Wheeler Lake to host $1 million Forrest Wood Open
FLORENCE, Ala. – Wheeler Lake will host the second of three million-dollar events on the Wal-Mart FLW Tour in 2003 when the world’s finest bass anglers travel to Florence for the Forrest Wood Open June 18-21.
A full field of 175 pros and 175 co-anglers representing 34 states, Canada and Japan will compete in the four-day tournament, which is presented by Kellogg’s. Pros will be in the hunt for a top award of $200,000 cash while co-anglers duke it out for a $40,000 top cash award. Cash payments are awarded through 75th place. The coveted Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year title is also at stake.
Evinrude pro Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky., currently leads all Angler of the Year contenders with 915 points followed by Castrol pro David Dudley of Manteo, N.C., with 889 points and Kellogg’s pro Clark Wendlandt of Cedar Park, Texas, with 860 points. Morehead held a sizable 51-point lead heading into the FLW Tour stop on Kentucky Lake last month but watched Dudley cut his lead in half after finishing 55th on his home water. In 2002, Chevy pro Jay Yelas of Tyler, Texas, took Angler of the Year honors from his teammate Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., at the Forrest Wood Open after VanDam entered the tournament with a 28-point lead. Morehead, who carries a 26-point lead in the tournament, hopes to avoid the same fate.
“Winning Angler of the Year has been a goal of mine since the season started,” Morehead said. “I guess anything can happen, but I don’t intend to let it slip away. I’ve put in some good practice, and I’m confident that I’ll be able to produce fish when the chips are down.”
Wheeler Lake is the sixth and final FLW Tour qualifier on the road to Richmond, Va., site of the historic $1.5 million FLW Tour world championship of bass fishing and outdoor show that will be held Sept. 10-13 on the James River. The winner of the championship will earn an unprecedented $500,000 cash, the largest guaranteed award in the history of competitive bass fishing. The championship will also feature a free country music concert, more than 150,000 square feet of exhibits and the FLW Outdoors Celebrity Challenge to benefit prostate cancer research at City of Hope in southern California. In 2003, the road to Richmond, Va., is paved with gold.
Wendlandt says fishing Wheeler is like fishing three lakes at once. Anglers can fish the lower lake, where Wendlandt prefers fishing structure and gravel bars with deep-running crankbaits in shad or chartreuse colors. Another productive spot is the stump- and milfoil-filled Decatur Flats area, where top-waters, buzzbaits and jigs are typically productive baits. Anglers can also travel upriver, which always has current and is a good place to find spotted bass. Because the water upriver is typically more stained, Wendlandt says that he sticks to brightly colored jigs and small crankbaits.
Anglers will take off each day at 6:30 a.m. from Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville except for Friday, when takeoff starts at 7 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the marina starting at 3 p.m., and Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 3100 Hough Road in Florence at 5 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively. The community is encouraged to attend the Family Fun Zone Friday and Saturday outside the weigh-in tent in the Wal-Mart parking lot. The Family Fun Zone features interactive displays, product samples and games for the entire family to enjoy. The Fun Zone will open Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m.
Some of the FLW Tour’s most successful professional anglers will offer fishing fans tournament-winning tips and techniques Sunday, June 15, when they host the Wal-Mart FLW Outdoors Fishing and Automotive Clinic presented by BFGoodrich Tires, Castrol, EverStart Batteries, 7 UP, Snickers and Fujifilm. The free clinic will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 3100 Hough Road in Florence. The first hour will take place in the parking lot and focus on knot tying, casting and tackle selection. During the second hour, the anglers will move into the store, where they will answer questions, pose for photos and sign autographs. Presenting anglers include Team Castrol members Bobby Curtis, David Dudley, Johnny McCombs and Darrel Robertson; Team Snickers members John Sappington and Chris Baumgardner; Team 7 UP members Shad Schenck, Mark Goines and Robert Pearson; and Team Fujifilm members Wesley Strader and Wes Thomas.
On Wednesday, June 18, fishing fans are invited to Nelda Stephenson Chevrolet Olds Cadillac at 1950 Florence Blvd. in Florence to meet members of the Chevy Truck Pro Staff, including Kevin VanDam, Jay Yelas, Tommy Biffle, Jimmy Houston, David Fritts, Larry Nixon, Tom Mann Jr., and Kim Stricker. These top bass-fishing pros will be available for autographs, fishing tips and photos from 6 to 8 p.m.
Complete coverage of the Wheeler Lake event will be broadcast to 55 million subscribers of the Outdoor Life Network in the weeks following the tournament on “FLW Outdoors.” Joining “FLW Outdoors” hosts Charlie Evans, Carlton Wing and Taylor Carr for the 2003 season are fishing legends Hank Parker and Larry Nixon.
Parker will host a Forrest Wood Open preview that will air Saturday, June 21, at 7 p.m. EST. The broadcast will be shown again Sunday, June 22, at 1 p.m. EST. “FLW Outdoors” will feature tournament highlights with Evans, Wing and Carr Saturday, June 28, and Sunday, June 29, followed by a strategic recap with Nixon Saturday, July 5, and Sunday, July 6.
FLW Outdoors and the Wal-Mart FLW Tour are named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood.