Bass fishing’s most prestigious title, $1 million cash prize up for grabs
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Aug. 15, 2008) – Team Duracell pro Michael Bennett of Lincoln, Calif., crossed the stage with a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces to capture the lead on day two of the $2 million Forrest Wood Cup presented by BP and Castrol on Lake Murray. With a total opening-round catch of 10 bass weighing 27 pounds, 4 ounces, Bennett now holds a 14-ounce lead in the tournament featuring 77 pros and 77 co-anglers from across the United States, Japan and Korea.
“This is a little shocking,†said Bennett, who has earned more than $435,000 in FLW Outdoors competition. “I had one fish at 9 a.m. and finally gave up everything I was doing and started over. Then I got into the right little stretch and put three good ones in the boat and had my limit by noon. Then I just drove around the lake looking for stuff to fish the next two days.â€
Bennett said he caught his three good fish in a spot he described as “shallower.†He said most of his spots dry up when he catches one fish off of them.
“I found a few areas that look like places I need to fish,†Bennett said. “I don’t know if they’ve been hit at all.
“I dialed into a little bit of a pattern today,†Bennett added. “I’m trying to keep an open mind. They were a little different than how I caught them yesterday. Yesterday I caught a couple deep and today I caught a couple semi-deep and a couple shallow.â€
Mark Rose of Marion, Ark., trails Bennett in the No. 2 spot with nine bass weighing 26-6.
“I’m just junk fishing,†said Rose, who has won more than $703,000 in FLW Outdoors competition. “I can tell you I won’t be fishing a shaky-head (rig).â€
Rose said the shaky-head rig accounted for two small fish Friday. Rose said he caught most of his fish shallow and shared his spot with some other competitors.
“I felt like I could scratch and claw a few,†Rose said. “I could just feel that it wasn’t going to take much to make the cut.â€
Rounding out the top 10 pros are Team National Guard pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif. (10 bass, 26-01); Terry Bolton of Jonesboro, Ark. (10 bass, 25-10); Brian Travis of Conover, N.C. (nine bass, 23-01); Team Snickers pro Chris Baumgardner of Gastonia, N.C. (10 bass, 23-00); Team Kellogg’s pro Dave Lefebre of Union City, Penn. (10 bass, 23-00); Jay Yelas of Corvallis, Ore. (10 bass, 22-12); Team Berkley pro Kevin Vida of Clare, Mich. (nine bass, 22-11) and Team Chevy pro Dion Hibdon of
Stover, Mo. (10 bass, 22-01).
*****from Jim Modlin, covering Golf and Fishing for GREENSBOROSports.com*****