Klinger leads Walmart FLW Series event on Lake Havasu

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. – Team National Guard pro Tim Klinger of Boulder City, Nev., landed five bass weighing 19 pounds, 5 ounces Wednesday to lead day one of the Walmart FLW Series National Guard Western Division tournament on Lake Havasu. He now holds a 1-pound, 6-ounce lead.

“This really feels great,” Klinger said. “I really thought I could catch more than I did today. There are some other guys fishing in the same area and that makes it tough.”

Klinger said he went sight-fishing most of the day. He grew up on the Colorado River and sight-fishing has always been something that he loves. He said his eyes are trained for looking for fish in the water so whatever the weather decides to do he will be ready.

“The weather was perfect for sight-fishing today, sunny and calm,” he said. “That’s my favorite way to fish so I feel comfortable doing that. If the wind blows I defiantly have a few things I will try. I absolutely love this lake so whatever the weather conditions may be I am ready.”

Klinger said he has several spots that he fished today and he is confident that those spots will replenish. “I know this whole lake real well,” he said. “I can go to any spot and catch a few. I feel that I am in my element here and it feels really good. I feel good- I’m out in the sun on my favorite lake. I am ready to go fishing tomorrow.”

Ranger pro Mike Goodwin of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., trails Klinger in the No. 2 spot with five bass weighing 17-15.

Rounding out the top five pros are Mike Folkestad of Orange, Calif. (five bass, 17-7); Kevin Hawk of Ramona, Calif. (five bass, 17-2) and RJ Bennett of Roseville, Calif. (five bass, 16-15).

Wayne Carey of Alta Loma, Calif., earned the day’s $370 Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 6-pound, 1-ounce bass.

Overall there were 514 bass weighing 1,304 pounds caught by 111 pros Wednesday. The catch included 88 five-bass limits.

Pros are competing this week for a top award of $125,000 plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for a shot at the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup, where the winning pro will earn as much as $1 million – the sport’s biggest award.

David Martin of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., leads the Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 14-5 followed by Lester Albury of San Marcos, Calif., in second place with five bass weighing 13-1.

“I feel really good about my performance today,” said Martin, who is fishing in his first FLW Series tournament. “I worked hard to get those fish.”

Martin caught his fish using a split-shot technique and a Texas rig in 6 to10 feet of water targeting beds off the reefs. Martin had his limit before 10 a.m. this morning catching only five fish all day. “I am using four key baits and three rods. That’s all I need.

“I am on this lake every week,” Martin said. “All of the areas that my pro took me to today I have fished before. I know this lake like the back of my hand.”

Martin caught his bass while fishing with pro Larry Hopper of Tustin, Calif., who is currently in 11th place with five bass weighing 15-4.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Christopher Ricci of Bend, Ore. (five bass, 12-0); Hideki Maeda of Sakai-City, Osaka-Pref. (five bass, 11-8) and Aaron Reitz of Soda Springs, Calif. (four bass, 11-8).

Steve Linder of Lakewood, Calif., earned $246 for the Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to a 4-pound, 6-ounce bass while fishing with pro Chad Hurst of Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

Overall there were 265 bass weighing 591 pounds, 3 ounces caught by 92 co-anglers Wednesday. The catch included 19 five-bass limits.

Co-anglers are competing this week for a top award of $25,000 as well as a shot at the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup.

Anglers will take off at 6:30 each morning from Lake Havasu State Park at Windsor Beach located at 314 London Bridge Rd. in Lake Havasu City. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-in will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at the Walmart store located at 5695 Highway 95 N. in Lake Havasu City, beginning at 4 p.m. Children will also be treated to a Family Fun Zone prior to Saturday’s weigh-in from noon to 4 p.m. at Walmart. Activities in the Family Fun Zone include a trout pond, a Ranger boat simulator and assorted fishing-themed games. All activities are free and open to the public.

In FLW Series competition, pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day, with pros supplying the boat, controlling boat movement and competing against other pros. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. The total purse for the Lake Havasu tournament is nearly $900,000, including $10,000 through 50th place in the Pro Division.

Coverage of the Lake Havasu FLW Series tournament will be broadcast as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television program. “FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast in Canada on WFN (World Fishing Network) and to more than 429 million households in the United Kingdom, Europe, Russia, Australia, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East through a distribution agreement with Matchroom Sport, making it the most widely distributed fishing program in the world. Check local listings for broadcast times in your area.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. FLW Outdoors also is taking fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports, $10 million in cash and prizes. Sign up for Player’s Advantage for only $10 to get your edge and win.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.