Klinger leads FLW Series event on Lake Roosevelt
Top four pros separated by a mere 14 ounces heading into Friday’s competition
PAYSON, Ariz. – National Guard pro Tim Klinger of Boulder City, Nev., caught a five-bass limit weighing 13 pounds, 11 ounces Thursday to capture the lead in the FLW Series National Guard Western Division tournament on Lake Roosevelt with a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 23-9.
“The fishing is tough, this is the first time I have been here in about 12 years and the lake was only at about seven percent capacity back then, nothing like it is today,” said Klinger, who is looking for some revenge after a fifth place finish earlier this year at Lake Mead, his home water. “I have two prime areas that seem to be full of fish and I was extremely disappointed because I lost a big one that I think would have weighed in the double digits.
“I am mostly flipping Yamamoto grubs around trees; some of the fish are suspended at the tops and some are at the bottom,” added Klinger. “After yesterday’s rain it seems like the fish are seeking cover and love the trees. I am in about 6 to 15 feet of water.”
“So far this has been a really fun lake to fish; I would love to come back when the fish are really biting. From what I have heard the lake is really off right now and I know this lake is full of fish, I’ve seen them.
“Tomorrow I might start off with a spinnerbait to see what happens and then go to flipping. I may have to change my presentation a little bit, but I am excited to get back out there and fish some more.”
Klinger now holds a slim seven-ounce lead over second place National Guard pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., who managed to haul in a total of 10 bass weighing 23-2 during the first two days of competition.
Maintaining his position in second place Ehrler is extremely worried about what tomorrow will bring. Today’s weight dropped from 13-14 to 9-4 for him and he is still all over the map not really figuring anything out but feeling fortunate to have brought in five fish each day.
“I have a couple of areas I haven’t fished yet and hopefully they will pan out,” said Ehrler, who is looking for his second win in Western Division competition this season. “They weren’t good in practice but I am hoping the fish might have moved in, it’s just going to be a grind tomorrow.”
Rounding out the top-10 pros at Lake Roosevelt are:
3rd: Russ Barger, Boise, Idaho, 10 bass, 22-15
4th: Keith Espe, New River, Ariz., 10 bass, 22-11
5th: Robert Lee, Angels Camp, Calif., 10 bass, 20-12
6th: Jimmy Savoini, Prescott, Ariz., 10 bass, 20-9
7th: Jeff Michels, Lakehead, Calif., nine bass, 19-15
8th: Zack Thompson, Orinda, Calif., 10 bass, 19-12
9th: Jon Strelic, El Cajon, Calif., 10 bass, 19-5
10th: Clayton Meyer, Henderson, Nev., 10 bass, 18-11
The bright bluebird skies did not help conditions on the lake; day two brought less fish across the stage and fewer limits were caught. Anglers are still shaking their heads wondering how to figure these Lake Roosevelt fish out. Hideki Maeda caught the big bass today with a 5 pound 5 ounce largemouth that he caught with a buzzing frog; he will receive $1,000 for his catch.
Overall there were 319 bass weighing 526 pounds, 2 ounces caught by 89 pros Thursday. The catch included 40 five-bass limits.
In FLW Series competition, pros are competing for a top award of up to $50,000 plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for a shot at the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. After the Lake Roosevelt event, the final event in the FLW Series Western Division, the top 10 pros in the points standings will advance to the 2011 championship and Western Division Angler of the Year will be announced.
Jimmy Zanotelli of Redding, Calif., leads the Co-angler Division with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 21-9 followed by William “Billy” Byrd of Moab, Utah, in second place with 10 bass weighing 16-13.
“I was using a drop-shot with Mother’s Finest Margarita Mutilators in 20 to 30 feet of water around trees and ledges,” said Zanatelli, who is fighting to hold on to his first place position for Western Division Angler of the Year. “I was fishing with Jeff Allen who is known for bringing in big sacks and he really helped me today.”
Zanatelli caught five bass weighing 7-10 while fishing with pro Rick Mason of Glendale, Ariz., Wednesday and five bass weighing 13-15 while fishing with pro Jeff Allen of Flagstaff, Ariz., Thursday.
Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers are:
3rd: Tim Dotson, Loomis, Calif., 10 bass, 16-4
4th: Mason Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., seven bass, 16-2
5th: Gary Pinholster, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., 10 bass, 14-7
6th: Devin McDonald, Las Vegas, Nev., nine bass, 14-7
7th: Mike Iloski, Escondido, Calif., 10 bass, 14-7
8th: Jeff Grant, La Mirada, Calif., eight bass, 14-3
9th: Michael Caruso, Glendale, Ariz., 10 bass, 13-14
10th: Fred Szatkowski, Maricopa, Calif., six bass, 13-8
Zanotelli’s 13 pound 15 ounce sack was the heaviest brought to the scales for either the pros or the cos in the first two days of competition.
Overall there were 215 bass weighing 336 pounds, 10 ounces caught by 81 co-anglers Thursday. The catch included 17 five-bass limits.
Co-anglers are competing this week for a Ranger 177TR with a 90 horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard motor as well as valuable points that could help them qualify for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup.
Anglers will take off from Cholla Recreation Site located five miles northwest of Roosevelt Dam on Highway 188 in Roosevelt, Ariz., at 7 each morning. Fans are invited to attend opening ceremonies to cheer on their favorite anglers and to enjoy complimentary coffee and donuts at water’s edge. Friday’s weigh-in will also be held at Cholla Recreation Site beginning at 2:30 p.m. Final weigh-in on Saturday will be at Chapman Auto Center located at 198 North Beeline Highway in Payson beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will be treated to a Family Fun Zone at Chapman’s prior to Saturday’s weigh-in from noon to 4 p.m. There will be a drawing for a $300 Cabela’s gift card and drawings for rod and reel combos will be held every 30 minutes during the event. Activities in the Family Fun Zone include the National Guard warrior challenge and assorted fishing-themed games. All activities are free and open to the public.
Coverage of the Lake Roosevelt tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS. “FLW Outdoors”, will air Oct. 31 from 12:30 to 1:30 ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to approximately 500 million households worldwide.
About FLW Outdoors
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 189 tournaments in 2010. FLW Outdoors has also taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing awarding the largest prizes in the history of fantasy sports. FLW Outdoors memberships are available featuring numerous benefits including Player’s Advantage. For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FantasyFishing.com.