Tour Talk
Lewis Smith, AOY, Zack Birge, and more...
We’re fresh off stop No. 2 of the 2015 Walmart FLW Tour season on Smith Lake, and there’s plenty to talk about in this installment of FLW’s Tour Talk, where our pundits weigh in on what’s happening along the Tour trail.
For starters, pros have taught us more than one interesting lesson about the spawn. New stars are rising in the professional ranks, while several veterans have shown that they’ve still got the chops to compete at a high level. And the Angler of the Year frontrunners are off to a fast pace in hopes of winning the $100,000 top prize that goes along with the prestige of being 2015’s best.
For this installment, FLW Associate Editor Jody White, Senior Editor Kyle Wood and Managing Editor Curtis Niedermier are joined by Quaker State pro Matt Arey, as they break down the top stories to date for 2015.
1. At Lewis Smith, we saw anglers catch spots and largemouths that were on beds or getting ready to be on beds, even on days when the air temperature was at or below the freezing point in the morning. What was the most interesting lesson you learned about the spawn at this tournament?
Jody White – This is more technical, but watching Scott Martin pick away at some bedding fish on the final day was very instructive for me. He used a white Zoom Speed Craw the entire time. I typically change up baits a lot when I’m bed-fishing, but Martin didn’t even think about it. I’m not sure that I’ll start bed-fishing with only one rod on the deck, but I’m definitely going to try and consider other factors more. I think a bait change might make up for a presentation flaw more than it helps on its own. Martin is an expert when it comes to picking them off beds – he was probably picking up on the “spot on a spot” and what aggravated the fish very quickly. Thus, he didn’t need to waste time flipping 20 things at them – he could just dial in one bait perfectly.
Curtis Niedermier – This tournament reinforces two things: We don’t know as much about the spawn as we think, and when bass are ready to spawn they’re going to do it even if conditions aren’t “ideal.” According to the textbooks, the cold spell we experienced at Smith should’ve knocked the spawn for a loop, but guys were catching fish they could see right after takeoff when the air temperature was in the 30s. That didn’t happen a lot, but it did happen. I’m also amazed at how unique the spawn is in each fishery. They say a bass is a bass, but genetic variances and the complexities of each fishery seem to influence the spawn as much as water temperature.
Kyle Wood – When it’s time, it’s time. I’ve never seen such a perfect combination of water temperature and the biological clock of a bass lined up in a way that, despite 4- to 6-degree drops in water temperature overnight, fish still stayed locked on their beds. It was crazy seeing guys sight-fishing in the morning with frost on the decks of their boats.
Quaker State pro Matt Arey – I had seen it before, but seeing it again just reemphasized the fact that once the bass are committed to spawning they are coming regardless of temperature. I have even witnessed in several cases fish spawning in water temps as low as 55 degrees.
2.Wesley Strader is leading the AOY race and is one point ahead of Luke Clausen and two points ahead of Zack Birge. Chickamauga is on the schedule. It’s Strader’s home lake, and he usually does well there. It’s early, but considering Chickamauga and the other stops on the schedule, how do you like his chances of winning the title? If not him, who’s your favorite at this point?
JW – We had Strader on the most recent episode of the FLW Podcast, and he basically picked Andy Morgan. Honestly, I’m inclined to disagree. Scott “Hammerbury” Canterbury was my back-up pick before the season started, and I like his chances to hang on at Chickamauga and excel at Eufaula and the Potomac. That said, this should be an amazing AOY race – Morgan is lurking, Strader is definitely capable and the rest of the top 20 is stacked.
CN – My top three picks to start the season, in order, were Bryan Thrift, Scott Martin and Stetson Blaylock. They’re currently in 10th, 13th and 18th. I don’t think I can give up on those picks just yet, but I’m starting to favor Martin. I just think he’s in a really good position right now. He’s fished Beaver Lake a ton, should be able to sniff out a bite at Eufaula where multiple patterns will be in play, has come a long way in the ledge game that’ll be important at Chick and is a favorite on the Potomac. That’s my analytical side talking. As a fan, I’m rooting for Wesley. He’s a great, grounded dude who never takes himself too seriously and is long overdue for a major title. And don’t overlook guest “Tour Talker” Matt Arey, currently in 17th place.
KW – I’d say that with the way Strader’s season has started he has set a good pace to make a run at the title. Strader is not only great at fishing up shallow, he’s also no slouch if he has to fish a ledge like he might at Eufaula or Chick. The guy is also really good at finding fish away from the crowd (how he made the top 10 last time on Chick), which I think only helps his odds of taking the AOY title. The other lakes – Potomac and Beaver – set up really well for him. So on paper he’s a good bet to win the AOY title.
MA – If I was a betting man my money would stay with Strader for the AOY title for two reasons: experience and versatility. Versatility is the single most important factor in winning the AOY.
3. Zack Birge is apparently a 20-something phenom. He’s knifing up the various tournament circuits he fishes, and dating back to last fall has collected a Rayovac FLW Series Championship win, a BFL win and a top 10 in each of his first two events on Tour. Two questions: How good is this kid, and what’s he doing to have so much success so soon?
JW – There’s nobody I’m more excited to follow the rest of the season than Birge. The kid can catch ’em. He’s in contention for the AOY, seems to have the ROY locked up and shows no signs of slowing down. I don’t know how you could chalk up his recent success on Tour to luck – you don’t beat that many studs two events running by luck. I’m not sure he’s going to win an Angler of the Year title in the next two years, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see him win an event in that timeframe.
He’s having a lot of success quickly, but I think it is important to note that he didn’t jump straight to the Tour after college. He’s worked his way up via the BFL and Rayovac FLW Series. Either way, Birge is doing it because he’s wicked good, not because he has discovered any silver bullet.
CN – I’m not sure how qualified I am to answer this one because I haven’t had the chance to watch Birge fish in person or to really get to know him. My observations at this point are that he’s very shy, very capable and has a lot of potential, but that he’s also a tough one to read. Before the final day at Smith, I couldn’t really figure out his emotion. Was he nervous? Confident? Also, Smith was a tough break. Did he miss something on day four? Did he gamble by not having a spotted bass back-up plan? I’m not sure, but I do think his rise is a great story, and I absolutely want to learn more.
KW – Birge has already proved that he is a straight-up good stick. He has pure natural fishing ability, which is one reason he has been able to find fish on lakes he has never been to before. The other part of the equation for Birge is that he has been able to fish techniques and patterns that he is used to doing back in Oklahoma. When a guy can be confident and comfortable it has proven to be a dynamite mix for success on Tour.
MA – The kid is good, no doubt, and momentum plays a huge role in our success as tournament anglers. He is on the train and will ride it as long as he is able. It's still a bit early to see his versatility, as most of his success has been through shallow-water power fishing (I assume that’s his strong suit and where he’s most confident). The future is definitely bright for Birge, and I wish him the best.
4. We’re two tournaments in on the 2015 Tour season. What’s the most interesting technique and/or lure that you’ve seen in action thus far?
JW – Without a doubt it was the topwater deal going on at Smith. A bunch of guys in the top 20 used a variety of frogs, walkers, buzzbaits and wake baits to catch them. I was pretty shocked by how willing the fish were to hit the surface in the cold conditions we had the last two days. It seems like 55 degrees has always been held as the water temperature starting point for a topwater bite, and it really held true despite the weather overhead not really jiving with that.
CN – JT Kenney’s pattern on the first two days at Toho was impressive. The spawn is so fickle (see question No. 1), yet he was absolutely dialed in on just the right clusters of lily pads. He even had a refined waypoint system and an emergency plan for the third day when the weather changed. Of course, Kenney almost lost a massive lead the final day and won by only 11 ounces. Then at Smith, Birge dropped a comfortable lead on day four. Both stuck to their game plans throughout. Birge got burnt; Kenney barely survived. That lesson is very interesting too.
KW – Bed-fishing for deep spots has to be the most interesting thing I’ve seen. It’s just something that doesn’t get talked about too often, and you hardly see it in a major tournament. I’m familiar with smallmouths bedding in 8 to 20 feet of water, but it was cool to see guys doing it for spots.
MA – In all honesty nothing has really jumped out at me as new or unusual on the lure side of things. As far as techniques, I would say Lefebre actually closing out Smith in the manner he did, with the wake bait playing such a major role the last day, was most interesting. Also, the fact that he would play a hooked fish longer than usual in hopes that a larger follower might grab the bait and he could land both of them was an impressive move on his part, because with the deficit he had to make up the last day he knew he had nothing to lose. It took a lot of discipline to do that. Don't let this go to your head, Dave, but VERY impressive! 😉
5. Clark Wendlandt and Stacey King have both made dramatic returns to the Tour with top-10 finishes after seasons in which they had to withdraw due to health issues. What’s it mean to the sport to have them back, and can we now assume that fishing has restorative healing powers?
JW – First off, we already knew that fishing had restorative powers. It’s just a joy to have King and Wendlandt back and fishing well (King will likely contend at Beaver). Though we’ll talk plenty about how exciting young guns like Zack Birge are, watching Wendlandt and King (legends of the sport) catch ’em is an undeniable pleasure.
CN – The only thing fishing doesn’t heal is a bad case of bass thumb. It’ll make your thumb worse. I’m thrilled that King and Wendlandt are back. Watching King hoist giants on the stage at Toho was amazing. What a great, humble guy. Wendlandt was winning AOY titles when I started at FLW eight years ago, but he kind of went quiet sometime in the last few years. All that’s behind him, and I hope his health issues are behind him too. The FLW Tour is a better circuit when he’s in contention for AOY.
KW – It is a huge deal to have these two icons of the sport back in the swing of things. I’ve looked up to both King and Wendlandt since I was young, and to watch these guys compete after such major health issues is awesome. There’s no doubt they’re making a strong case that fishing is a type of healing therapy. I mean, it might not fly with your boss if you ask for a sick day to hit the lake, but fishing absolutely is the type of therapy that the body needs when recovering from an illness.
MA – First off, it's great to have both of them back on Tour this season and to see their recent success. They’re two of the nicest guys you will ever meet and great representatives for the sport of professional bass fishing. Fishing is a sport that is not only good for the mind, but the body for sure. The 13- to 14-hour days on the water during practice, followed by a three- to four-day event, is a better workout than most would imagine.