Fish-Off: Meyer owns Amistad

Las Vegas pro takes $25,000, East defeats West 16-14

DEL RIO, Texas – Before the tournament began, several pros questioned whether or not a 30-pound stringer would be caught this week. The general consensus was that it would likely happen once or twice – knowing Lake Amistad’s big-fish capability. But what they didn’t know was that both 30-pound-plus sacks would be caught by the same angler: Clayton Meyer.

After wowing the Del Rio, Texas, crowd on day two of the Wal-Mart FLW Series East-West Fish-Off with a 34-pound, 5-ounce catch, Meyer dropped jaws as he lifted a 12-pound kicker out of his bag on day three.

The fish anchored a 30-pound, 1-ounce limit and gave Meyer a comfortable victory over the other 59 qualifiers, including his bracket opponent, Mark Rose. He finished the tournament with 76 pounds, 11 ounces – a mind-blowing total considering he felt extremely ill early in the week and only weighed 12-5 on day one.

“I literally thought about going home,” Meyer said. “I’ve never had such a pain in my throat in my life.”

Meyer wisely decided to gut it out, and his week improved quickly. After trailing Rose by nearly 14 pounds after day one, the winner of the 2005 Stren Western event on Lake Havasu had turned the tides by the end of Friday’s weigh-in.

“I caught nearly everything on a jig this week. On day one, I used a 3/4-ounce because the wind blew so hard. Yesterday and today I used a 5/8-ounce.”

Both jigs were made by Phoenix custom baits and were of the football-head variety. The body of the jigs were brown in color and the heads were copper. He pilfered them from his friend and roommate, National Guard pro Tim Klinger. Ironically, Klinger nearly threw out his shoulder by tossing a swimbait all week. To make things worse, Klinger caught only 20 pounds, 3 ounces over three days while Meyer effortlessly fished the jig. He tipped them with a single-tail Yamamoto grub in green-pumpkin color. His fish came from one large area located roughly three miles east of the East Diablo ramp on the U.S. side of the lake. Meyer said the spot can best be described as “a point in front of a cove.” He presented his jig, the exact same jig he used at Havasu, in water 20 feet or less.

“There were no boats anywhere near me. I couldn’t identify a single angler all week. They were staging to spawn. In a week or two, they will be in that cove spawning. That 12-pounder will be 15 pounds with eggs in it.”

On the final day of competition, Meyer caught 12 keepers and was done fishing at 10:15 a.m. when he got the 12-pounder in the boat. To illustrate how good the fishing was, he estimates he had 17 pounds in his livewell within the first 30 minutes.

While others fished trees and hydrilla, the Las Vegas auto shop manager looked for openings on the point. There was cover all around, but he wasn’t keying on it.

“I hated dragging through all that brush. I like fishing faster even if I’m fishing a jig. I love that jig; it’s all I ever make my money on.”

Meyer said his second career victory with FLW Outdoors was special.

“It feels pretty good considering they’re only paying one place, especially considering what I did on day one. This makes up for Clear Lake. I was leading the points race coming up to that tournament, and I finished 121st.”

Russell’s consistency not enough

For the third consecutive day, Neil Russell demonstrated the kind of consistency needed to win a major tournament from the front of the boat. But on a trophy fishery such as Amistad, consistency isn’t always enough.

Although he handily defeated his BP Eastern Division opponent, Snickers pro Chris Baumgardner, Russell fell short of $25,000 by 9 pounds. After catching 21-4 Saturday, the National Guard Western Division pro finished with a three-day total of 67 pounds, 7 ounces. He’ll have his shot at $1 million in August, however, at the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup.

“I was fishing the main lake, just before the mouth of the Devils River,” said the Nampa, Idaho, pro, who finished third at the 2007 FLW Series Western Division event on the Columbia River. “It was in the back of a bay, about seven or eight miles from here.”

Like many others, Russell dragged a 3/4-ounce Strike King football-head jig. He also used a 1-ounce Carolina rig with kudzu-colored Zoom Brush Hog. Both baits were presented in 15 to 28 feet of water. His primary area was adjacent to a spawning flat, which is why it had the ability to replenish. On day three, Russell also mixed in a 10-inch Huddleston swimbait. He caught his biggest bass of the day, an 8-pounder, on it as well as a 5-pounder.

“It was the first time in my life I ever threw one, and I couldn’t believe how heavy it was.

“This was phenomenal. I was really intimidated at first by the caliber of anglers. The opportunity to qualify for the championship as a Western angler is just awesome.”

Lefebre learns a new trick

The latest fisherman to fall for the swimbait craze is Kellogg’s pro Dave Lefebre, the highest-finishing competitor from the Eastern Division. The Union City, Pa., angler used the plastic fish en route to a 19-pound, 13-ounce final day and a total weight of 64 pounds, 12 ounces. That was more than enough to defeat Western pro Rusty Salewske, who caught 47-8.

“It’s a shame for Rusty; he had a good tournament and he beat a lot of people, but that’s the format,” Lefebre said.

The 2006 FLW Series Angler of the Year is excited to be prequalified to fish the Forrest Wood Cup.

“This is the second time in my five-year career that I’ve had no pressure going into the (FLW) Tour season, so I know how much it helps.”

To catch his fish, the FLW Tour champion used a 6-inch brown-and-orange swimbait, a Tabu football-head jig and a Kinami Flash, which he rigged wacky style. Lefebre estimates that 10 fish came on the swimbait throughout the week, including the vast majority of his big bites.

“I just practiced and adjusted the whole tournament, and that’s the key to prespawn fishing. This one was so much fun. When you’re doing this to feed your family, sometimes you forget just how much fun it can be.”

Ehrler climbs to fourth

Finishing fourth in total weight was National Guard pro Brent Ehrler. The Redlands, Calif., native defeated Michigan pro Art Ferguson III by over 20 pounds with a three-day cumulative weight of 59 pounds, 8 ounces. His catch Saturday weighed 19 pounds, 9 ounces.

“To start the season off already qualified is an awesome feeling,” said Ehrler, who won the 2005 Forrest Wood Cup. “Instead of just trying to get a limit of fish, maybe I could go for the win.”

Ehrler caught most of his bass on the new Berkley hollow-belly swimbait, which is 5 inches long and shad colored. He also threw a 3/4-ounce Pepper football-head jig with a full-sized Berkley Chigger Craw. Living up to its reputation, the swimbait produced the bigger fish.

“My swimbait fish came in 10 to 12 feet of water, and my jig fish came in 20 to 35 feet.”

His best spot was located on the Mexico side of the main lake.

Wick holds off Herren, finishes fifth overall

The timing was right for Ken Wick in his victory over Trussville, Ala., pro Matt Herren. One day in practice, Herren reportedly caught a 40-pound limit. On day three he came after Wick, guns blazing, but it wasn’t enough. After catching 14 pounds, 8 ounces on day three, the Star, Idaho, pro finished with 58 pounds, 4 ounces and defeated Herren by 11 pounds.

Herren, a renowned jig fisherman and the winner of the 2007 FLW Series event on Lake Dardanelle, caught 22-14 on day three and lost several key fish that could have made things very interesting.

Wick, who finished fourth at the 2007 FLW Tour event on the Potomac River, caught his fish by hopping a 1/2-ounce green-pumpkin jig down a bluff. His bait started in 10 feet of water, and he would work it down to 40 feet. On day three he caught two fish on a swimbait in 10 feet of water.

“I actually saw the fish hit the bait,” he said. “I didn’t see the fish cruising, but I know they’re getting shallower.”

Tournament notes

Overall, the Eastern Division qualified more anglers for the Cup, but the West had far more anglers near the top of the leaderboard. For more bracket racket, see Quick Bites. For the complete pro standings, click here.

The next FLW Series event is slated for March 12-15 as the Western Division kicks off its 2008 season on the California Delta. The next Eastern Division event will be held March 26-29 on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala.