Moran retains Wal-Mart Open lead on Beaver Lake

Russ Moran of Murfreesboro, Tenn., maintained the overall lead in the Pro Division for a second-consecutive outing after registering a two-day catch weighing 28 pounds, 8 ounces. Photo by Gary Mortenson. Angler: Russ Moran.

April 10, 2003 • Gary Mortenson • Archives

Morehead increases grip on AOY title while Chapman takes lead in Co-angler Division

ROGERS, Ark. – Despite a two-hour fog delay and only three tournaments of FLW fishing experience to his credit, rookie tour pro Russ Moran of Murfreesboro, Tenn., maintained the overall lead in the Pro Division for a second-consecutive outing after registering a two-day catch weighing 28 pounds, 8 ounces.

With the help of an 11-pound catch in today’s action as well as some savvy decision-making on the water, Moran appeared to dispel any doubts that his first day’s performance was just a case of beginner’s luck.

“I’m very pleased. This is the high point of my career so far,” said Moran. “I struggled out there a little bit today, but after I caught my limit, I was able to do a little practice fishing. I found two more good spots, so it wound up being a pretty good day overall. I’m happy to make the top 10, but I know that the real tournament starts tomorrow.”

Moran said he used a Strike King crankbait to land three of his fish. The rest were caught on a finesse Shakey worm. And according to Moran, he will try the same technique tomorrow and see how far it gets him.

“I’m going to start out tomorrow throwing a crankbait,” he said. “And then I’ll play the weather game and see what happens.”

However, no matter how Moran does tomorrow, he said that his performance at the Wal-Mart Open has already exceeded expectations.

“Coming into this tournament, I would have been happy just to get a check,” he said. “But after yesterday’s finish, I thought I had a good shot at going pretty far. So I just bore down today and tried to make that cut. I’m very happy right now.”

Martin makes a move

Scott Martin would have made his father proud today. Son of legendary angler Roland Martin, the native of Clewiston, Fla., used a two-day catch of 27 pounds, 4 ounces to grab the second overall qualifying position heading into tomorrow’s semifinals. And he couldn’t have been happier.

“It’s a blessing, it really is,” said Martin. “I’ve been on a pattern all week, and I’ve tried to reproduce it every day. And so far, it’s worked out.”

Although Martin wouldn’t reveal his successful pattern, he did say that he expects it to hold up for the remainder of the tournament if the weather permits.

“I’m dialed in one key bait and one key pattern,” he said. “And I think it will continue to work unless the wind gets really calm. It’s a pattern where you have to have lots of patience. But if you do get a bite, it’s usually going to be a pretty good fish.”

Morehead makes a statement

After leading the 2003 FLW Angler-of-the-Year race for most of the season, Dan Morehead wanted to avoid a disastrous performance at Beaver Lake at all costs. If that wasn’t incentive enough to fish his heart out, Morehead had a little bit of extra motivation to stay as close to the leaderboard as possible, knowing full well that a top prize of $200,000 was there for the taking.

But if his performance in today’s competition was any indication, he need not have worried. Using a two-day catch of 22 pounds, 4 ounces, Morehead not only made the top-10 cut, but also grabbed the third qualifying position heading into the semifinals. In the process, he put further distance between himself and his top two competitors – David Dudley and Tommy Biffle – in the AOY race.

Not bad for two days of fishing.

“Now that I made the top 10, the pressure is really off,” said Morehead, a resident of Paducah, Ky. “I’m pretty happy right now. I feel like I’m on a tournament-winning pattern, and now I can just go out there and go fishing.”

But while Morehead took another giant step forward to the AOY title, he said that it was far too early to start getting excited.

“I’m not really going to think about the standings until after the tournament is over,” he said. “But I think I did give myself a little bit more of a cushion.”

Best of the rest

Although Aaron Martens had struggled on the tour all year, the native of Castaic, Calif., didn’t take long to prove he was back in top form. Using a catch of 20 pounds, 12 ounces, Martens stormed into the top 10 for the first time this year, qualifying for the semifinals in fourth place.

In fifth place was Wesley Burnett of Hot Springs, Ark. Burnett turned in a two-day catch of 20 pounds, 7 ounces.

Rounding out the top 10 pro qualifiers were Randall Hutson (sixth) of Washburn, Mo., with a two-day catch of 20 pounds, 3 ounces; Rick Clunn (seventh) of Ava, Mo., with a catch of 20 pounds, 1 ounce; Jim Eakins (eighth) of Nixa, Mo., with a catch of 19 pounds, 8 ounces; Jim Moynagh (ninth) of Carver, Minn., with a catch of 19 pounds, 5 ounces; and Rock Monteith (10th) of Columbia, S.C., with a catch of 19 pounds, 1 ounce.

Hutson and Jermiah Kindy of Benton, Ark., shared the day’s Snickers Big-Bass Award after they both netted a 4-pound, 3-ounce bass. Each angler won $625 for his efforts.

Chapman snags top spot in Co-angler Division

After finishing just outside of the top 10 at Beaver Lake during both the 1999 and 2000 FLW Tour seasons, Chapman vowed to himself that one day he’d make it to the co-angler finals on this very same lake. Although it took three more years, Chapman finally accomplished his mission.

“I’ve had some good luck on this lake before, but it feels great to have finally made the finals here,” said Chapman, who had an 11th-place finish on Beaver Lake in 2000 as well as a 13th-place finish at the same lake in 1999. “It finally came true. It feels great.”

Chapman, who also won the FLW Championship in the Co-angler Division in 1999, said that he landed the majority of his catch fishing a Shakey worm around rock piles.

“We were fishing for Kentucky spots in about 40 feet of water,” said Chapman, a native of Stanley, N.C. “But we also managed to catch some suspending largemouth bass as well. This is the kind of fishing I like to do.”

And it showed.

In second place in the Co-angler Division was Brian Kingsley of Lawrence, Kan., with a catch of 14 pounds, 6 ounces. Third place belonged to Greg Gulledge of Monticello, Ark., with a catch of 11 pounds, 11 ounces.

Day-two leader Kelly Greer of Green Forest, Ark., snagged the fourth qualifying position with a catch of 11 pounds, 9 ounces; while Jim Blake of Lincoln, Neb., finished in the fifth spot with an identical catch of 11 pounds, 9 ounces.

Best of the rest

Rounding out the top 10 co-angler qualifiers were Roy Altman Jr. (sixth) of Augusta, Ga., with a catch of 11 pounds, 5 ounces; Quint Bourgeois (seventh) of Knoxville, Tenn., with a catch of 10 pounds, 7 ounces; Darrell Stevens (eighth) of Roseland, Va., with a catch of 10 pounds; Curtis Thompson (ninth) of Flint, Texas, with a catch of 9 pounds, 15 ounces; and Lonnie Fuller Jr. (10th) with a catch of 9 pounds, 12 ounces.

Mary Parnell of Casselberry, Fla., won the day’s big-bass award in the Co-angler Division after netting a 5-pound, 4-ounce bass. Parnell, who finished the tournament in 21st place, won $750 for her catch.

Tomorrow’s takeoff is scheduled to take place at 8 a.m. at the Prairie Creek Marina, located at 1 Prairie Creek Marina Drive in Rogers, Ark.

Click here for a preview of day three.