Cox Still On Top, But Not By Much

By BassFan Staff

The final day of the Forrest Wood Cup will feature a good bit of drama after all, and the scene will be sort of a throwback to competitive bass fishing's early days as two shallow-water experts will duel in Wheeler Lake backwaters.

John Cox topped the standings for the third consecutive day, but his lead was reduced from about 6 1/2 pounds to 9 ounces on day 3 by a hard-charging Todd Auten. Cox's 11-00 bag, his lightest of the event by 4 pounds, gave him a 43-05 total. Auten, whose weights have increased substantially each day, boxed a day-best 17-10 for a 42-12 aggregate.

After that it's a big drop down to Michael Neal in 3rd – he had a 37-14 total after weighing a 12-00 stringer. Bryan Thrift was just an ounce further back after weighing a 13-03 stringer.

Jacob Wheeler, the 2012 Cup champion, completed the Top 5 with 37-03 (11-05 on day 3).

Here are the totals for the anglers who advanced to the final day (red numbers in parentheses indicate deficit margins from the leader):

1. John Cox: 43-05
2. Todd Auten: 42-12 (0-09)
3. Michael Neal: 37-14 (5-07)
4. Bryan Thrift: 37-13 (5-08)
5. Jacob Wheeler: 37-03 (6-02)
6. Mark Rose: 36-09 (6-12)
7. Brandon Cobb: 35-09 (7-12)
8. Joseph Webster: 34-13 (8-08)
9. Chris Johnston: 34-03 (9-02)
10. Jeremy Lawyer: 32-15 (10-06)

Both Cox and Auten are fishing extremely skinny water in the nether regions of feeder creeks, but their weights are trending in opposite directions. Cox said he'll abandon Cotaco Creek, where he did all of his damage over the event's first 2 days, in favor of a backup spot that he hasn't seen since practice.

Meanwhile, Auten hopes he can retain the momentum he's gathered over the past 2 days.

"I know there's a bad day out there, and I hope it's not tomorrow," he said. "I'm going to need another good one."

It won't be entirely a two-man affair, though: If both leaders falter, any of the anglers in the Nos. 3 through 6 positions (where the weights are extremely tight) could snatch the Cup with a big day. Only one of that quartet has caught a 16-pound bag to this point (Wheeler had 17-09 on day 2), but all think the potential for a big haul exists.

Cobb (13-15 on day 3), Webster (13-14), Johnston (12-11) and Lawyer (12-00) all moved into the Top 10. They supplanted Jimmy Reese (9th to 11th, 10-04), Darrel Robertson (4th to 16th, three fish for 4-13), David Dudley (10th to 15th, 8-03) and Bill Chapman (8th to 18th, 6-14).

The final-day weather forecast for the Huntsville, Ala. area predicts afternoon thunderstorms, a high temperature of 90 degrees and a north wind topping out at 7 mph.

Cox Must Move

> Day 3: 5, 11-00 (15, 43-05)

Cox said he has no choice other than to scratch Cotaco Creek for the final day.

"It's beat to death – there's no sense going back in there," he said. "The water's come up some and now everybody can get back there, and there's a kayak tournament going on and some of those guys are in there.

"I'm just going to scrap it and go fish new stuff. I've got a hole I've got confidence in, but I don't know how bad it's been beat up. I think I can catch anywhere from 10 to 15 pounds, and that might be okay unless Todd crushes them."

He got all of his day-3 weight from Cotaco (his bag was topped by a 2 1/2-pounder), then moved to his primary backup area. It was of no assistance.

"The water coming up screwed that all up. I didn't catch any and it was just a mess. The other place (where he'll go on day 4) isn't exactly like the stuff I've been fishing – it's dirtier water and I'll have to change up baits."

His repertoire on day 3 included a frog, a buzzbait and a topwater plug.

"I thought they'd keep moving back to that spot (in Cotaco) and it'd just keep getting better and better, but with everything that's going on, I don't think they want to go back there now. I think where I'm going tomorrow, there's nowhere for the kayak guys to put in, so I should be safe.

"Those guys are serious about it. The (kayak) I saw was all decked out and the guy had a frog tied on, so I'm sure he was catching them."

If Auten catches another stellar bag and overtakes him, Cox will doff his hat to him.

"If he's got a magic spot and he wins it there, then hey, what can I do? If not, I'll try to give him hell tomorrow."

2nd: 5-Pounder Propelled Auten

> Day 3: 5, 17-10 (14, 42-12)

Auten caught a 5-01 bruiser fairly early, and that helped him produce a bag that was more than 3 1/2 pounds heavier than the next best in the field.

"That was probably my third fish, and one like that can make you slow down and fish harder," he said. "I had a couple of missed fish and if I'd caught them, I could've been close to 20 pounds. I'm kind of glad I didn't, though, because you don't want to burn ever fish in there."

He went through eight or nine keepers on a handful of different baits. Late in the day he tried a tactic he hadn't employed yet and although it didn't produce any fish that helped him, it might on the final day.

Some of his fish are holding on cover and others are focused on baitfish.

"I figured out a little deal that worked and helped me catch a 3-plus-pounder, and I'm anxious to get in there and try it tomorrow. I caught two doing that after I made my last cull and I figured I wouldn't let the rest of them see it until tomorrow."

He said wasn't nervous at all, but might be by the time the final day gets under way.

"I'm sure it's going to set in. I've fished pretty clean all week and I just have to keep that going."

3rd: Okay Day for Neal

> Day 3: 5, 12-00 (15, 37-14)

Neal described his day as "decent – not great, but not terrible." He says he has plenty of quality main-lake fish remaining that school periodically.

"There's a lot, and they're big ones," he said. "I didn't get as many windows to catch them as I did yesterday (when he weighed 15-12) and when I did, they played cat-and-mouse with my topwater. One time you could see the Spook go 4 feet sideways and sometimes they'd take it under and I'd lean into them, but there was nothing there.

"I have a shot (to win), but if I don't catch at least 16 pounds tomorrow, there's no shot. It's doable – I almost had that yesterday and the fish are still there."

He went through about 20 keepers, the biggest of which was a 3 1/2-pounder. Most were enticed by one of three subtle walking baits.

"I don't think which bait I'm throwing really matters. They don't want anything aggressive – if it pops or rattles, they won't touch it. I have to walk it slow; fast doesn't get bit.

"I've been throwing a Carolina rig just to catch fish, but once I get five in the boat tomorrow there'll be no more of that. I'm going with the topwater the rest of the way."

4th: More Bites for Thrift

> Day 3: 5, 13-03 (15, 37-13)

Thrift got nine keeper bites on day 3, which was three more than he'd had on either of the previous 2 days. He used a variety of baits, but a swimjig was particularly effective, producing three weigh-in specimens.

"I made 20 or 30 stops and ran a lot of new stuff I hadn't fished," he said. "I had everything I weighed by 10 o'clock and that gave me the freedom to run around and try to find new water or get a big bite. I caught some more fish, but neither of those things happened."

His sack consisted of two 3-pounders and three 2 1/2s, all of which were largemouths. He knows he'll need a much larger stringer on the final day to have a chance to win.

"Theoretically, it could happen," he said. "I could go down the right bank first thing in the morning and catch a couple good ones on a topwater and be right back in the game."

5th: Wheeler Fell Back a Bit

> Day 3: 5, 11-05 (15, 37-03)

Wheeler came in 6 pounds lighter than day 2, which dropped him from 2nd to 5th. Still, he’s optimistic about his chances.

“Wheeler Lake is a tough fishery right now, but there are some big ones in there,” he said. “I’m looking at different maps every night and picking out new places to go to, trying to find some crazy stuff that hasn’t been worn out.”

He caught two fish he weighed on day 3 from spots he’d fished earlier in the tournament, but the rest came from new water.

“The water came up some today and messed up an area that was good yesterday, but I may try it early tomorrow to get a fast start. There’s a couple spots where I know exactly where a big one lives. These are 3 1/2- to 4- or 5-pounders, and those go a long way here. They’re making me so mad, because I can see them and they won’t bite.

"I’ve caught all of their buddies in there. If I can get 10 to 12 pounds early I might go up there and make those specific casts to this undercut bank or that laydown or a certain lily pad. If I can upgrade with one or two of those, it’s worth going there.”

While he didn’t have any tournament competitors in his areas on day 3, he encountered bass anglers of another stripe.

“There was a 40-boat kayak tournament today, and I went to my No. 1 place and there’s like three already fishing my stuff,” he said. “So I ran to one place I knew a big fish lives and there’s a kayak there, and he goes ‘Man I just caught a big one off that tree!’

"It was kind of frustrating, but I had other places. Tomorrow I’ll just fish the conditions and adapt as I go.”

6th: Only 5 for Rose

> Day 3: 5, 12-05 (15, 36-09)

Rose brought every keeper he caught on day 3 to the scale.

"Based on where I'm at (in the standings), you'd think I'm doing all right, but I'm struggling," he said. "I'm throwing a topwater early and then I'm scratching and clawing after that.

"The deeper fish aren't really on offshore ledges – it's more brushpiles and schooling. I can't catch them on the ledges; they're just not set up right. They're all up in the water column and it doesn't make any sense."

He boxed three early topwater fish but didn't complete his limit until 1 o'clock.

"I'm trying not to have a game plan (for day 4) at this point in time this evening. I'll just wake up in the morning and fish my instincts. I've spent so much time here wanting to fish deep and I'm just tired of planning."

7th: Cobb Needs Cooler Water

> Day 3: 5, 13-15 (15, 35-09)

Cobb weighed his heaviest bag of the tournament today, boosting himself into the final cut. He’s been going to one spot first thing in the morning and putting a few fish in the boat as a confidence-builder, but he may not do that on the final day.

“I’ve been going to that creek with a spring or something in it that has much cooler water,” he said. “I caught four there today, but I ended up culling them all. There were some other local boats in there today too. I don’t think I can go for the win there, so I won’t go tomorrow.”

He boated 11 keepers , mostly flipping a Greenfish Tackle 1/2-ounce flipping jig with a Zoom Chunk trailer and and throwing a shaky-head worm. His biggest was about 4 pounds and all were largemouths.

“I caught most of my better fish today in one creek,” he said. “I had one bite there in practice but caught six or seven there today, so it might be getting better. It just looks right and it’s got some bait in there, but mostly it’s the cooler water.

"Nobody was in there this afternoon, but I haven’t been in there early. I don’t think I’ll get a lot of bites in there but if I can get six or seven, they should be the right size.”

8th: Webster Back on Track

> Day 3: 5, 13-14 (15, 34-13)

TBF National Championship winner Joseph Webster moved back into the Top 10 after falling out on day 2, when he sacked just 6-13. He used a crankbait to pull two of his weigh-in fish off a ledge and got the other three with a Lucky Craft Sammy topwater while they were schooling.

He handled nearly 40 keepers, including a 4-pounder. One big smallmouth was his only significant missed bite.

He's fishing between Spring Creek and the dam on the south side of the main lake.

"I caught a couple of 17-pound bags in pre-practice and I'm hoping I can do that tomorrow," he said. "If it happens, it'll be all smallmouths – they're bigger (than the largemouths) where I'm fishing."

9th: Same Game for Johnston

> Day 3: 5, 12-11 (15, 34-03)

Johnston, the Canadian who was the top rookie on the FLW Tour this year, moved up four places in the standings to earn himself another day on the water.

"I ran the same stuff, chasing schooling bass," he said. "I've caught every one of my fish on top all week – I think I've caught one on a Fluke.

"I had a slow start to the morning and I can only catch them when they're busting. As soon as they come up I've got to get that bait to them – if I don't land it on his nose, I don't get bit."

He boated 12 keepers and weighed all largemouths, the biggest of weigh was a 3 1/2-pounder.

10th: A Lunker for Lawyer

> Day 3: 4, 12-00 (14, 32-15)

Lawyer was one of two anglers who made the Top 10 without weighing a limit each day. His total over 3 days was eight ounces more than first-out Jimmy Reese.

He made up for coming in one shy of a limit on day 3 by anchoring the four-fish sack with a 6-pounder.

“I’m mostly just sitting on a main lake point in front of a pocket on the lower end of the lake, throwing a topwater bait to schooling fish,” he said. “In between, when they’re not up, I’m casting some other baits. The big one hit a LiveTarget crankbait up on top of the point.

“It was slower than yesterday,” he added. “The front yesterday may have messed them up. My fish bite better when it’s slick, calm, and sunny. I’ve stayed in that same place the whole tournament and it’s holding up so far. I had my fifth one on once today. It was only about a pound, but that’s big in this tournament.”

12th: Martin Lost a Lot

> Day 3: 5, 10-10 (15, 32-03)

Scott Martin, the 2011 Cup winner, said he had the bites to weigh a 16- to 18-pound bag, but couldn't get them into his boat. He'd resorted to throwing tiny baits and the hooks weren't big enough to get the job done.

"I made some good adjustments and fished some crazy baits like crappie jigs and Beetle Spins," he said. "The problem was with those small hooks, I ended up losing two for-sure 4-pounders, a 3 and three 2 1/2s. I wish I could get another day out there, but I'm not going to."

He even resorted to purchasing a tiny off-brand jerkbait from a tackle store and heating and bending the lip to turn it into a low-profile wakebait. It was well-received by the bass.

"Even though today was frustrating, in some ways it was a fun tournament because I had to make ridiculous adjustments to catch a limit every day."

19th: McMillan Milked Spot Dry

> Day 3: 5, 5-05 (13, 25-12)

Despite coming in light on day 2, McMillan returned to his best on day 3. The fish were still there (they’d show themselves by breaking the surface from time to time) but they were almost as stubborn as the previous day.

He put together a limit, but it was too light to carry him into the final round.

“I only caught the five keepers today, and the first one didn’t come until 2:30 p.m.,” he said. “They were there but they just wouldn’t bite. I stayed on them, throwing a Spro frog and flipping a Zoom Baby Brush Hog in a little depression in the back of a creek.

“That spot could have gone the distance if I could've gotten them to bite better. It was so easy the first day, but they may have gotten conditioned to my lures, or maybe they were just so full from eating all the bait in there.”

Notable

> Day 3 stats – 20 anglers, 17 limits, 1 four, 2 threes.

Weather Forecast

> Sun., Aug. 7 – P.M. T-Storms - 90°/72°
- Wind: From the N at 7 mph

Day 3 Standings

1. John Cox -- Debary, Fl -- 16-11 (5) -- 15-10 (5) -- 32-5 (10) -- 11-0 (5) -- 43-5 (15)

2. Todd Auten -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 10-12 (4) -- 14-6 (5) -- 25-2 (9) -- 17-10 (5) -- 42-12 (14)

3. Michael Neal -- Dayton, Tn -- 10-2 (5) -- 15-12 (5) -- 25-14 (10) -- 12-0 (5) -- 37-14 (15)

4. Bryan Thrift -- Shelby, NC -- 14-7 (5) -- 10-3 (5) -- 24-10 (10) -- 13-3 (5) -- 37-13 (15)

5. Jacob Wheeler -- Indianapolis, In -- 8-5 (5) -- 17-9 (5) -- 25-14 (10) -- 11-5 (5) -- 37-3 (15)

6. Mark Rose -- West Memphis, Ar -- 13-15 (5) -- 10-5 (5) -- 24-4 (10) -- 12-5 (5) -- 36-9 (15)

7. Brandon Cobb -- Greenwood, SC -- 11-6 (5) -- 10-4 (5) -- 21-10 (10) -- 13-15 (5) -- 35-9 (15)

8. Joseph Webster -- Fulton, Ms -- 14-2 (5) -- 6-13 (5) -- 20-15 (10) -- 13-14 (5) -- 34-13 (15)

9. Chris Johnston -- Peterborough, On -- 9-5 (5) -- 12-3 (5) -- 21-8 (10) -- 12-11 (5) -- 34-3 (15)

10. Jeremy Lawyer -- Sarcoxie, Mo -- 8-15 (5) -- 12-0 (5) -- 20-15 (10) -- 12-0 (4) -- 32-15 (14)

The following anglers did not make the cut and will not fish on day 4.

11. Jimmy Reese -- Witter Springs, Ca -- 7-12 (5) -- 14-7 (5) -- 22-3 (10) -- 10-4 (5) -- 32-7 (15) -- $15,000

12. Scott Martin -- Clewiston, Fl -- 11-2 (5) -- 10-7 (5) -- 21-9 (10) -- 10-10 (5) -- 32-3 (15) -- $15,000

13. Cody Meyer -- Auburn, Ca -- 12-1 (5) -- 9-5 (5) -- 21-6 (10) -- 10-12 (5) -- 32-2 (15) -- $15,000

14. Darrel Robertson -- Jay, Ok -- 10-11 (5) -- 14-8 (5) -- 25-3 (10) -- 4-13 (3) -- 30-0 (13) -- $15,000

15. David Dudley -- Lynchburg, Va -- 6-12 (5) -- 14-15 (5) -- 21-11 (10) -- 8-3 (5) -- 29-14 (15) -- $15,000

16. Shane Lehew -- Mooresville, NC -- 13-3 (5) -- 7-5 (5) -- 20-8 (10) -- 9-5 (5) -- 29-13 (15) -- $15,000

17. JT Kenney -- Palm Bay, Fl -- 1-11 (1) -- 19-2 (5) -- 20-13 (6) -- 8-8 (5) -- 29-5 (11) -- $15,000

18. Bill Chapman -- Salt Rock, WV -- 13-8 (5) -- 8-13 (5) -- 22-5 (10) -- 6-14 (5) -- 29-3 (15) -- $15,000

19. Brandon McMillan -- Clewiston, Fl -- 14-14 (5) -- 5-9 (3) -- 20-7 (8) -- 5-5 (5) -- 25-12 (13) -- $15,000

20. Ray Hanselman -- Del Rio, Tx -- 9-5 (5) -- 11-14 (5) -- 21-3 (10) -- 2-13 (3) -- 24-0 (13) -- $15,000