Brad Paisley to perform free concert
ROGERS, Ark. – After two days of fishing Beaver Lake’s record high waters, Kellogg’s pro Clark Wendlandt of Cedar Park, Texas, emerged as the No. 1 seed heading into the $1 million Wal-Mart Open semifinals Friday. He netted the lead with a two-day, opening-round total of nine bass weighing 20 pounds.
Wendlandt has dominated the Wal-Mart Open and the Wal-Mart FLW Tour since winning his first Land O’Lakes Angler-of-the-Year title in 1997. He won the Wal-Mart Open last season and in 1999, making him the tournament’s only two time champion. In 2000, he finished 10th. He has a record 16 semifinal round appearances and currently ranks second in all-time Wal-Mart FLW Tour earnings.
Should he win the Wal-Mart Open for a third time Saturday, he will surpass Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo., as the all-time earnings leader with nearly $910,000. Wendlandt is also the tour’s only two time Angler of the Year.
Wendlandt took the lead after finishing 12th on opening day with four bass weighing 9 pounds, 9 ounces. He then landed five bass weighing 10 pounds, 7 ounces Thursday using a tube and floating worm to bolster his total weight and advance one step closer to the tournament’s $210,000 winners check.
“In 1999 when I won here, I had no idea where I was going to fish,” said Wendlandt, who, historically, has caught the majority of his bass on Beaver Lake while sight-fishing. “It’s the same thing this year. I’m just comfortable here. I go out and I don’t second-guess myself. I know what to do, and it usually works.”
As has been the case in recent years, the top 20 anglers advancing to the semifinals on Beaver Lake were separated by a relatively thin margin. Four pounds, 4 ounces separated first from 20th. Less than 5 pounds separated the top 20 last year, and in 2000, the margin was less than 9 pounds. Five anglers were within 16 ounces of making the cut Thursday.
Mark Pack of Mineola, Texas, claimed the No. 2 spot after finishing 10th on opening day. His two-day total of 10 bass weighed 19 pounds, 9 ounces. Bernie Shultz of Gainesville, Fla., climbed from 15th place to qualify third with a total of 10 bass weighing 19 pounds, 1 ounce.
Aaron Martens of Castaic, Calif., jumped from 13th place into fourth with eight bass weighing 18 pounds, 9 ounces. Day one leader Mark Rogers of Naples, Fla., rounded out the top five qualifiers with nine bass weighing 18 pounds.
Martens earned pro big bass honors and $1,250 Thursday with a 5-pound, 7-ounce largemouth, but David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn., claimed the $1,000 Snickers big bass award for the opening round’s heaviest bass with a 5-pound, 9-ounce largemouth he caught Wednesday.
Co-angler Vandy Cameron of Rogers, Ark., claimed the No. 1 spot heading into the final day of co-angler competition with a two-day total of six bass weighing 11 pounds, 7 ounces. Fred Hill of Roxboro, N.C., qualified second with five bass weighing 10 pounds, 5 ounces, and Kendall Martin of Tremont, Ill., took the No. 3 spot with six bass weighing 10 pounds. The winning co-angler will collect $40,000 cash Friday.
Cameron earned co-angler big bass honors and $750 Thursday with a 3-pound, 10-ounce bass.
A total of 595 bass weighing 959 pounds, 5 ounces were caught Thursday and more than 99 percent where released alive. If the tour maintains a 98 percent live release rate throughout the season, Energizer will donate $25,000 to the Children’s Miracle Network.
The original Wal-Mart Open field of 350 anglers included 175 pros and 175 co-anglers representing 30 states and Japan. The field was reduced to the top 20 pros and co-angler Thursday and will be cut to the top 10 pro finalists following Friday’s 5 p.m. weigh-in at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 2110 West Walnut in Rogers. Immediately following the weigh-in, country singing sensation Brad Paisley will perform a free concert.
Saturday’s final takeoff from Prairie Creek Marina in Rogers starts at 6:30 a.m. followed by a 2 p.m. weigh-in at Wal-Mart.
A Family Fun Zone in the Wal-Mart parking lot opens at 3 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday. The Fun Zone allows fishing fans a chance to meet some of the nation’s top anglers, collect autographs and receive expert fishing advice. There are also children’s games to entertain the family. Admission to the concert, Fun Zone and weigh-ins is free. Weigh-ins and a portion of the Fun Zone are housed inside a heated or air conditioned tent in case of inclement weather.