KENNEDY LEADS ROUND ONE OF $900,000 WAL-MART FLW
TOUR EVENT ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE
January 20, 2005
CLEWISTON, Fla. (Jan. 20, 2005) – Pedigree pro
Steve Kennedy of Auburn, Ala., caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing
35 pounds, 14 ounces to lead round one of the $900,000 Wal-Mart FLW
Tour stop on Lake Okeechobee presented by EverStart Batteries. The
full field was cut to 10 pros and 10 co-anglers for Friday’s
semifinal round where weights will be zeroed. Pros fish Friday and
Saturday, and the pro with the heaviest two-day cumulative weight
wins $100,000. The co-angler title, and a $20,000 first-place prize,
will be awarded at the conclusion of Friday’s competition.
Conditions – weather, water and fishing – were nearly identical
to those seen on day one. The weather was not ideal but not bad –
mostly clear skies, a stiff breeze, a very chilly morning and mild
afternoon. The lake was very murky with isolated, heavily pressured
areas of clear water. Most of the 200 boats were packed into a half-dozen
spots, with the Monkey Box being the most popular area. Effective
techniques on Thursday included Texas-rigged plastics, Senkos/Flashes,
spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits. Largemouths are in all phases
of the spawn.
“This is just awesome,” said Kennedy, who jumped from 39th
place with a day-two weight of 25 pounds, 15 ounces. “I caught
an 8-pounder, a 7-pounder and a 6-pounder by flipping. “I fished
the Monkey Box area and I’ll be there all day tomorrow. It was
crowded today like it was yesterday, but there won’t be near
as many people there tomorrow.”
Kennedy finished fourth in the EverStart Series event on Lake Okeechobee
two weeks ago. He also had a big day two at that event, bringing 27
pounds, 5 ounces to the scales.
Rounding out the top-five pros are Yamaha pro Kelly Jordan of Mineola,
Texas (10 bass, 30 pounds, 8 ounces); BFGoodrich Tires pro Chad Grigsby
of Colon, Mich. (10 bass, 30 pounds, 8 ounces); Yamaha pro Dean Rojas
of Grand Saline, Texas (10 bass, 30 pounds); and Toshinari Namiki
of Mineola, Texas (10 bass, 29 pounds, 7 ounces).
Castrol pro Bobby Curtis of Siloam Springs, Ark., caught an 11-pound
monster largemouth Thursday – tied for the second largest bass
ever recorded in FLW Tour history – to earn Snickers Big Bass
honors in the Pro Division. He earned $750 for his big bass.
Bob Bjorklund of Aurora, Col., leads the Co-angler Division thanks
to his two-day catch of six bass that weighed 21 pounds, 8 ounces.
Bjorklund caught 20 pounds, 7 ounces Thursday – anchored by an
8-pound, 14-ounce lunker – to jump an incredible 133 places to
take the lead. He only weighed one bass Wednesday that weighed 1 pound,
1 ounce.
Rounding out the top-five co-anglers are Nick Hamra of Chesterfield,
Mo. (nine bass, 21 pounds, 2 ounces); Bill Rogers of Jasper, Texas
(six bass, 20 pounds, 2 ounces); William Bridges of Tallapoosa, Ga.
(three bass, 18 pounds, 5 ounces); and Jimmey Shelton of Wellington,
Fla. (seven bass, 17 pounds, 10 ounces).
Stetson Blaylock of Benton, Ark., claimed the Snickers Big Bass award
in the Co-angler Division Wednesday thanks to a 10-pound, 2-ounce
bass that earned him $375.
Anglers will take off from Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina
in Clewiston each morning at 7. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins
will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 1005 W. Sugarland Highway
in Clewiston beginning at 5 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.
The community is invited to attend the free Family Fun Zone Friday
and Saturday outside the weigh-in tent in the Wal-Mart parking lot.
The Family Fun Zone, which opens at 3 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday,
features interactive displays, product samples and games for the entire
family to enjoy.
Following Thursday’s competition, the field was narrowed from
200 competitors per division to 10, and weights were cleared for Friday’s
competition. Co-angler competition concludes Friday based on the heaviest
one-day weight, and pros continue competition Saturday with the winner
determined by the heaviest two-day weight.
Anglers are also competing this week for valuable points that determine
Land O’ Lakes Angler of the Year standings and the field for
the 2005 Forrest L. Wood Championship, set for July 13-16 in Hot Springs,
Ark., on Lake Hamilton. The $1.5 million championship presented by
Castrol awards the winning pro $500,000 cash, the sport’s largest
award, and features a world-class outdoor show with more than 140
booths and displays for everything from crankbaits to bass boats.
Complete coverage of the FLW Tour is broadcast to 82 million Fox Sports
Net (FSN) subscribers as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television
program. “FLW Outdoors” airs Sunday mornings at 11 a.m.
Eastern time.
Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood,
FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour and seven other national
tournament circuits offering a combined $30 million in awards through
214 events in 2005. The 27-year-old organization is the purveyor of
America’s largest and most prestigious fishing tournaments, including
the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, EverStart Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League,
Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart
FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour and Wal-Mart FLW Redfish
Series.
For more information on FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs,
visit FLWOutdoors.com
or call (270) 252-1000.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies
support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on
as title sponsor of the FLW Tour in 1997 and today is the title sponsor
of all FLW Outdoors events. For more information on Wal-Mart, visit
Wal-Mart.com.