Meet the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup contenders IV

Fifty-eight of nation’s top bass pros vie for $500,000 payday, place in history

With the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup slated for Aug. 11-14 on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Ark., the clock continues to tick toward the start of one of the most prestigious and exciting bass-fishing championships in the nation. In an effort to provide bass-fishing fans with a little more perspective and background on the competition, FLWOutdoors.com is launching a six-part series/overview of each of the 58 qualifying pros – one of whom will walk away with the title of Forrest Wood Cup champion.

With a guaranteed first-place prize of $500,000 on the line (as well as another $100,000 if the winning pro is Ranger Cup qualified), there is clearly plenty at stake at this year’s Cup. So without further ado, let’s meet the contenders.

(Editor’s note: Forrest Wood Cup competitors will be featured in alphabetical order. This is the fourth in a six-part series. Read Part I, Part II and Part III.)

Justin Lucas – Based on his West Coast track record, it was clear early on that Lucas possessed rare talent. After winning Co-angler of the Year on the FLW Series Western Division in 2007 and 2008, Lucas switched to the front of the boat in 2009. The following year he moved from Folsom, Calif., to Guntersville, Ala., to fish the FLW Tour. In 2011, he finished the FLW Tour Angler of the Year race in 21st place.

Scott Martin – Martin qualified for this year’s Cup by finishing in the top 10 of the 2010 FLW Series Eastern Division points standings race. Martin boasts 23 top-10 finishes and nearly $1.25 million in winnings since he began his career with FLW Outdoors in 1999. Martin also has three FLW Tour wins to his credit (Pascagoula River in 2000; and Lake Champlain in 2004 and 2009) as well as an FLW Series win on Lake Okeechobee in 2010. Martin, who is fishing in his 11th Forrest Wood Cup, is also the son the famous television personality Roland Martin.

Cody Meyer – This young pro has already made a name for himself as a Western standout when it comes to pro bass fishing: EverStart Western points title and third- and second-place finishes in his first two Forrest Wood Cup appearances (2009, 2010). Meyer – who hails from Grass Valley, Calif. – punched his ticket to his third straight Cup appearance in 2011 via a runner-up finish in the 2010 FLW Series Western points race. Meyer has over $409,000 in earnings and 14 top-10 finishes under his belt in FLW competition, and if he keeps up his current pace of progress at the Cup, he could be the Tour’s next champion en route to picking up his first win.

Jeff Michels – Michels paved the way to his first Cup appearance in 2011 by ending 2010 ranked among the top 10 pros fishing the FLW Series Western circuit. In addition, the Lakehead, Calif., resident has six top-10 finishes in FLW Outdoors events, including two EverStart Series wins (Lake Shasta in 2011 and Lake Mead in 2007), and over $177,000 in earnings.

Tom Monsoor – After a two-year hiatus, Monsoor returned to the FLW Tour in 2011 with a vengeance. The La Crosse, Wis., native logged three top-10s en route to a fifth-place finish in the Angler of the Year race. Known for swimming his signature jig, Monsoor has over $500,000 in career earnings to go along with six local victories on the Mississippi River.

Andy Montgomery – Montgomery will make his fifth Cup appearance in 2011 (fourth as a pro) after having earned a top-10 ranking in the 2010 FLW Series Eastern Division. The Grover, N.C., angler is an accomplished FLW pro with 18 top-10 finishes and nearly $399,000 in career earnings with FLW Outdoors. Despite all his success, he may be as hungry as anyone for the Cup title, which would mark his first FLW win.

Andy Morgan – Morgan’s 47 top-10 finishes rank second all-time in FLW Outdoors history. On the FLW Tour, he’s finished in the top 10 each of the past five seasons in the Angler of the Year race. An excellent power fisherman, Morgan’s lone FLW Tour win ironically came via finesse fishing on Beaver Lake. The Dayton, Tenn., pro has qualified for nine consecutive Forrest Wood Cups.

Jim Moynagh – The veteran Minnesota pro recently surpassed the $1 million mark in career earnings. Moynagh qualified for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup, his eighth appearance, by finishing 32nd in the FLW Tour Angler of the Year race. The highlight of his 2011 season was a 13th-place finish at the Red River, where he also captured Big Bass honors. Moynagh’s preference to fish offshore could suit him well on Lake Ouachita’s deep, clear waters.

Shawn Murphy – Murphy’s freshman campaign on the FLW Tour was simply sensational. Not only did he claim Rookie of the Year honors, he also clinched a berth in the world championship of bass fishing. Aside from the Tour, the Nicholasville, Ky., native won the Angler of the Year award in the EverStart Series Central Division back in 2009. In his career, Murphy has seven top-10 finishes.

Larry Nixon – One of the all-time greatest anglers in the history of professional bass fishing, “The General” is also one of the most beloved competitors in the entire field. With 18 top-10 finishes to his credit since the beginning of his FLW Outdoors career in 1998, Nixon also boasts three FLW Tour wins, a 2001 victory at Lake St. Clair, a 2002 title on Wheeler Lake and a 2007 first-place finish on Lake Norman. Out of his 18 top-10 finishes, a whopping 13 of those came during FLW Tour events – which is tied for eighth place all time. Nixon, who qualified for this year’s championship via the FLW Tour, comes into the Forrest Wood Cup with over $1.34 million in prize money. He is making his 12th Cup appearance. Nixon’s highest Cup finish was third place, which was recorded during the 2010 event.

Related articles

Part I

Part II

Part III

Full pro field

Full co-angler field