Championship Bites: FLW Logan Martin Lake, Day 1
Big guns struggle, Clausen and Schenck steal the show, most head-to-head matchups too close to call, and 2003 FLW Tour champion has ‘worst day’ ever
Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship
Logan Martin Lake, Birmingham, Ala.
Opening round, Wednesday
Top dogs in trouble … While everyone knew upsets were possible heading into the opening round of FLW Championship competition, few could have predicted just how well the lower-seeded anglers would perform on the first day of tournament action. When all was said and done, top-seeded pro Shinichi Fukae, second-seeded pro Greg Hackney, two-time FLW Angler of the Year Clark Wendlandt, 2003 Angler of the Year Dan Morehead, 2003 FLW Tour champion David Dudley, pre-tournament favorite Aaron Martens and 2004 Bassmaster champion Takahiro Omori all found themselves behind the eight ball heading into Thursday’s crucial contest. While all of the aforementioned pros are certainly not out of it, many found themselves in the uncharacteristic position of fighting for their fishing lives. “This is the worst day of fishing I’ve had in nine years,” said Dudley, who seemed the most taken aback of the group after his 3-pound, 12-ounce performance in today’s competition. “I have an area where I can catch 4- and 5-pounders, but I was really hoping to save that area for later on. But now, I have no choice but to go there tomorrow.” Fukae acknowledged that he lost some good fish after breaking two lines and insisted that he had to be “perfect” in tomorrow’s competition to get back into it. Morehead admitted that he was “a little bit disappointed” and that “things changed and I didn’t change with them. But it’s by no means over.” Omori, trying to use the momentum of his Classic win, was more introspective. “Every day I get to fish is a good day,” he said. “I’ll do the best I can and try to catch five big ones tomorrow.” If not, Omori and the other heavyweights will have to start thinking about what could have been.
Clash of the titans … When Luke Clausen and Shad Schenck approached the scales as the final two anglers to weigh in for the day, the largest weight total at the time was an unexpectedly modest 12 pounds, 15 ounces. However, it quickly became apparent that Clausen and Schenck had taken their game to a new level. After Schenck recorded an impressive 13 pounds, 14 ounces, it appeared as though the angler from Waynetown, Ind., would have a relative cakewalk to the next round. But not so fast. Clausen, a relative newcomer on the tour, was not to be outdone. In the blink of an eye, Clausen produced a 14-pound, 4-ounce limit – the largest of the day. If either angler had faced off against anyone else, they’d be the odds-on favorite to advance. But such is life in the unpredictable head-to-head, bracket-style format.
Far from over … Just how close was today’s competition in most head-to-head matchups? By the time the final weights were recorded in today’s competition, 15 brackets (and 30 anglers) were separated by less than 3 pounds. And only four anglers out of the entire field of 48 were separated by more than 4 pounds, 7 ounces. The result, not surprisingly, means that the entire championship is still very much in the air.
Quick numbers:
16: Number of anglers separated by less than 15 ounces.
14-4: Weight, in pounds and ounces, of largest stringer of the first day of championship competition.
13: The total number of higher seeded anglers (out of a possible 24) who are currently losing to their lower seeded rivals.
4: Total number of anglers separated by more than 5 pounds.
1-6: The total weight, in pounds and ounces, of Koby Krieger’s two-fish stringer in today’s competition.
Sound bites:
“It’s like hooking the butt end of a freight train.”
– FLW pro Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tenn., describing what it’s like to catch the ultra-aggressive spotted bass native to the Coosa River chain.
“I love this (bracket-style) format. It really adds a little spice.”
– FLW Tour veteran Dean Rojas of Grand Saline, Texas, discussing his take on the NCAA-style championship format.
“I feel like I was born again right there. I really needed some help today.”
– FLW Tour pro Clark Wendlandt of Cedar Park, Texas, immediately after discovering that his head-to-head rival, Dennis Mogoto, barely beat his paltry 5-pound, 3-ounce stringer.
“It’s a dogfight.”
– FLW Tour pro Kevin Vida of Clare, Mich., on his difficult battle with rival Ray Scheide of Russellville, Ark. Scheide finished the day a mere 8 ounces ahead.
FLW action continues at tomorrow’s takeoff, scheduled to take place at 7 a.m. Central time at Pell City Lakeside Park Marina, located at 2801 Stemley Bridge Road in Pell City, Ala.