GALLATIN, Tenn. - Dave Lefebre of Erie, Pa., collected $100,000 cash Saturday as winner of the four-day, FLW Tour bass fishing tournament on Old Hickory Lake, and he scored his first FLW Tour win in dramatic fashion with a commanding 8-pound, 15-ounce margin of victory. Lefebre caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 27 pounds, 7 ounces despite facing tough conditions on the Tennessee fishery.
Lefebre got the final round off to a solid start Friday with five bass that weighed 15 pounds, 2 ounces - a weight that was more than 6 pounds heavier than his nearest competitor's. He added to that Saturday with another five bass weighing 12 pounds, 5 ounces and in fact had the tournament won after weighing in only two fish.
Lefebre rose up through the FLW Outdoors ranks, getting his start in the Northeast Division of the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League and the EverStart Series Northern Division. He began his FLW Tour career in 2003 and quickly made his mark, scoring a third-place finish on the Atchafalaya Basin in only his second tournament. Lefebre's win came in a challenging and often head-scratching tournament, as anglers' consistency seemed to match the inconsistency of the weather. Competitors who hauled in relatively huge stringers often came in the next day practically empty-handed. Lefebre remained steady, however, and fished the lake like he had been fishing it his whole life when in fact it was only his second visit to Old Hickory.
"The key is confidence and just being in control of what I'm doing," said Lefebre, who caught most of his tournament-winning bass on a flipping and cranking pattern. "I just feel so good here; it's similar to stuff I fish back home. I can't explain it; it's just prespawn fish and shallow fish, which is what I like. People label me as a jig fisherman, but I like to do it all. I get nervous catching them on a treble hook in a tournament, but I try to go halfway and chase them down. It's like hunting, I guess."
In the midst of victory celebrations, Lefebre made it clear that his ultimate goal is to advance to the FLW Tour Championship, where 48 pros will compete for $500,000 cash. "I'm just trying to get to the championship," he said. "I'm trying to stay consistent and make that top 48 by year's end. You can't control the uncontrollable, so don't worry about that. The championship is my main focus. It's worth a lot of money just to get there, and that's what I'm going to try to stick to."
Rounding out the top five pros are Dion Hibdon of Stover, Mo. (five bass, 18 pounds, 8 ounces, $35,000); Morizo Shimizu of Osaka, Japan (three bass, 15 pounds, 12 ounces, $20,000); Greg Hackey of Gonzales, La. (four bass, 12 pounds, 14 ounces, $16,000); and Marcel Veenstra of Brighton, Mich. (three bass, 11 pounds, 1 ounce, $14,000).
Katsutoshi Furusawa of Tokyo, Japan, earned $15,000 cash Friday as the Co-angler Division champion. His winning catch of three bass that weighed 9 pounds, 9 ounces earned him his first FLW Tour victory and his third top-10 finish.
The tournament, which was hosted by the Forward Sumner Economic Council and Sumner County Tourism, began Wednesday with 200 pros and 200 co-anglers taking off from Bull Creek Ramp in Gallatin. The full field competed for two days, after which the field was cut to 10 pros and 10 co-anglers based on their two-day accumulated weight. Co-angler competition concluded Friday, and the 10 pros competed another day for position and prize money.
More than 99 percent of the tournament's bass were released alive, thanks in part to an all-new, state-of-the-art release boat that will be used at every FLW Tour stop in 2004. If the tour maintains a 98 percent live-release rate throughout the season, Energizer will donate $25,000 to the Children's Miracle Network.
Dean Rojas of Grand Saline, Texas, retained his point lead in the 2004 Angler of the Year race by a razor-thin margin - he leads rookie Glenn Browne of Ocala, Fla., by merely one point. Lefebre vauled to third on the strength of his tournament win.
The four-day tournament is the third of seven events that comprise the FLW Tour, which culminates with the record-setting FLW Tour Championship and Outdoor Show in Birmingham, Ala., Aug. 11-14. At the championship, 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. Featuring two $500,000 events, two $900,000 events and two $1.25 million Open events during the regular season, the FLW Tour is the nation's top tournament circuit.