Four Arkansas pros will compete for $500,000 in the Forrest Wood Cup bass fishing championship today through Sunday at Lake Murray near Columbia, S.C.
The Forrest Wood Cup is the championship event of FLW Outdoors, featuring the top 45 finishers from FLW's various pro circuits along with the top 45 finishers from the non-boater, or co-angler, division.
The pro field includes the top 35 points leaders in the FLW Tour's Angler of the Year standings, as well as the 2013 FLW Tour Angler of the Year (Andy Morgan), the 2013 FLW Cup Champion (Randall Tharp), the five 2013 FLW Rayovac Series Division Anglers of the Year, the 2014 Bass Fishing League All-American Champion, the 2014 FLW College Fishing National Champion and the 2014 The Bass Federation National Champion.
Arkansans competing in the pro division are Stetson Blaylock of Benton, Robbie Dodson of Harrison, Mark Rose of West Memphis and Spencer Shuffield of Bismarck.
Blaylock, competing in his fifth Forrest Wood Cup, was the FLW Tour's Co-Angler of the Year in 2008. He turned pro in 2009 and won the third tournament he entered. He was runner-up in the 2013 Angler of the Year race to Andy Morgan.
Judging from his practice rounds, he said he expects the Forrest Wood Cup to be challenging.
"I haven't caught a limit any day I've been out here," Blaylock said. "It's extremely tough fishing out here, but that's just the way it is. You just have to roll with it."
Blaylock said his goal is to catch five keeper bass a day, and he'll do whatever is required to catch them.
"I'll adjust as I need to adjust," Blaylock said. "I'm going to have 20 rods rigged, so I'll be ready to do whatever I need to do to get them to bite. I'm going to fish deep and shallow."
His previous Cup appearances have prepared him for the rigors of such an event, Blaylock said.
"The Cup is a mental challenge because you're out here at the hardest time of the year to catch them," he explained. "It gets in your head when you're not getting bit, but at the same time these tough tournaments are the easiest to win if you get something going.
"The main thing is to be ready when the bites come."
Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., calls Lake Murray home. He said he believes it will take about 11 pounds per day to have a chance to win.
The Forrest Wood Cup is named for Forrest L. Wood of Flippin, the founder of Ranger Boats. The winner will earn $500,000, and the co-angler winner will win $50,000.
The last Arkansan to win the Forrest Wood Cup was Scott Suggs of Bryant, who won it at Lake Ouachita in 2007. He was the first of only two anglers to win $1 million in a bass tournament. The other was Michael Bennett, in 2008 at Lake Murray.
Sports on 08/14/2014