Forrest Wood Cup Day 4 Coverage
With 45 minutes left to fish, who will be the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup champion?
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Watch this sweet day-three highlight reel while you wait for FLW Live to start.
2:45 p.m.: Final updates
We're shutting down the coverage blog a few minutes early today to prepare for weigh-in, and so we don't spoil the surprise. Of course, you can still keep up via the Twitter feed.
The final report is that five of the 10 pros in today's final round have limits: Brad Knight, Bryan Thrift, Brandon Cobb, Scott Martin and Zack Birge. Martin just finished his out by running to the bank and winding a buzzbait.
Larry Nixon is one fish shy. Jacob Wheeler, Ramie Colson Jr. and Mark Daniels Jr. have three apiece. Chris Baumgardner has a pair of keepers.
There's just shy of one hour left to fish. It's now or never time. Who will be the 2015 Forrest Wood Cup champion? Tune into FLWFishing.com for FLW Live at 5 p.m. CT.
Thanks for following along all week. See you next season on the Walmart FLW Tour.
1:40 p.m.: Cobb chasing Knight
Every time Brad Knight makes an upgrade, Brandon Cobb makes a bigger one. Cobb caught and surpassed Knight's day-four limit with his last two culls. Still, he has about 12 pounds to Knight's 11 or 11 1/2, and Knight had a 6-pound, 4-ounce cushion over Cobb.
Knight is still pounding his go-to area. He broke out a square-bill crankbait because the wind has dirtied his water. Cobb has not been sharing water with Knight today, though they fished very close together the first three days. Topwater has been key for him.
With another storm system making its way to Ouachita, maybe enough fish will activate up shallow for Cobb to get the two or so kicker bites he really needs to have a shot. Stay tuned to FLWFishing.com and this coverage blog for updates until about 3 p.m. The Twitter feed will stay live until the pros check in at 3:30 p.m. Weigh-in starts at 5 p.m.
12:50 p.m.: Knight trying to put it away
Brad Knight, with 10 or 11 pounds, is slowly but surely pulling himself away from the bottom half of the top 10. Realistically, it'd be really hard for any of them to catch him. It'd take a mega-limit. Of course, guys like Zack Birge (10th), Scott Martin (seventh) and Larry Nixon (eighth) are absolutely capable of busting 20 pounds out here. In fact, Birge already has 12 pounds, with several hours left to fish.
In the top five are Bryan Thrift (fourth) and Brandon Cobb (fifth), each with about 10 pounds. They have the best chance to catch Knight, but they'll need to start upgrading now to do it.
Jacob Wheeler is still stuck on three keepers for 5 pounds. The pressure has to be building for Wheeler without a limit at this point. Can the young superstar hold it together? We'll soon find out.
12 p.m.: Midday weight estimates
Keeping up with the top 10 pros has been a challenge due to a nasty storm that rolled over the lake. That in mind, here's what we know:
Wheeler: three for 5 pounds
Knight: limit for 10 pounds
Colson: one for 2 pounds
Thrift: limit for 10 pounds
Cobb: limit for 10 pounds
Baumgardner: two for 3 pounds
Martin: three for 9 pounds
Nixon: one for 1 pound
Daniels: two for 3 pounds
Birge: limit for 12 pounds
Here's footage of Brandon Cobb from this morning
11:15 a.m.: Brandon Cobb has a limit and is culling
Brandon Cobb has been a contender all week, but a weaker day three looked like it was going to derail his hopes of winning the Cup. Now it appears that Cobb is making a move to get back in contention. He has a limit and has already culled once. He has about 10 pounds right now. He'll need to move up into the mid- to upper teens if he wants to win.
Zack Birge has a limit of 12 pounds. He lost a 4-pounder, which was a heartbreaker. Birge fell down on the front deck in agony. That's his second kicker that's gotten off this week.
Leader Jacob Wheeler has three keepers for 5 pounds. If he gets a limit, he'll be tough to catch for anyone but Brad Knight.
10:30 a.m.: Thrift and Birge trying to make their moves
Well, one angler was managing to catch fish during the first round of storms. Bryan Thrift sacked up four keepers in pretty quick succession. They weren't real big, but he finished with a 2 1/2-pounder. Maybe he'll upgrade a few as the day goes on.
Zack Birge is also having a strong morning. He has 11 pounds for his limit.
Brad Knight is still looking for No. 5, but he's unofficially in the lead right now.
Brad Knight is in his go-to area again this morning. Watch more here.
Have a look at MDJ on his first spot this morning
9:45 a.m.: Knight has four keepers
A storm is dumping heavy rainfall all over Lake Ouachita now. It's a pretty intense system. For Brad Knight, the approaching front has apparently turned on the bite. He's up to four keepers now, and his last one was a solid fish.
The last update we received on Jacob Wheeler was that he had one fish for 1 1/2 to 2 pounds. Our reporters have taken cover, and we haven't heard from Wheeler's marhsal in a bit. No blaming him. This much rain would fry a cellphone right away.
9:15 a.m.: Storm over Ouachita making life difficult for the pros
An ugly storm is soaking the Lake Ouachita area right now, bringing thunder and lightning and all kinds of nasty stuff. Most folks, including our coverage team and some anglers, have taken cover to ride it out. Brad Knight is still in the clear at the moment and made the most of it. He pulled out one of his lucky Coca-Colas and quickly caught a pair of keepers. He has three for 6 pounds.
8 a.m.: They're off, and there's already drama
Only 12 ounces separate tournament leader Jacob Wheeler from second-place pro Brad Knight on the final day of competition. There are so many story lines in play right now.
First is that Wheeler could become the first two-time Cup champion. He has a lone 1 1/2-pound keeper in the livewell.
Knight has been sharing water with Mark Daniels Jr. They're actually rotating through the same trees. Rumor has it that Knight asked MDJ to give him the spot, since MDJ is 9 pounds off the lead, and they apparently worked out some type of agreement because MDJ started in another area. However, he's moved back to the same area already, and they're fishing just 75 yards apart.
Knight has been relying heavily on the early morning bite. His first hour is critical. An hour in, however, and he has just one keeper, a 2-pounder.
Scott Martin also has a shot at becoming first two-time Cup champion, and the seventh-place pro is off to a hot start. Martin caught a 3-pounder on almost his first cast. Then he landed a 4-pounder after seeing some fish come up busting on the surface.
Finally, Rookie of the Year Zack Birge, all the way down in 10th, is looking to make a major comeback. He's landed a 1 1/2-pounder and a 4-pounder already.
Whew, it's early, but already there's drama.
Check Out this Short Day 4 Preview