Open for business
FLW anglers kick off four-day $1.25 million Forrest Wood Open event on Lake Champlain
PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – With a gorgeous sunrise, mild temperatures and calm winds serving as backdrop, 400 of the world’s top anglers jetted past Mooney Bay Marina shortly after 6:30 a.m. to kick off the start of the Forrest Wood Open – the final FLW Tour event of the 2004 regular season.
However, while anglers faced a host of obstacles during the five previous regular-season events of the 2004 FLW Tour, there is little doubt that the June 23-26 event will be the most pressure-packed tournament of the season to date. For starters, pro anglers will compete to win the top prize of $200,000, while co-anglers will battle it out for a first-place award of $40,000.
In addition, a select few anglers will grapple for a chance to have their names permanently etched in the record books by winning the 2004 FLW Angler of the Year award. Currently, Japan Bass Angler of the Year and FLW Tour rookie Shinichi Fukae of Osaka, Japan, holds a 33-point lead over tour veteran Greg Hackney of Gonzales, La., in the year-end race in the Pro Division. In the Co-angler Division, Keith Pace of Monticello, Ark., holds a commanding 80-point lead over Greg Gulledge of Monticello, Ark. Both awards could be decided as early as Thursday or as late as Saturday.
The Lake Champlain tournament also represents the last chance for anglers to qualify for the 2004 FLW Tour Championship, scheduled to take place Aug. 11-14 on Logan Martin Lake in Birmingham, Ala. The championship, which boasts a total purse of $1.5 million, offers a top prize in the Pro Division of $500,000. However, only the top 48 anglers in each field – based on year-end points standings – will be invited to the championship.
Champlain strategy
Because Lake Champlain is one of the largest lakes FLW tour pros will fish all year and boasts a healthy supply of both largemouth and smallmouth bass, anglers will have to make some tough choices on how to best approach this massive waterway.
“Smallmouth probably outnumber the largemouth bass on Champlain by a 10-to-1 ratio,” said FLW Tour pro J.T. Kenney. “You can catch smallmouth throughout the lake, but the good largemouth areas are limited. If you see three or four boats together trying to fish for largemouth, chances are they’re not going have very big stringers. In the end though, I think it’s going to take a combination of both to win.”
So what are the hot baits this time around?
“Guys are catching a lot of smallmouth on flukes and tubes right now,” said Kenney. “I think you’re going to see a lot of that this week.”
FLW action continues at today’s weigh-in, scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. Eastern time at Mooney Bay Marina, located at 15 Mooney Bay, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Wednesday’s conditions:
Sunrise: 5:09 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 60 degrees
Expected high temperature: 76 degrees
Water temperature: 65 degrees
Wind: from the northwest at 9 mph
Maximum humidity: 52 percent
Day’s outlook: partly cloudy