PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (June 26, 2004) - Scott Martin of Clewiston, Fla., caught a two-day total of 10 smallmouths weighing 32 pounds, 8 ounces to win the $200,000 first-place award in the Forrest Wood Open bass fishing tournament on Lake Champlain - the final regular-season event of 2004 on the Wal-Mart FLW Tour. Martin, who won the FLW Tour event on the Pascagoula River in 2000, finished in fourth place the last time the FLW Tour visited Lake Champlain in 2002.
"I can't believe this," said a tearful Martin. "You have no idea what it has taken for me to get to this point, and that's why I'm so emotional."
Martin used a jerkbait most of the week to catch spawning bass in 6 to 12 feet of water. He fished the southern end of the lake during the first round and moved to the Inland Sea for the final two days. Unlike many of the finalists, Martin purposely avoided largemouths.
"Largemouths are going to get a little bigger, but there are so many 3- to 4-pound smallmouths here that you can win a tournament with just smallmouths," Martin said. "Sometimes, the largemouth bite will be a little erratic, but you can consistently catch good smallmouths. And that's what I decided to focus on all week."
Rounding out the top five pros were Aaron Martens of Castaic, Calif. (10 bass, 30 pounds, 4 ounces); Jonathan Newton of Rogersville, Ala. (10 bass, 30 pounds, 3 ounces); Fujifilm pro Randy Blaukat of Lamar, Mo. (10 bass, 29 pounds, 7 ounces); and Evinrude pro David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn. (10 bass, 29 pounds).
Martin also earned an additional $1,000 from Kellogg's for the largest cumulative four-day weight of 67 pounds, 3 ounces and collected the $1,000 Garmin Grand award for winning the tournament while using Garmin electronics.
The biggest bass of the tournament was caught by Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, who landed a 6-pound, 5-ounce lunker Wednesday to win $750 and the day's Big-Bass Award in the Pro Division. Jones earned another $1,000 from Snickers for catching the heaviest bass in either division over the first two days of competition. Dean Rojas of Grand Saline, Texas, won the $5,000 regular-season big bass award with a 10-pounder caught during the first event of the year at Lake Okeechobee.
Charlie Hartley of Grove City, Ohio, earned the Energizer Keeps on Going Award and a $500 Wal-Mart gift card for advancing to the final round as the No. 10 seed after finishing 44th on opening day.
Rob Kilby of Hot Springs, Ark., earned the Shop-Vac Clean Sweep Award and a selection of four Shop-Vac products for advancing to the finals as the No. 1 seed with 10 bass weighing 35 pounds, 12 ounces.
More than 98 percent of the bass were released alive during the tournament, thanks in part to an all-new, state-of-the-art Crestliner release boat that will be used at every FLW Tour stop in 2004. If the tour maintains a live-release rate throughout the season of 98 percent or higher, Energizer will donate $25,000 to the Children's Miracle Network.
The Angler of the Year title for the FLW Tour was determined at the end of competition on Thursday. Reigning Japan Bass Angler of the Year, Shinichi Fukae of Osaka, Japan - a rookie on the FLW Tour and points leader coming into the event - finished the Forrest Wood Open in 24th place to seal the title.
Jason Knapp of Uniontown, Pa., won the Co-angler Division and the $40,000 first-place prize Friday with a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 9 ounces.
The four-day tournament was the sixth of seven FLW Tour events that will culminate with the $1.5 million Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship Boat and Outdoor Show in Birmingham, Ala., Aug. 11-14, where the winning pro earns the sport's largest cash award, $500,000, and fishing fans are treated to hundreds of displays featuring special offers on everything from crankbaits to bass boats.