Scrapping for 50th

Tight weights lead to ounce-for-ounce battle for the big money

DECATUR, Ala. – As day three of the Wal-Mart FLW Series BP Eastern on Wheeler Lake began this morning, so did a last-minute scramble for the 50th place cut mark where the “big money” gets paid out in the FLW Series.

Thanks to the FLW Series lucrative payouts, pros landing inside the coveted 50th place mark are guaranteed a $10,000 check for their efforts on Wheeler this week. And while the cash payouts extend on down to 75th place, those on the 50th place bubble are eyeing that 10 grand.

With weights being so tight at Wheeler that 50th place “bubble” actually encompasses a whole lot of pros.

Currently the separation between 40th and 60th – 20 places – is just 1 pound, 6 ounces. At this point culling up by just ounces at a time is huge.

Not surprisingly, a few pros began their day close to the launch site just outside the release area, trying to score those valuable ounces as fast as possible.

And it didn’t take Prilosec pro Koby Kreiger long to score a keeper and become the envy of his nearby competitors.

A few minutes later, Chevy pro Luke Clausen boxed a couple of quick keepers as well.

At the conclusion of the day-three weigh-in, only the top 10 pros will advance on to fish the final day on Saturday. For others, today will be an ounce-by-ounce scrap for 50th place.

The day three weigh-in will begin Friday at 3 p.m. at Ingalls Harbor located at 802 Wilson St. N.W. in Decatur.

Friday’s conditions

Sunrise: 6:40 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 60 degrees

Expected high temperature: 70 degrees

Water temperature: 63 degrees

Wind: SSW 10 to 20 mph

Day’s outlook: Partly cloudy and cool