Minderman builds on Lake Mead lead
Leon snags top spot in Co-angler Division during second day of Wal-Mart FLW Series Western Division competition
HENDERSON, Nev. – Every angler will tell you that consistency is one of the keys to becoming a successful tournament angler. However, on Lake Mead, consistency is not merely a luxury, it is an absolute necessity. Case in point: Sean Minderman. Although Minderman only recorded an 11-pound, 12-ounce sack in today’s competition, he bolstered his lead from a mere 4 ounces to more than 4 pounds in the span of 24 hours.
The reason for Minderman’s Lake Mead success is simple – the Spokane, Wash., native was the only pro to record double-digit stringers for two consecutive days. Unlike other FLW Series Western Division venues like Clear Lake and the California Delta, a double-digit stringer here means everything.
“It does feel really good – especially given that I was able to build up my lead,” said Minderman, who recorded a 13-pound, 9-ounce stringer on the first day of Lake Mead competition. “It was a struggle for me today. The fishing is starting to get tougher and tougher but I still like fishing here.”
Although the intense winds that dominated day one died down dramatically today, the big bite appeared to tail off for the majority of the field. As a result, Minderman was able to capitalize, recording a two-day total of 25 pounds, 5 ounces – good enough for an amazing 4-pound, 3-ounce lead at the halfway point of the tournament.
“I’m hanging out where there are still a couple of big fish,” said Minderman, who is making 45-mile one-way run each day. “There were a lot more boats in my area today and the fish were a little more skittish. And without that wind, the bite was a lot slower. But I feel really good about how each day has gone the last two days.”
Minderman, who is targeting fish in cuts and channels in depths ranging from 3 to 15 feet, said he doesn’t plan on changing much during tomorrow’s competition.
“I’m going to commit myself to pretty much the same thing tomorrow,” said Minderman. “But it’s very important to conserve your water as much as possible. And it’s (necessary) to include some new water each day if possible. But if things go right tomorrow, I think I can catch about 12 pounds again.”
If Minderman does manage to land 12 pounds again after tomorrow’s competition, it’s pretty clear that the rest of the field will be battling for second place.
Hickey nails down second place
Jason Hickey of Weiser, Idaho, parlayed a two-day catch of 21 pounds, 2 ounces in a second-place finish at the end of today’s action. And he did so mostly by adapting to the changing conditions.
“I caught a lot more fish today than yesterday,” said Hickey. “I started out throwing a crankbait early and caught two or three fish right off the bat. Then, later in the day, I switched to a finesse bait and caught a few more fish after that. The bass on Lake Mead – their mood is constantly changing.”
Hickey said that he basically has been fishing one 50-yard area the entire time.
“Yesterday was a little tough because I couldn’t keep the striped bass off of my line,” said Hickey. “With the wind blowing in, the stripers were really feeding off of the shad. But today, with the wind dying down, it was really nice to focus on just catching (smallmouth and largemouth) bass.”
Overall, Hickey said he is pleased with his performance.
“It feels fantastic to be where I’m at right now,” said Hickey. “I’m hoping there will be fewer boats in my area tomorrow, but I have some offshore areas that I’m holding onto as backup. Everything is going pretty well. My goal was to catch 30 pounds by Friday and I now know I can realistically achieve that.”
Best of the rest
David Kromm of Kennewick, Wash., used a 20-pound, 13-ounce catch to leapfrog from sixth to third place.
Sean Stafford of Fairfield, Calif., netted a two-day total of 20 pounds, 12 ounces to grab fourth place overall.
“It was tough out there today,” said Stafford. “But then again, everyday is tough out here. You just have to grind it out everyday.”
Stafford said that he threw a combination of reaction baits and soft plastics to land the majority of his catch. However, it wasn’t an easy day to say the least.
“I had some bed fish I thought I was going to be able to catch today, but it didn’t really work out. My sight-fish just dried up,” said Stafford. “So I made a decision early in the day to lay down, play it safe and make sure I got five fish in the boat. Overall though, I’m pretty happy with how everything turned out.”
Rounding out the top-five pros was Michael Rooke of Lake Havasu City, Ariz. Rooke ultimately recorded a total catch of 20 pounds, 4 ounces.
Meanwhile, Wade Headrick of Draper, Utah, won the day’s Big Bass award in the Pro Division after netting a 4-pound, 3-ounce largemouth.
Leon snags co-angler lead
Aaron Leon of Henderson, Nev., used a two-day catch of 16 pounds, 5 ounces to grab the overall lead in the Co-angler Division. Leon had been in seventh place heading into today’s competition.
“It went really well today,” said Leon. “I’m pretty happy. I’ve never been in the lead of an FLW tournament before.”
Leon said that he targeted bass with a drop-shotting technique.
“I wound up losing three fish today but overall, the fishing was actually pretty good.”
Best of the rest
Rounding out the top-five co-anglers at the Lake Mead event:
2nd: Boris Antolos of Torrance, Calif., 15-10
3rd: John Browning of Payson, Ariz., 15-1
4th: Tucker Clarke of San Diego, Calif. 14-12
5th: Troy Crawford of Phoenix, Ariz., 14-9
Tommy Cardoza of Lakeport, Calif., won the day’s Big Bass honors in the Co-angler Division after landing a fish weighing 3 pounds, 7 ounces.
Co-anglers will be battling for a tournament title during tomorrow’s competition while pros will be attempting to qualify for the top-10 cut.
Day three of FLW Series Western Division action at Lake Mead continues at Friday’s takeoff, scheduled to take place at 6:30 a.m. (Pacific Time) at Callville Bay Resort and Marina, located in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Las Vegas, Nev.