Keith Pace of Monticello, Ark., won $25,000 when he was named the top co-angler at the 2002 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship. Photo by Yasutaka Ogasawara. Angler: Keith Pace.

October 31, 2002 • Rob Newell • Archives

Arkansas co-angler nets big win at Cross Lake

Keith Pace of Monticello, Ark., has been fishing the co-angler side of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour for four years. His highest finish was 10th until the FLW Tour Championship on Cross Lake, where he won the Co-angler Division.

Pace, a 31-year-old mobile-home salesman, scraped up leftovers behind three of the country’s best pros to win the $25,000 first prize. On day one, he caught two bass weighing 2 pounds, 7 ounces while fishing with 2001 Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich. On day two, he found one bass weighing 3 pounds, 3 ounces behind legendary angler and Evinrude pro Larry Nixon of Bee Branch, Ark.

Fishing with pro Mike Wurm of Hot Springs, Ark., on day three, Pace saved the best for last when he brought in the only five-bass limit weighed in by a co-angler during the whole event. His winning weight of 7 pounds, 2 ounces was caught on a green pumpkin finesse worm rigged on a 1/8-ounce jig head and tied to 17-pound-test line.

Pace, who finished eighth in the co-angler points race, is apprehensive about switching to the pro side. “I don’t know if I am ready for that yet,” he said. “I might use the money to build a nice shop for my boat and tackle.”