Clunn soars again, wins Forrest Wood Open
Earns second win in last three outings
FLORENCE, Ala. – Rick Clunn, the Wal-Mart FLW Tour’s all-time leading money winner, added $200,000 to his already impressive earnings Saturday with a win at the $1 million Forrest Wood Open on Pickwick Lake near Florence, Ala.
Clunn bested his nearest competitor, Arlie Napier of Middlesboro, Ky., by nearly 4 pounds to clinch the title, pushing his 2000 earnings to $441,800 and career FLW Tour winnings to more than $677,000. The win capped his third consecutive top-five appearance. His first top five of the season was a $200,000 win at the Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake. In addition to the cash prize, Clunn collected his second carved wooden eagle and silver Coleman lantern.
“I don’t think it will sink in for a little bit,” Clunn joked, “at least not until I get my IRS bill. Then it will hit me pretty hard, but that’s a good problem to have.”
The Ava, Mo., pro caught five bass weighing 15 pounds, 11 ounce out of Pickwick during the final round using a deep-diving crankbait. His limit included a mix of smallmouth and largemouth bass.
By winning the lucrative tournament, Clunn automatically qualifies for the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship presented by CITGO Sept. 13-16 in Shreveport, La. There, he will fish against 49 of the world’s top bass anglers for $250,000 – the richest championship prize in bass fishing series history.
Napier earned $100,000 for his second place finish in the tournament presented by Kellogg’s. He caught five bass weighing 11-14 from the BFGoodrich Tires boat. Marty Stone of Linden, N.C., placed third and collected $50,000 with two bass weighing 5-7 from the Land O’Lakes boat. David Dudley of Manteo, N.C., finished fourth and earned $35,000 with a two-bass, 5-4 stringer from the VISA USA boat.
Johnny McCombs of Morris, Ala., weighed in one bass that tipped the scales at 1-13 to win $30,000. Fishing from the Energizer boat, McCombs also earned the Energizer Keeps On Going award for the greatest comeback during the event. He fought back from 17th place on day one to make the final round.
Boasting a $4.4 million purse, the 2000 Wal-Mart FLW Tour is the most lucrative bass fishing series in history. The Forrest Wood Open, which will air July 8 on ESPN at noon EST, featured a $1 million cash purse.
Run by Operation Bass Inc., the world’s largest bass tournament organization, the FLW Tour historically maintains a 98 percent live release rate. If the FLW Tour continues the rate through 2000, BFGoodrich Tires will donate $25,000 to the Children’s Miracle Network.