BRANSON, Mo. (March 12, 2009) - David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn., crossed the stage Thursday with a five-bass limit weighing 26 pounds, 11 ounces to lead day one of the FLW Tour bass fishing tournament on Table Rock Lake. Walker now holds a 4-pound, 6-ounce in the tournament that features anglers from all across the country, Mexico, Canada and Japan.
"I feel really good about the fish I am on," said Walker, who has 36 top-10 finishes in FLW Outdoors competition. "After finishing sixth at Lake Guntersville I feel really good about this week. I couldn't wait to get up this morning and see how cold it was. I knew that I was going to catch them today. When you have that mind set, that you can catch them, it makes it a lot of fun."
Walker's first keeper of the day was 7-pounds, 7-ounces. "When I set the hook I thought it was a drum," he said. "I didn't know what it was but I knew for sure it wasn't a bass. When it came up I couldn't believe that it was a bass. I knew from that moment that I was either in the right spot or I was doing the right thing.
"I ended up staying around that area and catching some more fish. Most of the fish I caught today were 5-pounds or better. I couldn't believe that the fish were biting like they did today because this wasn't the case in practice."
Walker said that he is fishing deeper than he normally would fish. He said that he hasn't fished this lake in many years but he always thought if he could get here a little earlier in the year that he could do really well and with the cold weather today he knew it would be a good day of fishing.
"This lake is exactly set up like the lakes in Kentucky where I started fishing," he said. "We are away from the shaky head events and I am trying to take advantage of that. This to me is the best FLW Tour schedule and I think this is my time to stand out and really do well. We are going to the right lakes at the right time for me and if I was ever going to catch any this would be the year. I am in my element."
Rounding out the top five places are pro Shinichi Fukae of Mineola, Texas (five bass, 22-5); Christian Romans of Carrollton, Ky. (five bass, 21-4); pro Aaron McManaway of Altamont, Ill. (five bass, 20-13); and pro Michael Bennett of Lincoln, Calif. (five bass, 20-2).
Walker earned the day's $750 Folgers Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 7-pound, 7-ounce bass.
Overall there were 630 bass weighing 1,894 pounds, 12 ounces caught by 152 pros Thursday. The catch included 94 five-bass limits.
Pros are competing for a top award of $125,000 this week plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for $2 million Forrest Wood Cup, which will be held July 30-Aug. 2 on the Three Rivers in Pittsburgh, Pa., where they could win as much as $1 million - the sport's biggest award.
Zac Cassill of Fairfax, Iowa, leads the Co-angler Division with five bass weighing 17-6 followed by David Lauer of South Bend, Ind., in second place with five bass weighing 16-4.
"I have never been in this position before," said Cassill, who is seeking revenge on Table Rock Lake after finishing 39th in the 2008 Stren Series Championship last November. "I started off the Stren Series Championship in 10th place and zeroed the second day so I didn't have a chance at winning. I would love to stay on top this week and hopefully have a shot at winning this event."
Today, Cassill caught two spotted bass and three largemouths on jerkbaits. He said the real key was the 10-pound Berkley fluorocarbon line he was using. "I am doing something a little different and it really paid off today," Cassill said.
Cassill took the early lead in the tournament while fishing with Brent Crow of Hartselle, Ala., who is currently in 95th place with five bass weighing 11-13.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are co-angler Spencer Shuffield of Bismarck, Ark. (five bass, 16-0); co-angler Kevin Koone of Greenbrier, Ark. (five bass, 13-13) and James Watson of Waynesville, Mo. (five bass, 13-11).
Lauer earned the day's $500 Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to a 7-pound, 6-ounce bass.
Overall there were 231 bass weighing 692 pounds, 8 ounces caught by 109 co-anglers Thursday. The catch included five five-bass limits.
Co-anglers are fishing for a top award of $25,000 this week.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. each day from Table Rock State Park Marina located at 380 State Park Marina Rd. in Branson. Friday's weigh-ins will also be held at Table Rock State Park Marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday's weigh-ins will be held at the Branson Convention Center located at 200 W. Main St in Branson, beginning at 4 p.m.