MONROE, La. (March 11, 2005) - Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge in southern Arkansas was the place to be Friday for anglers competing in the final round of the FLW Tour bass fishing tournament on the Ouachita River. All 10 boats made the 60 mile run north from the launch site at Forsythe Park in Monroe. When they returned, it was Toshinari Namiki, 38, of Tokyo who led the pro field with a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 7 ounces.
The four-day event, which concludes Saturday, began with 200 pros and 200 co-anglers in the hunt for top awards of $100,000 and $20,000 cash, respectively, and was narrowed to the top 10 anglers in each division Thursday evening.
A cold front that passed through the region Wednesday made fishing somewhat tougher on competitors Thursday, as the number of limits dropped from 95 to 48. Weights also declined from 13 catches over 15 pounds to six. Things picked up again Friday, however, as anglers who survived the cut caught eight limits, including four over 15 pounds. The stage is now set for a showdown Saturday, as conditions are improving and just 2 pounds, 6 ounces separate the top two contenders.
"Conditions have changed every day," said Namiki, who finished fourth at the FLW Tour season opener on Lake Okeechobee. "I think that I am lucky because I had one kicker fish, a 7-pounder. Matt (Herren) is fishing more consistent. I had a lucky bite. What will happen tomorrow? I don't know."
Namiki would not divulge his technique, but he did say that buck brush and trees are his targets in Felsenthal and that he is fishing within sight of another competitor.
Matt Herren of Trussville, Ala., caught five bass weighing 18 pounds, 1 ounce on a prototype Davis M-Series jig with a Net Bait chunk trailer to secure the No. 2 spot heading into the final day of competition, while Mike Hawkes of Sabinal, Texas, caught five bass weighing 16 pounds, 2 ounces to grab the No. 3 spot.
Jason Kilpatrick of Satsuma, Ala. (five bass, 15 pounds) and Darrel Robertson of Jay, Okla. (five bass, 12 pounds, 5 ounces) rounded out the top five pros.
Another angler to watch is FLW Tour rookie Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla., who is making this third top-10 appearance in as many tournaments - a feat unmatched in FLW Tour history. Lane is currently sixth with four bass weighing 10 pounds, 12 ounces.
James Davis Jr., 34, of Ferriday, La., took top honors and $20,000 in the Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 13 pounds, 4 ounces. He caught the fish on a 3/8-ounce chartreuse and white Excalibur spinnerbait while fishing buck brush in Felsenthal with Robertson.
"I never let up," said Davis, who fishes the Pro Division of the Texas Tournament Trail and last month missed a $73,500 win on Lake Amistad by just 1 ounce after catching an incredible 10 bass weighing 45 pounds, 2 ounces during the two-day event. "There was never a point that I thought I had it won, because I've been beaten before with 20 pounds in the livewell. If I'm catching them, I figure somebody else is, too."
Davis has earned an EverStart Series and three TTT top-10s since 2001. Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Merle Wells Jr. of Hammond, N.Y. (four bass, 8 pounds, 12 ounces, $10,000); Todd Lee of Jasper, Ala. (three bass, 7 pounds, 12 ounces, $9,000); Roy Altman Jr. of Augusta, Ga. (four bass, 4 pounds, 4 ounces, $8,000); and Bruce Dale of Jamestown, Ohio (two bass, 3 pounds, 11 ounces, $7,000).
Anglers will take off from Forsythe Park in Monroe at 7 Saturday morning. Saturday's weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 2701 Louisville Avenue in Monroe beginning at 3 p.m.