Hickory Dickory Dock, day four on the clock
Star-studded top 10 takes aim at local pro Sam Lashlee
GALLATIN, Tenn. – A picturesque morning, complete with light fog, a slight breeze and bright sunshine, greeted the pro finalists on the closing day of Wal-Mart FLW Series competition on Old Hickory Lake. While today’s serene conditions seemed postcard perfect, intense action awaits.
Once the fog burned off, bright blue skies were revealed, giving anglers conditions that they haven’t dealt with all week. Today’s takeoff temperature of 59 degrees was a far cry from the hot, sticky weather seen earlier in the week.
Leading the star-studded field is local pro and Wal-Mart BFL veteran Sam Lashlee. After sacking 17-10 yesterday, which currently stands as the heaviest stringer of the tournament, Lashlee holds a 4 1/2-pound lead over No. 2 pro Michael Brown.
“He’s going to have to stumble,” said Brown, a Rocky Face, Ga., native. “I don’t think I can catch 18 or 19 pounds, but you never know. I’m just going to pretend like it’s the first day of the tournament and go fishing.”
Brown has been using a Lucky Craft BDS2 to trigger the majority of his strikes. He’s fishing an area not too far from the marina called Station Camp Creek, which is located just off 31E.
“I’m getting my bites in 4 to 6 feet of water on long casts. I want to win, but I want to get a limit first.”
While he’s clearly a gifted angler, the Camden, Tenn., resident Lashlee has never been on a stage quite like this before. At first glance, he’s in solid position, but a look down the leaderboard reveals some of the sport’s top talent.
Sitting in third is pro Clark Wendlandt, who has quietly reasserted himself as one of the best anglers in the world. Also in the mix are veteran Woo Daves, 2004 FLW Tour Championship winner and 2006 Bassmaster Classic winner Luke Clausen, and FLW Tour stalwarts David Walker and Matt Herren.
Simply put, Lashlee’s assignment is no short order.
“Those bass don’t have names,” said Lashlee. “It doesn’t matter who is out there. It’s all about putting bass in the boat. I want to catch a limit today. I hate that I didn’t catch one on day two. I really hope that doesn’t come back to bite me.”
Today’s winner will be determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all four days.
Saturday’s conditions
Sunrise: 5:29 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 59 degrees
Expected high temperature: 83 degrees
Water temperature: 76-82 degrees
Wind: N at 10 mph
Maximum humidity: 54 percent
Day’s outlook: mostly sunny
The final weigh-in will begin at 4 p.m. Central time at the Wal-Mart store located at 1112 Nashville Pike in Gallatin. Children will be treated to the Fujifilm trout pond and rides in the Kellogg’s Ranger boat simulator beginning at noon Saturday prior to the weigh-in at Wal-Mart. All events are free and open to the public. For those who can’t watch the action in person, FLWOutdoors.com provides FLW Live, a real-time viewing application that is the next best thing to being there.