Greer wins Co-Angler Division title on Lake St. Clair

Kelly Greer of Green Forest, Ark., shows off his trophy after winning the Co-Angler Division at the FLW tour event on Lake St. Clair. Greer, who turned in a catch of 11 pounds, 8 ounces, won $40,000 for his efforts. Photo by Gary Mortenson. Angler: Kelly Greer.

June 22, 2001 • Gary Mortenson • Archives

Arkansas native catches the only five-fish limit during co-angler finals

DETROIT – Kelly Greer wasn’t even sure he was going to fish in the 2001 Forrest Wood Open on Lake St. Clair until a week before the tournament. Luckily for the Greer, he put aside worries about making the 16-hour drive and leaving his family behind. Otherwise, the native of Green Forest, Ark., wouldn’t have been able to hoist the winner’s trophy or receive a first-place check for $40,000.

“I didn’t even know I was going to come here until the very last minute,” said Greer, sporting a smile as wide as his newly swollen wallet. “I didn’t even see the lake until Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning was the first day I had ever really fished Lake St. Clair. It was definitely worth the trip.”

Fishing in only his second FLW tournament of his career, Greer used a combination of Carolina rigs, flukes and tube baits to secure victory.

“I don’t know if it has really sunk in yet. My family doesn’t even know I won,” said Greer, who used an 11-pound, 8-ounce catch to secure victory. “Overall, it feels really good. I’m sure I’ll realize how much of an accomplishment it is on the drive home. I’ll have a lot of time to think about it.”

Michael Brown of Chatsworth, Ga., finished in second place after recording a 10-pound catch. However, Brown acknowledged that would have finished near the bottom of the heap in the finals had it not been for one very opportune bite.

“I caught my last fish with only 20 minutes left to go in the tournament,” said Brown. “Obviously, that helped me out a lot.”

Brown, who received a check for $20,000 for his finish, said he was pleased with his overall performance.

“I had a really great day today,” said Brown, who caught the majority of his fish on jerkbaits. “If I had finished in 10th place today, I still would have had a great week.”

John Jacobs of Birmingham, Ala., captured third place after netting a final-day catch weighing 8 pounds, 3 ounces.

“I’ve had some of the best days of my life,” said Jacobs, who took home $10,000 in prize money.

George Polosky of Alliance, Ohio, finished in fourth place with a catch of 6 pounds, 3 ounces. Polosky, who took home $8,000 for his efforts, said he had a great time on Lake St. Clair as well.

“It was a great day. I had a lot of fun,” he said. “The first two days I fished with two great pros and that’s the reason I’m here right now. I had a great pro today – he did a super job – but we just didn’t get as many bites as we would have liked.”

Day-two leader James Shockey of Wellington, Fla., used a 3-pound, 9-ounce catch to grab fifth place and a check for $7,000.

The best of the rest

Armil Morgan of Mineral Springs, Ark., finished in sixth place with a catch of 3 pounds, 5 ounces. James Green of Lincoln, Ala., came in seventh place with a catch of 1 pound, 14 ounces.

Tommy Gaffney (eighth) of Little Switzerland, N.C., Wesley Burnett (ninth) of Hot Springs, Ark., and Rick Parnell (tenth) of Casselberry, Fla., all failed to weigh-in a fish. Their final-day rankings came as a result of tie-breaking procedures that awards overall performance on the first two days of competition.

Burnett also landed the 2001 Eagle Co-Angler of the Year award, a brand new Ranger boat and priority entry in the Pro Division during the 2002 FLW tournament season.

“I’ve had a blessed year,” said Burnett, who used a stirring performance on Lake St. Clair this week to wrap up the season-ending title. “Since I was 9 years old, I’ve been dreaming of accomplishing something like this. It really feels good.”

Pro competition resumes at 6 a.m. at the Metro Beach Metropark in Mt. Clemens, Mich., followed by a 3:30 p.m. weigh-in at the Wal-Mart SuperCenter on Van Dyke Ave. in Warren, Mich. A Family Fun Zone featuring fishing seminars, free product samples, interactive displays and children’s games will open in the Wal-Mart parking lot starting at 11 a.m.