HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (Aug. 10, 2018) – The FLW’s best bass anglers launched on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Friday to kick off the 2018 Forrest Wood Cup. The three-day event, which awards a $300,000 top prize to the winner, featured a full field of 56 anglers competing today and Saturday before being cut to the final 10 on Championship Sunday.
Six-year FLW Tour veteran Alex Davis of Albertville, Alabama, who is fishing in his first career Forrest Wood Cup Championship, jumped out to the early lead after weighing in a five-bass limit totaling 13 pounds, 10 ounces. Davis’ limit was enough to narrowly edge the 2018 BFL All-American Champion Nick LeBrun of Bossier City, Louisiana (13-5), and pretournament pundit favorite Zack Birge of Blanchard, Oklahoma (13-1) for the early lead.
“Today was one of, if not the, most challenging day mentally that I’ve ever had in my career,” said Davis, who has four previous top-10 finishes in FLW Tour competition. “At noon today I had one fish in the livewell that weighed 1 pound. I had missed seven blowups on my topwater bait and I lost three bites fishing a worm. My best place that I thought I had I only caught one fish. Luckily, things turned around for me this afternoon.
“I moved out of my ‘best’ area and fished some new water and managed to catch three, which put me at four fish. On the way back to check in I decided to stop at the one brush pile that I knew of that was close to the ramp. I literally pulled up, made one cast, hooked my last keeper, got him in the boat and said ‘let’s go’. It was either my biggest or second-biggest fish of the day.”
Davis said he caught his fish Friday on three different baits, specifically mentioning a drop-shot rig and a Zara Spook, but declining to mention his third bait that he said was ‘different’.
“I thought I had 11 pounds, so when Chris Jones said I was the new leader I was blown away,” Davis said. “This lake is not a specific spot or specific cast kind of deal. It’s about being in the right place at the right time and hoping the stars line up.
“I was nervous this morning due to the Cup atmosphere, but I settled down once I got out fishing,” Davis went on to say. “I’m going to try my best to not think about being in the lead. I know it’s crazy to say, but if I think about it I’ll drive myself crazy. Tomorrow I’m going fishing, just like I did today. If I can catch one or two good ones, it will really go a long way.”
The top 20 pros after Day One on Lake Ouachita are:
1st: Alex Davis, Albertville, Ala., five bass, 13-10
2nd: Nick LeBrun, Bossier City, La., five bass, 13-5
3rd: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., five bass, 13-1
4th: Power-Pole pro Cory Johnston, Cavan, Ontario, Canada, five bass, 12-8
5th: Cabela’s/Bass Pro Shops pro James Niggemeyer, Van, Texas, five bass, 12-2
6th: Wes Logan, Springville, Ala., five bass, 11-9
7th: Bradford Beavers, Summerville, S.C., three bass, 11-6
8th: John Cox, DeBary, Fla., five bass, 11-3
9th: Jason Lambert, Michie, Tenn., five bass, 10-0
10th: Berkley pro Justin Atkins, Florence, Ala., five bass, 9-14
11th: Sheldon Collings, Grove, Okla., five bass, 9-10
12th: Austin Wilson, Citrus Heights, Calif., five bass, 9-8
12th: Clent Davis, Montevallo, Ala., five bass, 9-8
14th: Polaris pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., five bass, 9-3
15th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 9-0
16th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., five bass, 8-12
17th: Matt Becker, Finleyville, Pa., five bass, 8-7
17th: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., five bass, 8-7
19th: Cody Hahner, Wausau, Wis., two bass, 8-4
20th: Chad Foster, Pequot Lakes, Minn., five bass, 8-2