Pro Picks: Lake Toho

Tournament site

The FLW Tour is returning to Lake Tohopekaliga, commonly known as Lake Toho, for the first time since 1998. By most accounts, the lake has changed considerably since then. Last year, officials scraped dead vegetation off the lake bottom, eliminating many of the locals’ old secret honey holes. However, the shallow lake – the site of Dean Rojas’ world-record five-bass catch in 2001 – still holds some mighty big Florida bass. With the weather leaning toward prime spawning conditions, look for the sight-fishermen to play big roles during the tournament. On the other hand, if the water stays cool during the week and the fish don’t move up, look for pros fishing secondary patterns to do well. Also a factor: The anglers will be able to lock down to Kissimmee, Hatchineha and Cypress lakes, which have more grass than Toho and will make the flippers feel right at home.

Hot picks

The pros have a variety of favorites. Coming in with three picks apiece, their top choices are David Dudley, Dave Lefebre, Clark Wendlandt and David Walker. In a strange coincidence, all of those except Walker also happen to be pundits for this column. Hmm. Also garnering multiple votes are Brent Chapman, Alton Jones and Dean Rojas, who each earned two.

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Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop No. 2

Lake Tohopekaliga, Kissimmee, Fla.

Feb. 9-12

Randy Blaukat FLW pro Lamar, Mo. Record: 1-0 Points: 723	VS.	Carl Svebek FLW pro Siloam Springs, Ark. Record: 1-0 Points: 664
1) AARON MARTENS .Martens, like all of my picks for Toho, fished the BASS event here in January. I feel that experience will show this week. Aaron has a superior understanding of spawn-related events and, if the weather is fairly stable, I think bedding fish – visible or invisible – will be a big factor. I look to see Aaron with a big sack one day. 2) DION HIBDON .Dion has suffered through two horrible tournaments the past few weeks, which is why he is one of my picks. He is just too good an angler for this to continue. What he learned last week and his knowledge of spring fishing should snap him out of this slump. 3) RANDY BLAUKAT .Despite a poor showing at the BASS Toho event, I was fishing much of the same water as the leaders. I feel that some adjustments gleaned from what I learned that week will help me a lot this week. I’ve seen how the fish move and how the water changes with wind, among other factors, and I will be looking forward to another shot here. 4) TOMMY BIFFLE .Biffle is another angler who struggled through Toho last month, but this lake is set up for his type of fishing. Being the veteran he his, I think he will be another one who will make some subtle adjustments from that week and stage a big comeback. Toho is a flipping lake and Biffle has nothing in his Ranger besides flipping sticks. He can go only so long before he finds them. 5) BRENT CHAPMAN .With a young baby and one on the way, Brent not only has a lot of motivation to do well but is also one of my choices for the top five anglers in the world. Despite a slow BASS event last month, I think Chapman will turn some heads at the FLW weigh-in. He is a master of covering water and fishing intuitively, which is a big key to doing well at Toho. He is also my pick for 2005 FLW Angler of the Year.		1) CLARK WENDLANDT .Clark didn’t have his finest hour at Okeechobee, and I know how a bad tournament motivates him. He’s out for blood now and the fish on Toho are going to pay. Look for him at the top of the board. 2) DEAN ROJAS .A West Coast, big-lake man turned East Coast king. Dean’s become a legend on Toho and seems to have the fish here figured out. He’s already issued his threats and has the skill and know-how to make good on the promises. He wants that first-place finish, but I’ve got him ranked behind Clark because I know how determined Wendlandt is. 3) MIKE SURMAN .Always one of my favorites. He’s put his time in on this lake, has done his homework, and, being from Florida, this kind of fishing fits his style. Look for Mike to be real low-key and quiet about what he’s doing, but he’ll end up making noise in the top 10. 4) DAN MOREHEAD .Okeechobee has been tough on Dan the past two years. I’m thinking he has the same mindset as Wendlandt right now: He wants some satisfaction and Toho is the place to get it. With two wins on tour and at least a half-dozen top-10s, he knows what it takes. He’s probably mad enough at the fish to let `em have it and run away with this one. 5) BOBBY CURTIS .Got to go with my hometown favorite. He had his first taste of big Florida bass with that massive 11-pounder at Okeechobee. I have to believe that he’ll keep that momentum going into Toho.

Clark Wendlandt FLW pro Cedar Park, Texas Record: 1-0 Points: 691	VS.	Mark Zona EverStart pro Sturgis, Mich. Record: 0-1 Points: 708
1) DAVE LEFEBRE .Looking for an Angler of the Year title, he will do well here. 2) CLARK WENDLANDT .I have never been in a bigger funk after a tournament than after Okeechobee. I am looking forward to this tournament more than any other in a long time. 3) ALTON JONES .Alton also had a rough tournament at Okeechobee. Look for a big comeback at Toho. 4) ANTHONY GAGLIARDI .A great young fisherman who is gaining confidence with every tournament. 5) KELLY JORDON .Last month’s win could be the start of a big roll.		1) DAVID DUDLEY .Come on, Moneybags, go get some loot. This could turn into a spawn fest and Dudley will dominate. 2) DEAN ROJAS .He’s catching them everywhere. I think he caught, like, a thousand pounds here a few years ago. 3) DAVID WALKER .Quickly turning into the guy I pick every tournament. Did you hear that, Clark? 4) DAVE LEFEBRE .I’m busting out some northern exposure on this one. Having been in Florida for a month, he’s going to know what’s up. 5) BRENT CHAPMAN .Knick, knack, paddy whack, I’ll take the Chapman attack. I’m almost as bad as Newell.

David Dudley FLW pro Lynchburg, Va. Record: 0-1 Points: 683	VS.	Dave Lefebre FLW pro Erie, Pa. Record: 0-1 Points: 650
1) ANDY MORGAN .This Tennessee-country-accent-talking flipping machine will take his flipping stick all the way to the to the gold at the end of the Toho rainbow. 2) CODY BIRD .Very talented at sight-fishing and fishing grass. This bowlegged, ex-professional rodeo rider will take this bull called Toho the full eight seconds. 3) DAVID WALKER .Mr. Walker is just a flat-out skilled fisherman. I usually don’t mind fishing behind people, but I would have to reconsider fishing behind Walker. He is just a vacuum cleaner. 4) ALTON JONES .He’s a threat no matter where he is, but I feel that he’ll really come through big at Toho since there will be sight-fishing and good water. 5) DAVID DUDLEY .I liked it when I fished it last month, and I hope to see some more fish on bed when I get back. I’ll have my sunglasses on and flipping stick in hand.		1) DAVID WALKER .He’s hungry for a win and is on some good flipping fish. I think he’ll camp in the same area where he caught them last week and the bigger fish will bite for him. 2) CLARK WENDLANDT .Not using Clark as my gut pick at the Big O cost me 70 points. In order to have a shot at his third AOY title, Clean Shoes will have to win all of the remaining tournaments. Could it be possible? I think he’ll raise all of our eyebrows at Toho. The best rarely have two bad ones in a row. 3) GLENN BROWNE .He let me down at the Big O, but he’s excited to get it on at Toho. He fishes here a lot and will use his local knowledge to his advantage. He will do well, especially if the fishing stays tough. 4) DAVID DUDLEY .By doing well, Dave will help me beat him in our head-to-head matchup. The weather is gradually getting better and should play right into his hands. After a strong showing last week, I predict that Thumper will thump them on Toho. 5) DAVE LEFEBRE .Gut pick. Somehow, it turned out that I was my best pick at Okeechobee. Go figure. I’m excited about the sight-fishing possibilities on Toho, not to mention my wife had a dream that I was going to win. That’s good enough for me.

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