Up until today, veteran pundit Rob Newell had established a solid roster for Table Rock Lake consisting of a mix of Ozark anglers and FLW Tour sticks like Dave Lefebre, Michael Bennett and Clark Wendlandt.
But at the 11th hour Newell made an interesting switch-a-roo that included pulling Lefebre, Bennett and Larry Nixon and replacing them with Ott Defoe, Jeremiah Kindy and Robbie Dodson. Among these three, Dodson is the angler making the most noise. Until recently, I was the only pundit with Dodson on my list. In fact, I have the Harrison, Ark., pro winning the tournament and I’m more confident now than ever before.
Believe me, this has nothing to do with Newell joining the Dodson party. Per usual, he’s late. But in this case, late is better than never. Why? Because the forecasted cold front will play right into Dodson’s hands. These Table Rock locals want the coldest weather possible so that the active fish retreat from the shallows. Rather than being in 5 feet of water, these fish will likely position themselves in the 10- to 14-foot range suspended along points and channel swings.
A few weeks ago, Dodson had garnered hardly any votes in the Fantasy Trend. With one day left before the tournament commences, 26 percent of all Player’s Advantage members have him on their roster and overall he’s the 11th most popular pick. That’s a pretty impressive climb for a guy that’s fished only one FLW Tour event in his career. That number will surely continue to rise just like Randall Tharp did hours before the Guntersville deadline.
Pick Dodson, but don’t take Newell’s word for it – remember where you first heard the name. Unless of course he falters, then blame it on Newell.