Two Exciting Events to Look Forward To
The Walmart FLW Tour and FLW Mexico prepare for their 2016 finales
We are in the last stretch of the 2016 Walmart FLW Tour. Awaiting us is the Lake Champlain tournament that starts tomorrow. A couple of things will be settled there: the pro field for the Forrest Wood Cup and the Angler of the Year.
The race for the AOY is so tight that we are all guessing who the winner might be. As a regular fisherman and co-angler looking forward to competing on the pro side soon, I see and appreciate the big effort all the Tour pros make to obtain the most points possible and win the title that recognizes the best fisherman of the year. To me, the AOY is the most complete angler in the world.
And who that is in 2016 will be determined at Lake Champlain. Though the lake is famous for its smallmouth fishery, it also has a good population of largemouths. The current leader in the race for AOY is Andy Morgan, who’s known as a largemouth-oriented fisherman. He has a slim lead over Texan Jeff Sprague. What really is relevant here is Morgan’s competitiveness and mental toughness. He’s a winner, and back-to-back AOY titles in 2013-2014 prove he has what it takes.
Another great pro in the race, Jacob Wheeler, has the versatility and the drive to push it to the limits. He’s in fourth place now, but he can turn over the game. He has great instincts and can change his approach as necessary by identifying patterns before other pros can.
Now everybody is pointing to Jeff Gustafson, currently in third, who has the ability to catch smallies because of his Canadian fishing roots and experience. So we must keep an eye on him.
Last but not least, a couple of guys I consider to be the dark horses in this race: Mark Rose and Chris Johnston. Mark (10th) is very adaptable and can figure things out quickly, which enables him to cash in on any advantage that he discovers. Chris (currently eighth) is another Canadian pro who honed his fishing skills with smallmouths and will know what to do at Champlain.
I can’t wait to participate and live this exiting climax of the 2016 season, both by fishing the tournament as a co-angler and then watching the final two days of the event unfold as a spectator.
Zimapan finale
The second event I’m really looking forward to will take place here in old Mexico. As some of you know, the last event of FLW Mexico will take place on Lake Zimapan July 2-3, and we are working hard to get everything ready before my trip to New York.
At the conclusion of this event we will crown our two teams (four anglers) who will participate in the Costa FLW Series Championship on Missouri’s Table Rock Lake this fall. Each team consists of a boater and a co-angler who will compete in their respective categories.
The best prize for our co-angler qualifiers is that they will have the chance to share a boat with some of the best fishermen in North America and learn new tricks while competing at a high level.
Like everyone else, the Mexican boaters will compete for prize money and the title. But the biggest prize for the international boaters from Canada, China, Korea and Mexico is gaining the one slot in the 2017 Forrest Wood Cup. The top-ranked boater in the tournament in the International Division will win this priceless opportunity.
The fishing is getting better
This past weekend I was at Zimapan, checking the logistics and dealing with final planning issues. I couldn’t resist the temptation and didn’t waste the chance to wet some of my favorite lures in the famous lake. There were a couple of 7- and 9-pounders caught during the weekend, though I managed to catch only a couple of 4-pounders and a 5-pounder.
The water level is very low for now. Don’t be mistaken, though, this is not a problem; the real problem for the fishermen will be if the lake suddenly begins to rise. Remember that our rainy season began several weeks ago, and we’ve had some storms pouring down a lot of water in the area. Fish will be harder to catch in high water because they tend to suspend in the water column.
Last, but not least, here at FLW Mexico we are very excited because we are honored to host a VIP guest for this event: FLW Vice President of Operations Dave Washburn. This is a person who has worked very hard and helped FLW become a true international fishing league, and someone who I proudly call a friend.
Champlain and Zimapan: thousands of miles apart, but both the centers of major FLW events. We look forward and hope these two tournaments are as intensely exciting as we expect them to be.
Adios for now. Just remember our saying, “Mi casa es tu casa.” Whenever you want to hone your fishing skills, catch big bass and enjoy great weather, please come and visit. You are always welcome.