California's Rusty Salewske has fished 2 full seasons on the FLW Tour, but has yet to crack the Top 48 in the year-end points and qualify for the FLW Tour Championship (FLWTC). He's 27th in the FLW Series points, however, and has an opportunity to lock up a spot in the 2007 Forrest Wood Cup before the next tour season even begins.
He's never been to Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks, which will host the fourth of five events in the Series Oct. 11-14. However, he has done some homework for the tournament.
"I've had a map for 3 months and I've been studying it quite a bit," he said. "You can't try to drive a whole lake that size in the time that's available, so I've picked two areas to concentrate on. I'll spend a half-day riding and looking at each of them.
"I'll try to determine the best area based on water color, and hopefully I'll find some bait. I hope there'll be some bass there too."
He hasn't competed in a tour-level event since June, but he's been fishing three or four times a week at Palo Verde Lake near his San Diego home.
"I've been trying to practice my dock-fishing skills. I've heard there's a million of them (at Ozarks) and you'd better know how to fish them."
