 5 pounds greater than the 10th-place qualifier.

“I had a fantastic day today,” said Rojas. “I’m just really focused right now. I thought about easing up this afternoon, but these guys are so good that you just have to keep pounding away. You can’t really slow down. I’m very excited for tomorrow. I wish I could go out there right now.”

Rojas, who is sight-fishing for bass on a combination of rocks, wood and docks with a “smorgasbord” of “high percentage” baits, said he has his sights set on winning the title and nothing else.

“It feels good to finish the day in first place, but I want to win this thing,” he said. “I really need to stay focused. I have a lot of good areas and I have a lot of confidence right now. Tomorrow, my goal is to go out there and come back with the biggest bag I possibly can so I can win this tournament. That’s all I’m thinking about right now.”

Wendlandt waiting to pounce

Two-time FLW Beaver Lake champion Clark Wendlandt used a 9-pound, 14-ounce stringer to finish the day in second place. However, like Rojas, Wendlandt has set his sights on winning the tournament.

“This lake has really been good to me and I feel really comfortable here,” he said. “Sight-fishing has been working for me so far, but I have a couple of other patterns that are working as well. I’m going to be doing the same thing tomorrow. Overall, I like my chances.”

A victory tomorrow would give the resident of Cedar Park, Texas, an unprecedented three FLW titles on Beaver Lake. And if today’s events are any indication, he has as good of a chance as anyone to walk away with the title.

“I had a relatively easy day on the water today,” he said. “I caught two fish pretty early, so I was able to relax a little bit. I knew I only needed three more fish to qualify for the finals and I was able to get them. After that, I just went fishing and tried to help my co-angler partner. I could have spent more of the day searching for new spots, but I didn’t think it would be fair to my partner. It might hurt me tomorrow, but it might not.”

Jeffrey Thomas of Broadway, N.C., finished the day in third place after netting an 8-pound, 4-ounce catch.

“I feel very fortunate to be here,” he said. “I had a good day.”

Rob Harty of Sachse, Texas, used an 8-pound, 3-ounce catch to capture the fourth qualifying position heading into the finals.

Mark Pack of Mineola, Texas, finished in fifth place after landing a catch weighing 7 pounds, 15 ounces.

“I had a couple of different patterns working today,” said Pack. “My plan tomorrow is to flip a jig early and then go sight fishing.”

Best of the rest

Rounding out the top-10 finalists were: Andre Moore (sixth) of Scottsdale, Ariz., with a catch weighing 7 pounds, 15 ounces; Tracy Adams (seventh) of Wilkesboro, N.C., with a catch of 7 pounds, 5 ounces; Darrel Robertson (eighth) of Jay, Okla., with a catch of 6 pounds, 10 ounces; Randall Hutson (ninth) of Washburn, Mo., with a catch of 6 pounds, 5 ounces; and Bernie Schultz (tenth) of Gainesville, Fla., with a catch of 6 pounds, 1 ounce.

Tomorrow’s takeoff is scheduled to take place at 6:30 a.m. at Prairie Creek Marina, located at #1 Prairie Creek Marina Dr. in Rogers, Ark.