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The Full Story

FLW Championship: Logan Martin Lake, AL

Birmingham, AL

Preview: Stage Set for FLW Championship

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - They've driven thousands of miles, spent weeks studying lake maps and water conditions, and made countless casts in preparation for this moment. Now 48 of the world's top professional anglers are headed to Birmingham where they will square off in head-to-head competition on Login Martin Lake Aug. 2-5 for a shot at winning $500,000 in their sport's crowning event - the $1.5 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship and Outdoor Show presented by Castrol.
Anglers from 28 states and Japan qualified for the championship after competing in six qualifying events stretching from Lake Okeechobee in Florida to Lake Champlain in New York. These qualifiers are seeded according to their Land O'Lakes Angler of the Year rankings and No. 1 will compete against No. 48, No. 2 against No. 47, No. 3 against No. 46, etc. This bracket-style competition has produced some exciting matches that will likely lead to some nail-biting finishes as Arkansas legends Larry Nixon (No. 8) and George Cochran (No 41) face off in the opening round alongside Gain Rookie of the Year Gabe Bolivar (No. 7) and veteran Gary Yamamoto (No. 42) among others. The complete championship field and head-to-head pairings are posted at FLWOutdoors.com.
Championship contenders will take off from Pell City Lakeside Park, located at 2801 Stemley Bridge Road in Pell City at 7 a.m. each day, and daily weigh-ins will be held at 5 p.m. in the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena. The outdoor show featuring more than 140 exhibits; fishing seminars by Hank Parker, Forrest L. Wood and other bass-fishing legends; and free daily giveaways runs 2 to 8 p.m. Aug. 2 and 3, noon to 9 p.m. Aug. 4 and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 5. Aug. 2 is free FLW Outdoors hat day. Aug. 3 is free Stren fishing line day. Aug. 4 is free Berkley tackle day, and Aug. 5 is free rod and reel and free Fujifilm camera day. Daily giveaways are for children 12 and under accompanied by an adult.
One lucky fan attending the final weigh-in Aug. 5 will also win a new Ranger Z20 Comanche bass boat powered by Yamaha. Three qualifiers will be drawn for the boat giveaway during each day's 5 p.m. weigh-in, with the final three qualifiers and the eventual winner drawn Aug. 5. Fans must be present to qualify and win. Admission is free, and entry forms will be available at the outdoor show.
The week's festivities also include a taping of "The Best Dam Sports Show Period" in the BJCC Arena Friday at 1 p.m. and a free concert presented by Chevy featuring country artist Craig Morgan at 4 p.m. Saturday in the BJCC Arena.
Following the two-day opening round, 24 pros advance to the semifinal round based on their two-day accumulated weight. Head-to-head competition continues in the one-day semifinal round, after which 12 pros advance to the final round. The 12 finalists start from zero and compete for one day to determine the winner of the sport's biggest award - $500,000 cash. Even the pro who finishes 48th earns $15,000 just for qualifying.
Forty-eight co-anglers, who are paired with the pros and fish from the back deck, will compete for two days, after which the top 24 co-anglers based on accumulated weight advance to the third and final day of co-angler competition. Weights are cleared for the co-angler final round, and the winner takes home $25,000.
In addition to the tournament festivities, professional anglers will visit approximately 200 patients ranging in age from 5- to 18-years-old at Children's Hospital in Birmingham on Aug. 4 at 10 a.m. Aside from signing autographs and providing a needed break for the children, the anglers hope to cultivate an appreciation of the environment by teaching about the conservation of fish habitat and being respectful of nature. The anglers will also take this opportunity to explain why more than 50 million people pick up their rods and wet a line each year - because fishing is a fun, wholesome activity the entire family can enjoy.
Another event coinciding with the 2006 FLW Tour Championship is the National Guard Junior World Championship - a one-day, youth-oriented fishing championship held July 31. The event, in which youths qualify through TBF (The Bass Federation) state programs, is designed to highlight some of the best up-and-coming angling talent in the nation. Each participating TBF state is sending two junior anglers (one in the 11-14 age bracket and another in the 15-18 age bracket). These anglers will fish with the FLW Tour Championship pros on Lake Neely Henry in Gadsden, Ala. The takeoff and weigh-in will be held at the Gadsden City Launch located at 200 Lake Street in Gadsden at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.
Fishing fans will have the chance to swap fish tales with Team Chevy anglers Larry Nixon, Luke Clausen, Kim Stricker, Dion Hibdon and David Fritts during Chevy Pro Night from 6 to 8 p.m. at Edwards Chevrolet located at 1400 Third Ave. North in Birmingham on July 31. FLW Tour anglers will also be hosting fishing seminars at more than a dozen Birmingham-area Wal-Mart stores from 6 to 8 p.m. on July 31.

Day 1: FLW Tour Championship Under Way

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., the No. 1 seed coming into the $1.5 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship presented by Castrol on Lake Logan Martin in Birmingham, Ala., landed the tournament's heaviest catch Wednesday in his quest to win the biggest award in professional bass fishing - $500,000. Gagliardi's five-bass limit weighed a hefty 15 pounds, 12 ounces.
"I've had a great year, and I have to remind myself that it is not over yet," said Gagliardi, who is facing No. 48 seed Ishama Monroe of Hughson, Calif., in the opening round. "I had some success here in 2004, and that gave me a lot of confidence coming into this tournament."
Gagliardi, who caught the majority of his bass on a drop-shot, finished third in the FLW Tour Championship during its 2004 stop in Birmingham. If he were to win this year, it would be the first time in FLW Tour history that an angler has won the Land O'Lakes Angler of the Year title and the championship in the same season.
Fishing was tougher for Monroe, who was fishing in sight of Gagliardi for most of the day, as he managed to catch just two bass weighing 2 pounds, 7 ounces.
"It was adding insult to injury watching him catch three or four of those big fish," Monroe said. "He was culling fish that I could have used, but that's why he is Angler of the Year. Tomorrow, I'm going to have to swing for the fences."
Heavy humidity and temperatures in the 90s greeted anglers from 28 states and Japan on opening day, and the bass did not make it easy for many of the pros. In fact, only 22 anglers broke the 10-pound mark as a total of 421 bass weighing 738 pounds, 2 ounces were brought to the scale.
Threatening to upset No. 2 seed Matt Herren of Trussville, Ala., is No. 47 seed Toshinari Namiki of Hachioji-City, Japan, who caught five bass weighing 12-11 to Herren's five bass weighing 8-1.
Herren, the local favorite, caught largemouth bass while flipping a jig around docks.
"I have two key areas that are dependant on current, and the water wasn't moving," said Herren, who is fishing with a broken tailbone after falling in his garage Saturday. "But I'm not out of it. I'm going spot fishing tomorrow."
Another exciting match-up pitted legendary Arkansas anglers George Cochran of Hot Springs as the No. 41 seed against Larry Nixon of Bee Branch as the No. 8 seed. Cochran, the reigning 2005 FLW Tour Champion, jumped to a 2-pound lead over his close friend by targeting shallow-water bass using a worm and a small crankbait around brush. Cochran's five-bass limit weighed 9-4 to Nixon's three-bass catch of 7-4. Nixon was targeting fish holding near deep structure.
"George is a mud runner, and I fish structure," Nixon said. "What it's going to come down to are the conditions. I had the worst conditions in the world for my style today. What I need is a little current."
"The fish were finicky," Cochran said. "I caught 14 keepers and lost two goods ones. Every fish was just barely hooked. I had to make seven or eight casts to a single piece of brush just to get one to hit."
In the battle of big-money winners, David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., jumped to a 2-pound, 15-ounce lead over his Castrol teammate Darrell Robertson of Jay, Okla., by "junk fishing" for a limit of five bass weighing 10-9. Robertson's limit weighing 7-10 was caught on a shaky head worm over rocks in 5 to 20 feet of water.
"I just struggled all day long," Robertson said. "But I'm going to catch them tomorrow, so he better be ready."
Robertson and Dudley are both former FLW Tour Championship winners as well as Ranger M1 Champions. Robertson won a record-setting $600,000 at the 1999 Ranger M1 and Dudley broke that record with a $700,000 payday at the 2002 M1. Earlier this season, Dudley, 30, surpassed $2 million in career winnings, making him the youngest angler to accomplish that feat. He also holds the distinct honor of being the youngest angler to surpass $1 million in career winnings, a milestone he reached in March of 2002 at 26 years old. A win here would place him in second on the all-time money list behind the legendary Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo., and just ahead of Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich.
No. 39 seed Luke Clausen of Spokane, Wash., who won the FLW Tour Championship here two years ago as a rookie then went on to win the Bassmaster Classic earlier this year, could add yet another $500,000 win to his list of accomplishments this week. Clausen caught five bass weighing 12 pounds, 7 ounces to lead No. 10 seed Tom Monsoor of La Crosse, Wis., who caught a limit weighing 10-12. Clausen was fishing docks while Monsoor was swimming his signature jig.
On the co-angler side, Chad Parks of Memphis, Tenn., topped the field with a day-one catch of five bass weighing 11 pounds, 4 ounces. The 48 co-anglers compete against the entire field, with the top 24 advancing after day two. Co-angler competition concludes Friday with the winner taking home $25,000 cash.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mark Phillips of Fayetteville, Ark. (five bass, 10-14); Bruce Dale of Jamestown, Ohio (four bass, 10-4); Tyrone Phillips of Little Rock, Ark. (five bass, 9-14); and Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C. (five bass, 9-10).
Parks caught his fish dead-sticking a jig in 12 to 24 feet of water while fishing behind Kellogg's pro Dave Lefebre of Union City, Pa.
The four-day tournament will conclude Saturday with the winning pro walking away $500,000 richer. The top 48 pros and co-anglers from the six-event 2006 Wal-Mart FLW Tour advanced to the no-entry fee championship, the most lucrative bass tournament in the history of the sport. Anglers were seeded according to their year-end ranking.
Following the two-day opening round, 24 pros advance to the semifinal round based on their two-day accumulated weight. Head-to-head competition continues in the one-day semifinal round, after which 12 pros advance to the final round. The 12 finalists start from zero and compete for one day to determine the winner.
Forty-eight co-anglers, who are paired with the pros and fish from the back deck, compete for two days, after which the top 24 co-anglers based on accumulated weight advance to the third and final day of co-angler competition. Weights are cleared for the co-angler final round, and the winner takes home $25,000.
Championship contenders will take off from Pell City Lakeside Park, located at 2801 Stemley Bridge Road in Pell City at 7 a.m. each day, and daily weigh-ins will be held at 5 p.m. in the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena. The outdoor show featuring more than 140 exhibits; fishing seminars by Hank Parker, Forrest L. Wood and other bass-fishing legends; and free daily giveaways runs 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday, noon to 9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. Thursday is free Stren fishing line day. Friday is free Berkley tackle day, and Saturday is free rod and reel and free Fujifilm camera day. Daily giveaways are for children 12 and under accompanied by an adult.
One lucky fan attending Saturday's final weigh-in will also win a new Ranger Z20 Comanche bass boat powered by Yamaha. Three qualifiers will be drawn for the boat giveaway during each day's 5 p.m. weigh-in, with the final three qualifiers and the eventual winner drawn Saturday. Fans must be present to qualify and win. Admission is free, and entry forms are available at the outdoor show.
The week's festivities also include a taping of "The Best Dam Sports Show Period" in the BJCC Arena Friday at 1:30 p.m. and a free concert presented by Chevy featuring country artist Craig Morgan at 4 p.m. Saturday in the BJCC Arena.
In addition to the tournament festivities, professional anglers will visit patients ranging in age from 5- to 18-years-old at Children's Hospital in Birmingham on Friday at 10 a.m. Aside from signing autographs and providing a needed break for the children, the anglers hope to cultivate an appreciation of the environment by teaching about the conservation of fish habitat and being respectful of nature. The anglers will also take this opportunity to explain why more than 50 million people pick up their rods and wet a line each year - because fishing is a fun, wholesome activity the entire family can enjoy.

Standings: http://flw.flwoutdoors.com/tournament.cfm?cid=1&t=results

Day 2: Top 24 Advance to Semifinals in FLW Championship

Day 2 Launch BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Land O'Lakes Angler of the Year Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., easily defeated No. 48 seed Ishama Monroe of Hughson, Calif., by a 19-pound, 14-ounce margin Thursday to advance to the semifinal round in the $1.5 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship presented by Castrol on Lake Logan Martin in Birmingham, Ala.
Gagliardi set out to catch a conservative five-bass limit today knowing he only needed a small catch to continue his quest to become the first angler in history to win both the Angler of the Year title and the FLW Tour Championship in the same season. However, a couple of unexpected quality bites resulted in a five-bass limit weighing 12 pounds, 13 ounces.
He landed the heaviest catch on opening day Wednesday - five bass weighing 15 pounds, 12 ounces - compared to Monroe's 2 pounds, 7 ounces - the lightest pro catch of the day. The staggering lead afforded Gagliardi an opportunity to conserve some of his better fish for his match-up against Danny Correia of Marlborough, Mass., Friday. Gagliardi finished third in the FLW Tour Championship during its 2004 stop in Birmingham.
"I caught a limit early and knew I had enough to advance," said Gagliardi, who advanced with an opening round total of 10 bass weighing 28-9 to Monroe's seven bass weighing 8-11. "After that, I picked up a crankbait and went searching. I found some new areas where I'm confident that I can catch fish. Plus, I didn't go to the areas I fished yesterday."
Heavy humidity and temperatures in the 90s greeted anglers from 28 states and Japan for the second consecutive day. The unfavorable dog days of summer, along with an abundance of local fishing pressure, made the bass finicky and tough for anglers to catch. In fact, only 18 anglers broke the 10-pound mark as a total of 400 bass weighing 686 pounds, 6 ounces were brought to the scale compared to yesterday's 738 pounds, 2 ounces.
No. 47 seed Toshinari Namiki of Hachioji-City, Japan, upset local favorite Matt Herren, who was seeded in the No. 2 position coming into the event. Herren, of nearby Trussville, Ala., performed well despite fishing with a broken tailbone after falling in his garage Saturday. He weighed a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 14 pounds, 13 ounces, while Namiki had 10 bass weighing 21 pounds, 2 ounces.
"I'm fishing both shallow and deep," Namiki said. "I'm using a jig and a worm and a crankbait around boulders and logs to catch my fish. Fishing is getting tougher each day."
Herren caught his bass by throwing a big jig around offshore structure.
"To get my weight yesterday I had to fish my good stuff, so I had to go practice today," he said. "My injury affected me a little and hurt my practice time, which hurt my fishing."
Another exciting match-up pitted legendary Arkansas anglers George Cochran of Hot Springs as the No. 41 seed against Larry Nixon of Bee Branch as the No. 8 seed. Cochran, the reigning 2005 FLW Tour Champion, jumped to a 2-pound lead on day one over his close friend by targeting shallow-water bass using a worm and a small crankbait around brush. He found the better fish today as well, weighing five bass for 11 pounds, 14 ounces compared to Nixon's five bass weighing 10 pounds, 6 ounces.
"I got lucky today," said Cochran advanced with a total of 10 bass weighing 21 pounds, 2 ounces. "I got three good bites, and I caught all three of them, unlike yesterday when I lost a few good fish."
Cochran's biggest fish of the day came on a shad-pattern crankbait that he threw to a bass busting baitfish on the surface.
"I just didn't perform today. I was on enough fish to win this thing, but it just didn't work. Shallow water fish were more consistent, and I went deep," said Nixon, who caught a two-day total of eight bass weighing 17 pounds, 10 ounces. "If anyone else was to win this, I wish it would be George. It would tickle me to death to see him win again."
In the battle of big-money winners, David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., capitalized on his day-one 2-pound, 15-ounce lead over his Castrol teammate Darrell Robertson of Jay, Okla., to advance to round two by a mere 2 ounces. Dudley, known for "junk fishing," weighed a five-bass limit of 8 pounds, 5 ounces Thursday and boosted his total catch to 10 bass weighing 18 pounds, 14 ounces. Robertson's limit weighing 11 pounds, 2 ounces was an improvement on Wednesday's performance, but not enough to advance. His two-day total of 10 bass weighed 18 pounds, 12 ounces.
"The weights really don't show what I'm capable of," Dudley said. "I have this one hole that is killing me. It's holding some big fish, but I keep breaking them off. These Coosa River spots are some mean fish."
Earlier this season, Dudley, 30, surpassed $2 million in career winnings, making him the youngest angler to accomplish that feat. He also holds the distinct honor of being the youngest angler to surpass $1 million in career winnings, a milestone he reached in March of 2002 at 26 years old. A win here would place him in second on the all-time money list behind the legendary Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo., and just ahead of Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich.
No. 39 seed Luke Clausen of Spokane, Wash., who won the FLW Tour Championship here two years ago as a rookie then went on to win the Bassmaster Classic earlier this year, could add yet another $500,000 win to his list of accomplishments this week. Clausen caught 10 bass weighing 26 pounds, 10 ounces to oust No. 10 seed Tom Monsoor of La Crosse, Wis., who caught 10 bass weighing 20 pounds, 1 ounce.
On the co-angler side, Matthew Parker of Whitesburg, Ga., moved from ninth place to take the lead with a total of eight bass weighing 18 pounds, 6 ounces. The 48 co-anglers compete against the entire field, with the top 24 advancing after day two. Co-angler competition concludes Friday with the winner taking home $25,000 cash.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Fred Martin of North Little Rock, Ark. (10 bass, 17-13); Mark Cummings of Pembroke, N.C. (seven bass, 17-5); Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C. (10 bass, 16-14); and Bob Bjorkland of Centennial, Colo. (10 bass, 16-12).
Parker caught his bass while fishing with Tyson pro Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minn.
The four-day tournament will conclude Saturday with the winning pro walking away $500,000 richer. The top 48 pros and co-anglers from the six-event 2006 Wal-Mart FLW Tour advanced to the no-entry fee championship, the most lucrative bass tournament in the history of the sport. Anglers were seeded according to their year-end ranking.
Championship contenders will take off from Pell City Lakeside Park, located at 2801 Stemley Bridge Road in Pell City at 7 a.m. each day, and daily weigh-ins will be held at 5 p.m. in the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena. The outdoor show featuring more than 140 exhibits; fishing seminars by Hank Parker, Forrest L. Wood and other bass-fishing legends; and free daily giveaways runs noon to 9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. Friday is free Berkley tackle day, and Saturday is free rod and reel and free Fujifilm camera day. Daily giveaways are for children 12 and under accompanied by an adult.
One lucky fan attending Saturday's final weigh-in will also win a new Ranger Z20 Comanche bass boat powered by Yamaha. Three qualifiers will be drawn for the boat giveaway during each day's 5 p.m. weigh-in, with the final three qualifiers and the eventual winner drawn Saturday. Fans must be present to qualify and win. Admission is free, and entry forms are available at the outdoor show.
The week's festivities also include a taping of "The Best Dam Sports Show Period" on the Chevy stage in the outdoors show at the BJCC at 1:30 p.m. and a free concert presented by Chevy featuring country artist Craig Morgan at 4 p.m. Saturday in the BJCC Arena.
In addition to the tournament festivities, professional anglers will visit patients ranging in age from 5- to 18-years-old at Children's Hospital in Birmingham on Friday at 10 a.m. Aside from signing autographs and providing a needed break for the children, the anglers hope to cultivate an appreciation of the environment by teaching about the conservation of fish habitat and being respectful of nature. The anglers will also take this opportunity to explain why more than 50 million people pick up their rods and wet a line each year - because fishing is a fun, wholesome activity the entire family can enjoy.

Standings: http://flw.flwoutdoors.com/tournament.cfm?cid=1&t=results

Day 3: Twelve Advance to the Final Round

Jay Yelas BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Land O'Lakes Angler of the Year Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., easily defeated No. 24 seed Danny Correia of Marlborough, Mass., by a 2-pound, 6-ounce margin Friday to advance to the final round in the $1.5 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship presented by Castrol on Lake Logan Martin in Birmingham, Ala.
Today's win against Correia places Gagliardi one step closer to becoming the first angler in history to win both the Angler of the Year title and the FLW Tour Championship in the same season. He landed the heaviest catch of the opening round, defeating Ishama Monroe of Hughson, Calif., by a 19-pound, 14-ounce margin. Today he had a five-bass limit weighing 8 pounds, 8 ounces, besting Correia's five bass weighing 6 pounds, 2 ounces.
"I had my doubts all day," Gagliardi said. "I struggled and didn't catch any fish off some of my spots."
Gagliardi, who finished third in the FLW Tour Championship during its 2004 stop in Birmingham, had confidence in the pattern he developed during his practice period.
"I caught a very small limit within the first 30 minutes," he said. "After that, I started my milk run to the areas where I've caught better fish. I only culled once the first time through. Then I started the run all over again. Fortunately, I was able to catch five or six more fish."
Gagliardi used a drop-shot to catch his quick limit then switched to a crankbait to catch better fish in 16 feet of water.
Heavy humidity and temperatures in the 90s greeted anglers from 28 states and Japan for the third consecutive day. The unfavorable dog days of summer, along with an abundance of local fishing pressure, made the bass finicky and tough for anglers to catch. Only 13 anglers broke the 10-pound mark, as a total of 219 bass weighing 363 pounds, 6 ounces were brought to the scale, including 37 limits.
The last three FLW Tour Championship winners - Wal-Mart pro George Cochran (2005), Chevy pro Luke Clausen (2004) and Castrol pro David Dudley (2003), along with Chevy pro Dion Hibdon (2000), all faced tough opponents in today's semifinal round.
Cochran, who moved to the semifinals by defeating his good friend Larry Nixon of Bee Branch, Ark., by 1 pound, 8 ounces, faced fellow Hot Springs native Rob Kilby on Friday. Cochran's shallow-water pattern held up against Kilby, who fished a worm on a jig head in 8 to 12 feet of water. Cochran caught five bass weighing 9 pounds, 9 ounces to Kilby's 6 pounds, 12 ounces and moved to the final round for a shot at becoming the first back-to-back championship winner in tour history.
When asked about the prospect of setting a new tour record with back-to-back wins, Cochran quipped, "Records are made to be broken."
No. 39 seed Luke Clausen of Spokane, Wash., who won the FLW Tour Championship here two years ago as a rookie then went on to win the Bassmaster Classic earlier this year, won't add another $500,000 win to his list of accomplishments this week. Shinichi Fukae of Mineola, Texas, who caught five bass weighing 12 pounds, 14 ounces ousted Clausen, who caught five bass weighing 12 pounds, 12 ounces.
Dudley, 30, of Lynchburg, Va., became the youngest angler to surpass $2 million in career winnings earlier this season. Today he faced BFGoodrich Tires pro Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla., in the semifinal round. Known for "junk fishing," Dudley weighed a five-bass limit of 10 pounds, 14 ounces to defeat Martin by 14 ounces.
"I've been learning a little bit more every day," Dudley said. "If I can take everything that I've learned over the last few days, I think I can do pretty good tomorrow. I'm not saying I'm going to win, but I feel good about it."
Dudley also holds the distinct honor of being the youngest angler to surpass $1 million in career winnings, a milestone he reached in March of 2002 at 26 years old. A $500,000 win here would place him in second on the all-time money list behind the legendary Rick Clunn of Ava, Mo., and just ahead of Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich.
Hibdon, a Chevy pro from Stover, Mo., was unable to advance to the finals with his fellow championship winners. Brennan Bosley of Benton, Ark., weighed a five-bass limit of 9 pounds, 15 ounces to edge past Hibdon's 8 pounds, 15 ounces.
"I had a tough day," Bosley said. "I had six keeper bites all day, but fortunately I was able to put all six in the boat. I've had an every other day pattern and today was an off day. Maybe it will be back on tomorrow."
Bosley used a crankbait around shallow-water riprap and jigs around docks to make the final round of his first FLW Tour Championship.
Friday's action saw the conclusion of the co-angler competition after the co-angler field was cut from 48 to 24 competitors on Thursday. Matt Arey of Shelby, N.C., walked away with a check for $25,000 thanks to his tournament-winning catch of five bass weighing 11 pounds, 15 ounces.
"It was a wonderful day," Arey said. "I had a gut feeling that today might be the day I took home my first victory."
Arey threw a drop-shot and Shaky Head worm in 12 to 18 feet of water, targeting offshore structure while fishing with Ranger pro Rob Kilby of Hot Spring, Ark.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, S.C. (five bass, 10-8, $15,000); Arch Cornett of Huntsville, Ala. (five bass, 8-2, $10,000); David Hudson of Jasper, Ala. (five bass, 7-14, $9,000); and Michi Oba of Tokyo (five bass, 7-14, $8,000).
The four-day tournament will conclude Saturday with the winning pro walking away $500,000 richer. The top 48 pros and co-anglers from the six-event 2006 Wal-Mart FLW Tour advanced to the no-entry-fee championship, the most lucrative bass tournament in the history of the sport. Anglers were seeded according to their year-end ranking.
Championship contenders will take off from Pell City Lakeside Park, located at 2801 Stemley Bridge Road in Pell City at 7 a.m. Saturday, and the weigh-in will be held at 5 p.m. in the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena. The outdoor show featuring more than 140 exhibits; fishing seminars by Hank Parker, Forrest L. Wood and other bass-fishing legends; and free daily giveaways runs 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday is free rod and reel and free Fujifilm camera day. Giveaways are for children 12 and under accompanied by an adult.
Country Music recording artist Craig Morgan will perform a free concert presented by Chevy at 4 p.m. Saturday in the BJCC Arena, and one lucky fan attending Saturday's final weigh-in will win a new Ranger Z20 Comanche bass boat powered by Yamaha. The final three qualifiers and the eventual winner will be drawn during Saturday's 5 p.m. weigh-in. Fans must be present to qualify and win. Admission is free, and entry forms are available at the outdoor show.

Standings: http://flw.flwoutdoors.com/tournament.cfm?cid=1&t=results

Day 4: Ehrler Wins $500,000 at FLW Tour Championship

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Standing before an arena filled with cheering bass-fishing fans, Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., brought in a winning catch of five bass weighing 15 pounds, 1 ounce to pocket $500,000 in the Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship presented by Castrol on Lake Logan Martin. The half-million dollar check is the largest first-place award in professional bass fishing.
Ehrler entered the event as the No. 40 seed and dispatched No. 9 seed Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., at the end of the first round with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 20 pounds, 11 ounces compared to Pirch's catch of 10 bass weighing 15 pounds, 4 ounces. During Friday's semifinal round, Ehrler was paired against No. 33 seed National Guard pro Ramie Colson Jr. of Cadiz, Ky., and he again brought in a five-bass limit to defeat Colson and advance to the final round where he ultimately claimed the half-million dollar prize. His semifinal round catch weighed 13 pounds, 4 ounces compared to Colson's limit weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces.
"It's pretty amazing and I really don't know how I feel right now," Ehrler said. "I told myself at the beginning of the year, 'I don't care if I finish first or 100th, I just want to make the championship.'"
He fished a finesse worm on a jig head around docks and cranked a Lucky Craft RC 1.5 between the docks to catch the heaviest weight Saturday.
Ehrler qualified for the 2005 FLW Tour through the Stren Series Western Division after earning six top-10 finishes in the 2003 and 2004 seasons. In 2004, one of those top-10s was a win at the Stren Series Championship. He earned $25,000 in his rookie year on the FLW Tour and finished 73rd in the Land O'Lakes Angler of the Year Points race. With his championship win in Birmingham on Saturday, he has earned more than $612,000 since 2003.
Weed Eater pro Ray Scheide of Russellville, Ark., caught a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces to claim second place and $50,000 cash.
"Man, it's bittersweet. I truly believe when it's your time, it's your time," Scheide said. "Today wasn't my time. It was Brent's."
Scheide fished two patterns through the entirety of the championship. When current was present, he focused on deep offshore structure with crankbaits and finesse gear. When the current was absent, he fished banks in the backs of creeks and pockets with wood and other submerged cover. His lures of choice were jigs, crankbaits and finesse gear.
Scheide entered the event as the No. 4 seed and displaced No. 45 seed Fujifilm pro Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tenn., at the end of the first round. During Friday's semifinal round, Scheide was paired against No. 28 seed Sirius pro Chip Harrison of Bremen, Ind. He again brought in a limit of bass to defeat Harrison and advance to the final round where he ultimately finished in second place.
The top 48 anglers from the six-event 2006 Wal-Mart FLW Tour advanced to the championship. Anglers were seeded according to their year-end ranking, with the No. 1 pro fishing head-to-head against the No. 48 seed, the No. 2 seed fishing against the No. 47 seed, and so on. The twelve anglers who advanced to the final round fished for the heaviest weight of the day. Overall, 28 states and Japan were represented in Birmingham.
Rounding out the top five pros were Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas (five bass, 13 pounds, 9 ounces, $40,000); Shinichi Fukae of Mineola, Texas (five bass, 13 pounds, 5 ounces, $35,000); and Jay Yelas of Tyler, Texas (five bass, 13 pounds, 2 ounces, $30,000).
Friday's action saw the conclusion of the co-angler competition after the co-angler field was cut from 48 to 24 on Thursday. Matt Arey of Shelby, N.C., walked away with a check for $25,000 thanks to his tournament-winning catch of five bass weighing 11 pounds, 15 ounces.
FLW Tour Championship anglers were not the only big winners Saturday, as Toby Hartsell of Livingston, Texas, won a new Ranger Z-20 Comanche worth $47,500. The boat is powered by Yamaha and equipped with EverStart Batteries, Lowrance electronics and a Minn Kota trolling motor. The names of three lucky contestants were drawn during each day's weigh-in.

Standings: http://flw.flwoutdoors.com/tournament.cfm?cid=1&t=results

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Compiled by Brandon Shook

President/Publisher: Brandon Shook.