Goodwin nets historic Havasu title

Local pro wins inaugural Wal-Mart FLW Series National Guard Western Division event on Lake Havasu in dramatic fashion

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – After holding sole possession or a share of the overall pro lead for three consecutive days, Mike Goodwin found himself wondering “what if” heading back to weigh-in. After three solid days of fishing, Goodwin knew his two fish on the final day of tournament action wouldn’t be enough to capture a tournament title – not with the likes of Phil Strader, Jay Yelas, Mike Phua and Gary Dobyns within striking distance of the leaderboard.

Resigned to finishing somewhere in the top five, Goodwin could do nothing but bide his time and hope for the best.

“I really thought that 4-pound smallmouth I broke off right at the end of yesterday’s competition was really going to cost me,” said Goodwin, a local pro who hails from Lake Havasu City, Ariz. “I just knew I blew it. And coming back with only two fish today, with the quality of fishermen in this field, I didn’t think it was possible to win.”

However, as the top pros crossed the stage one by one, it was clear that Lake Havasu had regained the upper hand over the full field once again. In fact, the first six pros to weigh in only managed to bring one limit to the scales. Suddenly, for Goodwin, there was hope.

Although Randy McAbee recorded an admirable five-fish catch weighing 9 pounds, 7 ounces – the best sack weighed in during the finals – he still wasn’t a threat to Goodwin at 34 pounds, 4 ounces. Mike Phua of Chino, Calif., made his move, but his four-day total of 36 pounds, 8 ounces was only 4 pounds, 8 ounces more than Goodwin’s three-day total of 32 pounds.

Next up was Jay Yelas – a bass-fishing machine hailing from Tyler, Texas. Yelas, the most consistent angler in the tournament to date had previously turned in three consecutive totals right around the 10-pound range. However, when Yelas reached into his weigh-in bag, he only found air.

“I couldn’t get to my fishing hole today,” said Yelas, who had spent the last three days push-polling his way into a very shallow area to get to his prime fishing location. “The water just dropped too much today, and I knew I couldn’t get in.”

Yelas attempted to give it his all anyway, substituting his lightweight, G3 aluminum boat for a fiberglass one to attack the main lake. However, it was not to be.

“Because I’d fished in a different area all week, I really didn’t know what was going on in the main lake,” said Yelas, explaining his lack of fish in the finals.

While Goodwin had dodged another bullet, he knew his chief rival was still lurking in the background.

As pro Phil Strader – who ended day three tied with Goodwin – headed toward the weigh-in stage, it was obvious to Goodwin that it was now Strader’s tournament to lose. But then something very interesting happened – something all too typical for a January event on Lake Havasu – Strader came up short as well.

“The bite was different today. It was a lot tougher,” said Strader, who managed a surprisingly scant catch of two fish weighing just 3 pounds, 9 ounces. “I think the drop in water hurt me a little bit. I had a real chance today. I had seven bites, but I wound up dumping three or four good fish. And you can’t do that in a tournament of this (caliber) and expect to win.”

Finally, Goodwin was able to exhale. As he strode to the podium, Goodwin brought his two fish in plain view of the crowd. The total – 5 pounds, 13 ounces – was good enough for the win.

In fact, it was good enough to make history.

“To win this inaugural National Guard Western Division event, how can you ask for anything more,” said Goodwin, who also captured the first-place prize of $125,000 – the largest-ever bass-fishing prize in the history of the Western United States. “To win this in front of my hometown was just amazing.”

Nuts and bolts of a historic victory

Goodwin said he didn’t change tactics all week. For starters, he targeted wood habitat and old grass piles left over from the summer season in 3 to 15 feet of water. Specifically, Goodwin targeted bass using three baits: a 5/8-ounce brown jig with a purple No. 11 Uncle Josh pork trailer; a 4-inch Life-like worm in a lemonade color; and a Castaic 5-inch swimbait in a trout pattern.

“I fished really hard out there,” said Goodwin, who also won the Stren Series event on Lake Havasu back in 2004. “In tournaments this tough, you really have to stay focused on every cast.”

Looking back on this inaugural contest, Goodwin can also say that he was a part of history.

“It’s a life-changing win for me,” said Goodwin, taking a brief timeout from signing autographs. “I started with you guys in the early `80s, and I’ve stayed with you all of the way. I love FLW.”

Phua finishes in runner-up position

Although Mike Phua didn’t get the big win he wanted, he said he had no regrets – especially since he lost the title to one of his longtime friends.

“Mike and I have been friends for a long time. We were actually eating dinner together Monday night, talking about old times. I’m happy for Mike,” said Phua. “Overall, I’m grateful for everything. In this sport you have to execute, and the fish I lost yesterday really cost me this tournament. But I had a lot of fun. It just wasn’t meant to be.”

For his efforts, Phua took home nearly $50,000 in winnings.

Strader’s bite fizzles

Although Phil Strader of Glide, Ore., lost out on a chance to make history, in the end, he knew he was part of something special.

“It was just an awesome week,” said Strader, who targeted staging smallmouths all week with a prototype finesse bait. “I mean, look at this crowd out here. I fished hard all week. I just came up a little bit short.”

McAbee surges into fourth place

After turning in the best catch of the finals, pro Randy McAbee of Bakersfield, Calif., vaulted from sixth place to fourth, cashing in on a check for approximately $30,000.

“It’s just been a crazy week,” said McAbee. “And today I had seven bites and was able to get five fish in the boat. So, it was a good day for me. I’ve just had an incredible week.”

McFarland nets fifth

On the strength of a four-day catch weighing 29 pounds, 8 ounces, Eric McFarland of Meridian, Idaho, captured fifth place overall – winning a check for nearly $20,000.

“It feels great,” he said of his finish. “This week for me was all about location. I found a nice school of smallmouth bass midlake, and I went there every day. The problem was that each day my fish got smaller and harder to catch. But overall, I love Lake Havasu. I just had a great time.”

Best of the rest

Rounding out the top 10 pro finishers at the FLW Series Lake Havasu event:

6th: Jay Yelas of Tyler, Texas, 29-0

7th: Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., 28-13

8th: Gary Dobyns of Yuba City, Calif., 26-8

9th: Chris Zaldain of San Jose, Calif., 23-6

10th: Neil Russell of Nampa, Idaho, 22-11

Wal-Mart FLW Series Western Division action continues March 14-17 at the California Delta at Bethel Island, Calif.