BRANSON, Mo. (March 14, 2009) - Scott Canterbury of Springville, Ala., caught a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds Saturday to capture the lead. Canterbury now holds a 3-ounce edge over his closest competitor, Scott Suggs of Bryant, Ark., heading into the final day of competition in the FLW Tour bass fishing tournament on Table Rock Lake. If he holds on for the win, Canterbury will pocket $125,000.
"I did a lot of running and fishing new water today," said Canterbury, who was the 2008 FLW Tour Rookie of the Year. "I have never been to Table Rock before practice and I absolutely love it."
Canterbury ran 50 miles one-way to the White River today. "I am flipping a jig when I get around some wood but most of my fish are coming off a crankbait," he said. "I am using the same crankbait but I am using two different colors according to the conditions.
"I am looking for a certain type of rock and bank. If I can't find it then I won't even waste my time fishing that area."
Tomorrow, Canterbury plans on going back to water that he has already fished. He said that he is just looking for five bites and hoping to come out on top.
Canterbury led day three of the FLW Tour season-opener on Lake Guntersville last month but ended up finishing eighth and knows what it feels like to be in this position. "I love going into the final day being in first," he said. "When it's your turn it will fall into place and if it's not this time then it will happen next time."
Suggs caught five fish weighing 15 pounds, 3 ounces to advance to the final day of competition as the No. 2 seed.
Rounding out the top 10 pros are Chevy pro Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C. (five bass, 14-6); Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky. (five bass, 12-9); pro David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn. (five bass, 11-8); pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif. (four bass, 9-8); pro Shinichi Fukae of Mineola, Texas (five bass, 9-2); pro Greg Bohannan of Rogers, Ark. (three bass, 5-11); pro Michael Bennett of Lincoln, Calif. (two bass, 4-1); and Chad Morgenthaler of Coulterville, Ill. (one bass, 2-4).
Overall there were 40 bass weighing 100 pounds, 14 ounces caught in the Pro Division Saturday. The catch included six five-bass limits.
Patrick Majors of Rogers, Ark., won the Co-angler Division and $20,000 Saturday with a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 3 ounces followed by Fred Martin of North Little Rock, Ark., in second place with five bass weighing 13-13 worth $10,000.
Majors opened the tournament in 23rd place Thursday with two bass weighing 8-12 while fishing with Lendell Martin Jr. of Nacogdoches, Texas. On Friday he jumped into seventh place on the strength of a two bass catch weighing 8-11 while fishing with Kyle Mabrey of McCalla, Ala. He wrapped up his win while fishing with Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky.
"All I do is fish for fun," Majors said. "This really is a dream come true. I don't know what else to say."
Majors said that every fish except for one this week came off a purple with chartreuse suspended Rogue jerkbait. "What I would do is throw the Rogue out of the back of the boat and give it about 30 to 40 yards and starting jerking it, Majors said. "While the pro is working the bank in the front I am strolling the jerkbait. I do this a lot at home on Beaver Lake."
Majors said that his wife already has plans for the $20,000 that he won today. "My next step is to go to Beaver Lake and see if I can do it again," he said.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers are Brandon Hunter of Benton, Ky. (four bass, 16-15, $7,500); James Watson of Waynesville, Mo.(three bass, 6-11, $5,000); Zac Cassill of Fairfax, Iowa (one bass, 5-7, $4,000); Frank Divis Sr. of Fayetteville, Ark. (one bass, 2-3, $3,500); Alex Posey of Roswell, Ga. (zero bass, $3,000); Teddy Bradley of Mishawaka, Ind. (zero bass, $2,500); Dearal Rodgers of Camden, S.C. (zero bass, $2,000) and David Lauer of South Bend, Ind. (zero bass, $1,500).
Overall there were 19 bass weighing 51 pounds, 10 ounces caught in the Co-angler Division Saturday. The catch included two five-bass limits.
Co-anglers were fishing for a top award of $25,000 this week.
Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. Sunday from the Table Rock State Park Marina located at 380 State Park Marina Rd. in Branson. 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.