Fantasy blog: Season concludes at Guntersville

For both pros and fantasy players, there is a lot at stake next week on Alabama’s Lake Guntersville, the final regular season stop on the 2010 FLW Tour. In addition to the tournament purse, the pros are fishing for a berth in the Forrest Wood Cup, the richest championship in professional bass fishing. And for a select few, the coveted Angler of the Year award is also on the line. Right now AOY looks like a two-man race between Bryan Thrift and Brent Ehrler. But if those two stumble, you can bet Ish Monroe and Andy Morgan will be there to capitalize.

On the fantasy side, Jody Wright of Ellenboro, N.C., has the lead, followed by Elizabeth Little of Whitesburg, Ky., Dennis Burns of Tiffin, Ohio, and Andrew Armstead of Cottonwood, Calif. The top cumulative prize this year is $50,000. The second-place finisher earns $25,000; third place gets a $5,000 Cabela’s gift card plus a 5-day guided fishing trip for two to Lake El Salto and fourth gets a BRP Can-Am Outlander 400 All-Terrain Vehicle. Not bad for a free game. The overall winners will be announced during the week of the Forrest Wood Cup (Aug. 5-8).

I personally think the tournament will be won offshore – probably cranking ledges or old road beds. I’ve loaded up on deep-water Tennessee River experts like Mark Rose, Terry Bolton and Ott Defoe. But don’t just take my advice. Listen to Guntersville expert Randall Tharp – our Featured Pro Pundit for this event. And while his complete roster is Player’s Advantage content, let’s just say Tharp also likes the TVA boys. But he has a few surprises as well. For example, he thinks the Fritts Blitz could reemerge and he likes three-time AOY Clark Wendlandt. Tharp can’t pick himself, but he did say he liked what he saw before the lake went off-limits. I have him picked to win and it’s perhaps my most confident selection of the year.

Good luck to all and thanks for playing. The deadline for submitting your Guntersville roster is June 22 at 11:59 p.m. ET.