Pundits’ Picks: Kentucky Lake
Just three FLW tournaments left and the pundit field has been culled to four. At Beaver Lake, Clark Wendlandt won for the pro team and Gary Mortenson won for the writers. And since the pros won the team competition, a writer had to go. Only two were left, so the lower man on the totem pole, Patrick Baker, was thrown back into the loser pool. We didn’t even need to go to the vote.
The pro-writer team competition is through. From here on out, it’s every pundit for himself. Wendlandt, Mortenson, Mark Zona and Randy Blaukat will battle each other for the 2004 Pundit of the Year award.
Who will survive?
Tournament site
After a hiatus of a couple years, the FLW Tour put Kentucky and Barkley lakes back on its tournament agenda last season – and it elicited solid results. Not only did competitors catch boatloads of fish here, the 2003 champion, Steve Kennedy, hammered almost 45 pounds of bass over the last two days to win it going away. He did it by finding one relatively shallow honey hole and running a crankbait through it relentlessly. Anglers are saying this year will be likely be another shallow-water bite, so look for the guys who fish better when they can see them to do well.
Hot picks
Out of the four remaining pundits, not surprisingly, consistent Clark Wendlandt picked up the most picks with three. (Perhaps tellingly, Wendlandt himself was the sole dissenting pundit, having not penciled himself in for the first time all season.) Two other pros earned multiple votes, Dave Lefebre and Carl Svebek, each with two.
Good luck, fellow Fishing Challengers, and good luck to everybody in Kentucky.
– Jeff Schroeder
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Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop No. 5
Kentucky Lake, Benton, Ky.
May 12-15
Clark Wendlandt
FLW pro, Cedar Park, Texas
Previous tournament score (Beaver Lake): 702
1) Carl Svebek. Carl has been fishing very well lately, and this tournament should be perfect for his Gambler Sweebo.
2) Craig Powers. Finished second at Beaver and finished in the top five in the EverStart here last year. I look for him to do well.
3) Dave Lefebre. Dave had a miserable tournament last month at Beaver. I look for him to come out with a vengeance at Kentucky Lake.
4) David Walker. He is one of the best fishermen in the country. He does well in every tournament he fishes. It is hard to go wrong with David in your top five.
5) Mike Surman. Surman is fishing as well as anyone in the country right now. He is in third overall in the points standings and has been winning tournaments at Okeechobee. He loves to flip and showed his versatility last year by catching them on a Carolina rig and a crankbait.
Gary Mortenson
Editor, FLWOutdoors.com
Previous tournament score: 681
1) Dan Morehead. Currently first-place overall in the EverStart Central Division standings, Morehead has quickly overcome the slow start to his 2004 tour season. While that alone isn’t enough to qualify Morehead for this list, the fact that Kentucky Lake is Morehead’s home makes him a very dangerous opponent this time around. Throw in the fact that he captured the FLW title on Kentucky Lake in 1998 and you have the makings of a winner. Ranked 69th overall, Morehead also desperately needs a good finish to qualify for the top 48 in the year-end standings – the cutoff for this year’s FLW Tour Championship.
2) Tom Monsoor. A relative newcomer to the FLW Tour, Monsoor has done nothing but impress over the last two years. However, the question remains: Can a Yankee from Wisconsin compete in Kentucky? If last year’s third-place finish at Kentucky Lake is any indication, the answer is a resounding “yes.”
3) Dion Hibdon. Hibdon has been one of the most consistent anglers over the years on Kentucky Lake. The lake not only suits his style, but he’ll also have fishing legend and father, Guido Hibdon, at his side giving him tips and advice Ozark-style.
4) Clark Wendlandt. Pundits’ Picks competition is now down to four individuals, FLW pro Randy Blaukat, EverStart pro Mark “Z-Man” Zona, yours truly – the last surviving writer – and, of course, Clark “Clean Shoes” Wendlandt, perhaps the fiercest competitor of the bunch. So, why pick Wendlandt? Because he’s a lock not to disappoint. He rarely, if ever, finishes out of the top 30. And he always picks himself. I, for one, am not picking against him.
5) Dave Lefebre. I’m taking a gamble on this pick. I’m a huge Lefebre fan. Quite simply, he’s one of the brightest young stars on the tour. Although he’s been a tad inconsistent this year, Lefebre is frighteningly good when he’s on. Coming off a second-place performance at the BFL All-American this past April, it’s clear that Lefebre is once again on top of his game. Overall, this pick is a gut feeling, to be sure. But sometimes you just have to dive in head first and save the worrying for the next guy.
Mark Zona
EverStart pro, Sturgis, Mich.
Previous tournament score: 658
1) Greg Hackney. This is a man possessed. It frightens me to think about what he’ll do in a couple years. A shallow-water madman.
2) Clark Wendlandt. Even though competing against each other as fellow pundits has strained our relationship, I have to keep picking him. I know he’ll love to get me the points I need to stay alive.
3) David Dudley. With the fish shallow, D-Money we’ll break out of his funk this tournament and get his freak on.
4) Koby Kreiger. The Michael Jordan of sight-fishing on Kentucky Lake. Come on, big dog, find us 20 bigguns!
5) Dean Rojas. This sight-fishing wizard will be like a kid in a candy store at this one. Look out if he can see `em.
Randy Blaukat
FLW pro, Lamar, Mo.
Previous tournament score: 586
1) Randy Blaukat. I know, I know. Picking yourself to win has bitten everyone who has tried it in the past, but this is the first and only FLW event this year I will have more than two days of practice for. The key for me and the rest of the field is to find an area to yourself. As big as Kentucky/Barkley is, it fishes extremely small. I’m excited about this event.
2) Clark Wendlandt. Coming off his Beaver top-10, Clark will be on a mental roll. Like myself, I am sure he is thinking that, if the right people have an off tournament and he has a strong event, it might position him for an Angler of the Year title going into Champlain. I think this will provide him with the impetus for a high finish.
3) John Crews. Crews is quietly becoming a force to be reckoned with on tour. I am really impressed with his consistency, especially for his age. He has focus, enthusiasm and the most valuable aspect of youth: an innocent perception of events that occur on the water.
4) Carl Svebek. Carl is enjoying his best season on tour in several years. I know the power of confidence and that, combined with the type of fishing that will be going on at Kentucky, will give Carl a good shot here.
5) Brent Chapman. Brent is one of the best – if not the best angler on tour – at quickly locating bass. He is in the middle of a great season, and will have some extra practice, so I look for him to be a real contender here.
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