Gulledge, Ford hold onto top two spots at Red River
Downing dominates co-anglers
SHREVEPORT, La. – Following day three’s weigh-in at the EverStart Series Central Division tournament on the Red River, pro Danny Gulledge said that he’s not sure whether he’s “fishing smart” or not. The first three days of this four-day event he has waltzed into his fishing area on the river’s Pool 4, landed a livewell full of quality bass and left by 9:30 a.m.
Regardless of what he thinks, Gulledge is fishing smarter than everybody else. The Hamburg, Ark., angler held onto the Pro Division lead he took Thursday by landing five bass worth 15 pounds even Friday, making him the number-one qualifier heading into Saturday’s final round.
“I do feel good about it,” he said, “but I’ve got one more day of work to do. I’ve got to fish smart.”
If, by “fishing smart,” he means returning to Pool 4 and pulling out another 15 to 18 pounds of largemouth bass in the morning, he might as well apply for his MENSA card right now. The location has already yielded him a total of 43 pounds, 8 ounces of bass and he seemed pretty sure that there’s even more in there. He was a bit surprised that no one else could capitalize on it.
“I don’t really know (why the spot is so productive),” he said. “There were people all around us today.”
He suggested that maybe his approach is the key. He’s using mostly a crankbait on suspended bass.
“I think the only edge I have is what I’m doing and the bait that I’m throwing,” he said. “I’ve been on quality fish in an area that suits my style of fishing. I fish the same patterns this time of year on the Arkansas and Mississippi rivers.”
Gulledge plans to go the 28 miles or so back to Pool 4 for one last time in the final round because, he said: “I can’t see running off and leaving. I’m going to go in there and stay with it tomorrow.”
He says the one fellow finalist he’s really worried about Saturday is Newton Ford of Brandon, Miss. Ford, who led day one and placed second on day two, held onto the runner-up spot by catching five bass weighing 13 pounds, 4 ounces Friday. Not coincidentally, he and Gulledge are fishing in the same productive area.
“We’re not more than 400 yards apart,” said Gulledge.
The two Pool 4 leaders are going to have to contend with the likes of James Davis Jr. The pro from Ferriday, La., caught five bass worth 11 pounds, 6 ounces to take the third qualifying spot heading into the finals. He’s feeling confident about his chances Saturday, which makes all the difference in the one-day shootout that is the final round.
“I’m not worried about anybody,” said Davis. “I’m not being cocky, but I feel like this tournament is mine to lose. If I go out and get the bites I need, I feel I can win this tournament.”
Davis is also fishing a portion of Pool 4 as well as the lower part of Pool 5.
“Basically, I’m fishing fish that are just wild river fish,” he said. “It seemed like the farther north I get, the easier they are to catch. It’s fishing just like at home on the Mississippi River.”
Larry Peacher of Bentley, La., qualified in the fourth spot with five bass that weighed 9 pounds, 13 ounces, and Ricky Scott of Van Buren, Ark., rounded out the top five anglers in the Pro Division with five bass weighing 9-5.
Murphy rules co-anglers
Murphy Downing of Hernando, Miss., took over the Co-angler Division Friday with a four-bass weight of 12 pounds, 6 ounces. Downing, who officially landed the biggest bass of the tournament Thursday with a 5-pound, 5-ounce largemouth, dominated the next-best co-angler, Thomas Boschert of New Athens, Ill., by 4 1/2 pounds.
“I love everything about it here,” Downing said. “It fishes just like home on the Mississippi River.”
He caught his leading stringer by flipping and pitching soft plastics into flooded timber. His pro partner Friday was Davis.
“Today we got up there and I got three right away. Then I stopped fishing seriously, started throwing a spinner bait and got that last one,” Downing said.
Following Downing in the top five, Boschert (second place) caught three bass weighing 7 pounds, 13 pounces; Jason Reyes (third) of Humble, Texas, caught three bass weighing 7-9; Thursday’s leader, Chris Phillips (fourth) of Little Rock, Ark., caught three bass weighing 6-9; and Larry Stockwell (fifth) of Alexandria, La., caught one big bass that weighed 5-6.
Final-round action ensues Saturday with the top 10 from each division taking off from Clark’s Red River Marina at 6 a.m. All anglers will restart the day with zero weight.
Saturday’s final-round weigh-in begins at 4 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 6235 Westport in Shreveport. The pro winner of the one-day shootout will take home $15,000 and a Ranger boat and the co-angler winner receives $6,000.
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