Fishing News - 2/13/02
From Operation BASS
Yamaha’s Jones Retains Lead in $550,000 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Event
Florence, Ala. (Feb. 14, 2002) — Team Yamaha pro Alton Jones, Waco, Texas, will lead 20 of the nation’s top bass anglers into Friday’s semifinal round of the $550,000 Wal-Mart FLW Tour event on Lake Wheeler with a two-day, opening-round total of 10 bass weighing 35 pounds, 13 ounces.
Jones caught five bass weighing 19 pounds, 3 ounces Thursday to flush out
Wednesday’s five-bass, 16-pound, 10-ounce catch and retain his No. 1 ranking. Jones has landed the tournament’s two heaviest catches, which makes him the favorite heading into the semifinals. If he continues his dominating performance Friday and Saturday, he stands to win $110,000 cash in the four-day tournament presented by Pepsi and Frito-Lay.Anglers start each of the final two days from zero and fish for the heaviest five-bass limit each day.
"I know exactly the kind of water fish are holding in, so I can run around and catch a big fish at each spot that I’ve found," said Jones, who is fishing main creek channels in Decatur Flats. "I could have caught a really big sack, but I pulled off. I’m going back there (Friday) to fish my best spots until I have at least 15 pounds. Then I’ll be pretty confident about making the finals."
Mark Rose, Marion, Ark., climbed from 11th place to claim the No. 2 spot in the semifinal round with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 26 pounds, 1 ounces. Rounding out the top-five pros are Team Fujifilm angler Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn. (10 bass, 23 pounds, 13 ounces); Chevy Pro Staff angler Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark. (eight bass, 22 pounds); and Eric Holt, Galena, Mo., (10 bass, 21 pounds, 6 ounces).
After coming up empty on opening day, Jone’s partner, Armil Morgan, Mineral Springs, Ark., claimed the No. 1 co-angler spot heading into Friday’s competition with a two-day total of four bass weighing 16 pounds.
His impressive catch ranks as the third heaviest pro or co-angler catch of the tournament.
Morgan also earned co-angler big bass honors and $500 Thursday with a 6-pound, 14-ounce bass that tied him with pro Robin Cummings, Cullman, Ala., who landed a 6-pound, 14-ounce smallmouth on opening day. Morgan and Cummings split the $1,000 Snickers big bass award for the opening round’s heaviest bass. Yamaha pro Dean Rojas, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., earned $750 and pro big bass honors Thursday with a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass.
Rounding out the top-three co-anglers are Doug Caldwell, Kane, Pa., (nine bass, 13 pounds, 10 ounces) and John Beason, Jonesboro, Ark., (nine bass, 12 pounds, 5 ounces). Co-angler competition ends Friday with the winner taking home $15,000 cash.
The original field of 350 anglers included 175 pros and 175 co-anglers representing 34 states and Japan. Overall, 659 bass were caught Thursday including 54 five-bass limits. More than 99 percent of the bass were released. If Wal-Mart FLW Tour anglers maintain a 98-percent live release rate throughout 2002, Energizer will donate $25,000 to the Children’s Miracle Network.
Competition continues at 8 a.m. Friday at Joe Wheeler State Park located at 4401 McLean Drive in Rogersville. Friday’s weigh-in begins at 5 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 3100 Hough Road in Florence. Saturday’s final takeoff from Joe Wheeler State Park starts at 6:15 a.m. followed by a 2 p.m. weigh-in at Wal-Mart.
A Family Fun Zone in the Wal-Mart parking lot will feature free children’s games and product samples from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Sponsors of the 2002 Wal-Mart FLW Tour are Wal-Mart, ALPO Pet Foods, BFGoodrich Tires, Castrol, Chevy Trucks, Coleman, Conseco, Eagle Electronics, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Evinrude, Faded Glory, Frito-Lay, Fujifilm, Kellogg’s, Land O’Lakes, Maxwell House, Minn Kota, Pepsi, Poulan, Ranger Boats, Shop-Vac, Snickers, Stanley Works, US Bank, Weed Eater and Yamaha Outboards. Associate sponsors are Abu Garcia, Act II, Berkley, David Sunflower Seeds, Eagle Claw, Laker, Plano and Solar Bat.
For more information, visit FLWOutdoors.com.
