Hawkes hooks two big ones, leads at Okeechobee

Wind stymies many, limits still abound

CLEWISTON, Fla. – Mike Hawkes used a two-rod approach to establish a relatively definitive lead over his fellow pros as day one of the 2006 Wal-Mart FLW Tour kicked off at Lake Okeechobee Wednesday.

A cold front arrived overnight, bringing with it a stiff north wind that blew anglers around on the Big O during opening day. Hawkes, a pro out of Sabinal, Texas, managed to combat the breeze by focusing exclusively on two techniques and led the day with a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 12 ounces.

“I really didn’t flip a whole lot today,” he said. “The water was cloudy, so you had to go to moving baits. I had, like, nine rods with me, but I really could have gone out there with just two rods.”

Hawkes started the day flipping reeds – historically, a favorite technique for catching big bass at Okeechobee – but had trouble keeping the boat in position thanks to the wind. He switched to throwing a 1/2-ounce, black-and-blue Mini-Me spinnerbait and managed to catch a 6 1/2-pounder as his second fish. After filling out his limit on the spinnerbait, he returned to flipping the reeds and eventually hooked his kicker, which weighed 7-9, with just 15 minutes to spare. He caught it on a black-and-blue Reaction Innovations Beaver.

“I was very fortunate to catch that 6-pounder,” he said. “After that, it got a lot easier.”

Hawkes, along with about a hundred other boats, fished the Moonshine Bay area Wednesday. As predicted, that was one of the few areas that held water clear enough for fishing, especially after the wind kicked up over the last few days.

“I just stayed in there and ground it out in that area. There were a lot of boats in there, but it’s not as small as the Monkey Box (last year’s hot spot) so it wasn’t nearly as crowded. I think the fish are all just in there, but the flipping bite’s getting a little tougher because the reeds are getting pounded. I just had a really great day, and it just worked out for me.”

Harrison loses a bunch, still manages second

Pro Chip Harrison of Bremen, Ind., tucked into second place behind Hawkes with a limit weighing 18 pounds, 14 ounces, but to hear him tell it, he may as well have placed 102nd.

“Don’t ask me how I did it. I really didn’t have a great day of fishing, but I had a lucky bite and that’s all it takes, I guess,” Harrison said.

Harrison’s lucky bite was the 8-pound, 7-ounce kicker he caught around 9 o’clock while flipping a Gambler B.B. Cricket into thick vegetation – lily pads, reeds and hydrilla. Unfortunately for him, Harrison lost as many fish as he pulled out of the thick grass Wednesday, and he only caught five keepers.

“When you’re flipping those mats, if you’re 70-percent successful at getting them in the boat, you’re having a great day,” he said. “I was 50 percent today, so maybe tomorrow I’ll be a little better. Don’t get me wrong. Sure, I’m a little frustrated, but you’ve just got to put your head down and keep on fishing. I’m not complaining. It’s definitely the best day I’ve had since I’ve been here.”

Biffle third

Tommy Biffle of Wagoner, Okla., grabbed the third slot in the Pro Division after catching a limit weighing 17 pounds, 14 ounces.

Biffle, one of the best-known flippers in the business, was pleased to have a fast start in 2006. But he also seemed wary of a windy, touchy Lake Okeechobee.

“Obviously, if I can do well and have a good start, I’ll be very happy to have a good start,” he said. “But to be honest, I’ll be happy just to get out of Florida with a check.”

Jordon keeps on slamming at Okeechobee, takes fourth

Last year’s FLW Lake Okeechobee pro champion, Kelly Jordon of Mineola, Texas, battled the wind and caught himself back into contention again in fourth place. Flipping a Lake Fork Tackle craw tube in Moonshine Bay, he landed a limit weighing 17 pounds, 12 ounces.

“It’s not like they’re in the mats like they were last year, because there aren’t really big hydrilla and hyacinth mats like last year,” he said. “It’s not just the area I’m fishing; it’s just kind of what I’m doing that helped. I had four bites over 4 pounds, and I would have had more fish except for the wind.”

Defilippo fifth, weights get tight

After Jordon, the weights tighten up pretty closely all the way down the leaderboard. A total of 162 pros caught limits Wednesday.

Tony Defilippo of Lake Ann, Mich., took fifth place with a limit weighing 15 pounds, 2 ounces.

“I had to slow down and be really methodical,” said Defilippo, who said he caught his fish flipping a prototype Uncle Josh craw. “It’s not really a reaction bite for me.”

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top 11 pros on day one at Lake Okeechobee:

6th: David Cooke, Mooresville, N.C., five bass, 14-14

7th: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., five bass, 14-11

7th: Sean Hoernke, Magnolia, Texas, five bass, 14-11

7th: Dale Teaney, Williamsburg, Ohio, five bass, 14-11

10th: Rob Kilby, Hot Springs, Ark., five bass, 14-1

10th: David Lauer, South Bend, Ind., five bass, 14-1

Hoernke also earned $750 for the Snicker’s Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to an 8-pound, 13-ounce largemouth.

Teeter tops co-anglers

Lee Teeter of Hickory, N.C., leads the Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 3 ounces. He fished with 10th-place pro Lauer and caught just the five bass he weighed in Wednesday.

“I threw the spinnerbait all day,” Teeter said. “But that’s a real good start.”

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Judy Israel of Clewiston (five bass, 12 pounds, 6 ounces); Kenny Moody of Killen, Ala. (five bass, 12 pounds); Rob McMurray of Troy, Mich. (three bass, 11 pounds, 14 ounces); and Kenneth Chapman of Woodlawn, Tenn. (five bass, 11 pounds, 13 ounces).

McMurray also earned $375 for the Snickers Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to an 8-pound, 7-ounce bass.

Day two of Wal-Mart FLW Tour competition at Lake OKeechobee begins as the full field of 200 boats takes off from Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina at 7 a.m. Eastern time Thursday for the second half of the opening round. Following tomorrow’s action, both fields will be cut to the top 10 anglers apiece based on two-day total weight.