DEL RIO, Texas. (Feb. 23, 2006) - Numerous FLW Outdoors records were crushed Thursday at the Stren Series Central Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Amistad. Lake Amistad continues to display its status as one of the world's most productive big-bass lakes. Pro David Mauldin of Tomball, Texas, caught a hefty five-bass limit weighing 27 pounds, 1 ounce, which, along with his 26-pound, 9-ounce limit from Wednesday, gives him a record-setting first-round weight of 53 pounds, 14 ounces. The previous first-round weight record for all FLW Outdoors bass-fishing events was 51 pounds, set by William Davis of Russellville, Ala., last year during the Stren Series Sam Rayburn tournament.
The 200-boat field caught a total of 1,657 bass, including 267 limits, weighing an unbelievable 5,071 pounds, 8 ounces - the largest one-day weight in FLW Outdoors history, surpassing the old record by nearly 600 pounds. The previous first-round weight record of 4,481 pounds, 3 ounces came from a 2004 Wal-Mart FLW Tour event on Lake Champlain. Thursday's amazing one-day weights seem never ending: 48 anglers weighed catches of 20 pounds or more, 14 of those weights were 25 pounds or better, with three anglers catching limits exceeding 30 pounds.
Furthermore, in the Pro Division, Ricky Scott of Van Buren, Ark., caught the fifth-largest one-day weight in FLW Outdoors history - five bass weighing 34 pounds, 4 ounces. The record is 38 pounds, 14 ounces, caught by Mike Terry of Obion, Tenn., in a 1992 Kentucky Lake Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League event. Scott currently sits in the ninth place with a two-day total of 46 pounds, 8 ounces.
Pros are competing for as much as $64,500 in cash and prizes while co-anglers are competing for as much as $35,000 in cash and prizes. The top 20 anglers from each division advance to fish Thursday. Twentieth place in the Pro Division, Charles Simmons of Waco, Texas, has 42 pounds, 2 ounces.
"I have never been to this lake before," Mauldin said, "but I've never had a day like this. I only practiced for a half day and then drove around for another half day looking for other spots. I don't even know the lake. I didn't even buy a Mexico license, so I'm staying in Texas.
"I feel really confident. I've only really been fishing for four hours each day. I had 18 pounds in the boat real early. I knew I had enough to make the cut, so I just messed around the rest of the day and ended up catching three more 6-pounders. So if fish really hard tomorrow, there is no telling what could happen. Thirty-five pounds is not out of the question because I haven't caught a giant yet like I did in practice. All my fish have been 5- and 6-pounders."
Day-one pro leader Craig Dowling of Many, La., caught another strong limit Thursday to give him a two-day weight of 53 pounds, 12 ounces - only 2 ounces behind Mauldin. Dowling's first-round weight also breaks the old FLW Outdoors record.
Rounding out the top five pros are Robert Case of Point, Texas (10 bass, 48 pounds, 14 ounces); Chris Slopak of Prairie Grove, Ark. (10 bass, 48 pounds, 3 ounces); and Keith Combs of Temple, Texas (10 bass, 47 pounds, 8 ounces).
Russell Cecil of Willis, Texas, caught a huge 11-pound largemouth to earn $750 for the Snicker's Big Bass award in the Pro Division.
With a first-round total of 10 bass weighing 48 pounds, 13 ounces, leader Ed Gold of Broken Arrow, Okla., shattered the FLW Outdoors co-angler two-day record. Also, not reported yesterday was the record set by co-angler Tim Achee of Hemphill, Texas. His Wednesday limit of 30 pounds, 10 ounces, is the largest FLW Outdoors co-angler one-day weight of all time.
"This lake is awesome," Gold said. "The is the first time I've been here. I arrived last Friday to practice, and we didn't stick a lot of fish in practice. But this is unbelievable.
"These fish are staging right now in 15 to 40 feet of water. We have been throwing soft plastics all week."
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mark Diffee of Hot Springs, Ark. (eight bass, 44 pounds); Achee (five bass, 43 pounds, 8 ounces); Rodney Theesfield of Odessa, Texas (nine bass, 42 pounds, 4 ounces); and Jim Behnken of Floresville, Texas (10 bass, 39 pounds, 6 ounces).
Diffee earned $250 for the Snicker's Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to a 9-pound, 5-ounce bass.
Takeoff will start at 7:30 a.m. Central time each morning. Friday and Saturday's weigh-ins begin at 4 p.m. and will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 2410 Dodson Street in Del Rio. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
Stren Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of three rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday and Thursday, and the top 20 pros and co-anglers - based on two-day accumulated weights - advance to day three. Anglers start at zero Thursday and compete for 10 spots in each division in the final round. Winners are determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.