Toshi tops 20
Tight FLW field prepares for smackdown Saturday
MONROE, La. – Louisiana’s always good for capacity crowds when the Wal-Mart FLW Tour rolls into town, which is great because the folks who packed the weigh-in tent Friday afternoon in Monroe certainly got their money’s worth. (Full disclosure: Admission was free, as usual.) Seven of the 10 pro finalists brought in limits from the productive Ouachita River, and then it got interesting when a couple of them started smack talking like this was pro wrestling.
Except they were serious. A little bit serious, anyway.
When the dust had cleared, Toshinari Namiki led the Pro Division with a five-bass weight of 20 pounds, 7 ounces. Just over 2 pounds behind him was the leader from the first two days, Matt Herren, with a limit weighing 18-1.
Tucked in behind them, well within spitting distance, were Mike Hawkes with 16 pounds, 2 ounces, Jason Kilpatrick with 15-0 and even Darrel Robertson with 12-5. All of them also caught limits.
Kilpatrick, a pro from Satsuma, Ala., who’s been known to speak his mind freely on tour, had this to say about everyone chasing Namiki: “This is a mental game. I’m going to sleep tonight thinking about what I need to do to win. No offense to Toshi, but he’s going to go to sleep tonight thinking about what he needs to do to keep from losing. We’ve got all the momentum and he’s got all the fear. So, in all honesty, I’d rather be behind right now.”
Herren reinforced that notion, saying: “I’d rather be in second (place) than in first. (Namiki’s) the one with the bull’s-eye on his back. Let him live with that all night. I’ve got a serious mean streak going right now, and I am really going to go after those fish tomorrow.”
For his part, Namiki said that he’s been fishing the same area all week long, targeting cypress trees and buck brush like many fishing in Felsenthal. He was very guarded about what his baits and technique were, however, saying only that he caught “seven or eight” keepers and that the wind muddied up the water today.
“I think I am lucky today (because) I have a kicker fish, a 7-pounder,” he said. “I think Matt (Herren) is more consistent. If I have a lucky bite, I can win. But I’m not nervous.”
And despite his difficulties with the English language, the pro from Hachioji City, Japan, threw down some good old American-style trash talk of his own.
Responding to Kilpatrick’s charge that he should be scared, Namiki said: “No. If I use my secret bait, I’m going to bring in another 20 pounds easy tomorrow.”
Herren missed big ones
As for second-place Herren, who hails from Trussville, Ala., he said that he just couldn’t muster up the big bites that he found the first two days.
“It changed big time today,” he said. “The wind blew across those flats, and it stirred up some serious mud.”
Fishing the same cypress-tree pattern with a jig that he did the first two days, Herren caught 15 keeper bass and filled out his limit with solid 3- and 4-pounders.
“It’s not quite what I had on day one, but it’ll keep me in the game,” he said. “I’m not going to change a thing tomorrow. I’m either going to catch them doing it again or I’m going to zero.”
Hawkes goes back to the well
Third place Hawkes of Sabinal, Texas, found that he couldn’t stray far from the little slough in Felsenthal that provided him his big stringer yesterday. He started there, caught a few and left looking for more water. He failed to get any bites elsewhere, so he returned to the slough to fill out his limit.
“It was pretty tough,” he said. “The wind really affected me. I was having trouble keeping the boat steady. But, mentally, I had a really good day today.”
Kilpatrick fourth, Robertson fifth
Kilpatrick took fourth place heading into Saturday, while Robertson of Jay, Okla., placed fifth.
“I never caught a fish today where I caught them the first or second day,” said Robertson, whose co-angler partner, James Davis, won the Co-angler Division.
Rest of the best
Rounding out the top 10 pros heading into Saturday’s action at the Ouachita River:
6th: Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., four bass, 10-12
7th: Mickey Bruce of Buford, Ga., four bass, 9-14
8th: William Davis of Russellville, Ala., five bass, 9-10
9th: Alvin Shaw of State Road, N.C., three bass, 9-2
10th: Jeremiah Kindy of Benton, Ark., five bass, 7-10
More smack
Getting in on the action with some tall talk of his own Friday was Lane, who rewrote the record books this week by becoming the first pro ever to make his third consecutive FLW top-10. A rookie, Lane said he was extremely satisfied with his showing here in Louisiana.
“The big thing coming here was, `Can Bobby Lane catch them when he’s out of Florida?’ I just wanted to prove that I can,” he said.
Then, when prompted about his top spot in the rankings in just his first season, he predicted confidently: “I’m going to be Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year.”
Final round Saturday
Day four of FLW Tour competition at the Ouachita River begins as the final-round field of 10 boats takes off from Forsythe Park at 7 a.m. Central time Saturday. Friday’s weights carry over to Saturday, and the $100,000 pro winner will be determined by two-day combined weight.
Links: