Co-anglers struggle alongside pro partners

Finding biters proves tougher than expected for many

ZAPATA, Texas – Bass fishermen come to Falcon Lake with expectations as big as Texas. Seldom do they go home disappointed.

Here a 40-pound sack might get you first place – for a day. It was on Falcon that Jeremy Guidry of Opelousas, La., established a four-day FLW Outdoors weight record of 110 pounds, 2 ounces at a Stren Series tournament in January.

That was then.

The 56 co-anglers who hit this southern Texas reservoir Thursday for the first day of the Walmart FLW Series East-West Fish-Off found a different lake than what Guidry had fished in January. Falcon is higher than anybody can recall, the result of torrential rains that flooded the basin throughout the summer. Water has submerged what once was lakeshore shrubbery, causing the water to go “sour,” in local terminology.

Thursday’s bite was just that for many of the co-anglers at the East-West Fish-Off. Just 15 of 56 weighed a five-fish limit, with the biggest bag being checked in by South Bend, Indiana’s Ron Fabiszak at 28 pounds, 2 ounces. His bag was anchored by an 8-pound, 5-ouncer that he caught on a spinnerbait.

“I was done fishing by 11 (a.m.),” said Fabiszak, who has three previous FLW tournament wins at Lake Okeechobee, Kentucky Lake and the Mississippi River. “I let (Clint Johannson, his pro partner) fish because he hadn’t caught that many.”

Fabiszak didn’t get into particulars about his location, saying only that he was fishing a flat in about 12 feet. He said he’ll be content to do whatever his Friday partner, Jason Borofka, wants to do.

Versatile Robert Wood close behind in second

Fabiszak has a 2-pound, 12-ounce lead over Robert Wood of Jupiter, Fla., who weighed 25 pounds, 6 ounces of bass Thursday. His best fish, a 9-pounder, was the big bass of the day among co-anglers. He caught it on a crankbait in 15 feet.

“We did a little of this and a little of that,” Wood said of the approach he shared with his pro partner, Dustin Baker. “The bite was good this morning, but then it slacked off. We had our limits by 9:30.”

Thurlow glad to scratch out third

“The bite’s not what you would expect it to be,” said Chuck Thurlow of Auburn, Ala., who finished day one in third place with 20 pounds, 14 ounces. “It’s messed up right now. The fish are pretty tight. It’s hard to get that bite.”

As Thurlow sorted through his tackle in preparation for day two, he cast an apprehensive eye at the radio, where a weatherman was forecasting a Friday that called for cooler temperatures and higher winds.

“Oh well,” Thurlow said with a shrug. “I came here expecting a big-time bite. Maybe with a change of weather, it’ll happen tomorrow.”

Sniffen sniffs out fourth

Greg Sniffen of Saratoga, Calif., was the first contestant to bring a respectable sack to the scales. At 20 pounds, 7 ounces, it eventually landed him in fourth place. Sniffen said he spent the day pitching Senko worms, spinnerbaits and crankbaits and that his best bait was a Jackal Flick Shake.

In the Co-angler Division, the top 30 anglers based on total weight will advance to the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup, bass-fishing’s crown jewel.

Rounding out the top 10

5. Mike Iloski, Escondido, Calif., 20 pounds, 2 ounces

6. Christopher Ricci, Bend, Ore., 18 pounds, 13 ounces

7. Rick Barham, South Haven, Miss., 18 pounds, 9 ounces

8. Bill Scharton, Oakdale, Calif., 18 pounds, 7 ounces

9. Blaine Bucy, Wellsburg, W.Va., 17 pounds, 14 ounces

10. Jeff Taylor, Olmstead, Ky., 15 pounds, 8 ounces

Friday’s competition begins at 7 a.m. The entire field launches from the boat ramp at Zapata County Park, where the weigh-in begins at 3 p.m.