After Tough Day 3, Jordon Leads By 2-08

It was bound to happen. After the flotilla of 200 boats dwindled to 10, the glut of solid sacks diminished too. Only two of the final 10 anglers at today's Wheeler FLW weighed more than 15 pounds, and four weighed less than 10. Even more telling: only four of the final 10 weighed a limit. Kelly Jordon, who led day 2, weighed a 17-11 limit today and leads by a 2-08 margin.

Rookie Michael Bennett, who barely slipped into the cut yesterday, is 2nd with a 15-03 limit. Chad

Grigsby is 3rd with a 13-13 limit. Alvin Shaw is 4th with five fish for 13-03 and Toshinari Namiki is 5th with three for 12-14.

The rest of the field looks like this:

6. Greg Hackney: 4, 12-13
7. Lendell Martin, Jr.: 4, 7-10
8. Chip Harrison: 3, 7-05
9. Scott Suggs: 3, 6-14
10. Mike Hawkes: 1, 2-01

Hawkes caught the least, and was the only angler to fish Wheeler today.

Conditions remained largely the same today, although the wind did pick up and clouds covered Guntersville for at least an hour. That likely hurt the sight-fishermen. And clouds are expected tomorrow morning – along with a possible isolated thunderstorm – which could hurt them again.

Anglers also reported a water change. They said dams have not been moving water, so flotsam and scum have started to accumulate offshore.

Tomorrow's an early weigh-in (3 p.m. CST), so anglers who lock to Guntersville have, at most, a little less than 3 hours to fish. That said, a 25-pound sack can happen anytime on Guntersville – and possibly Wheeler. So despite the drop in weight after Hackney, the tournament is literally wide-open.

Jordon Guarding Stuff

Jordon has led 2 of the 3 tournament days, and feels good about tomorrow. But he's carefully guarding his words. He said a 200-boat tournament launches on Guntersville tomorrow, and he doesn't want to get covered up.

"Today went pretty good," he said. "I'm leading the tournament, so that's always good.

"I'll stick with what got me here. I'll keep running different areas and hope for five good bites.

"I practiced today, found some fish and I have some fish left.

"I feel good about tomorrow. I expect the bite to be a little tougher, but it's a great lake and I like to fish it. So I have confidence. It's a shorter day, so I just hope I can pull out a limit."

Bennett Caught What He Needed

After he made the cut in 10th by 1 ounce, Bennett (a rookie) caught a 15-03 limit today. He's 2-08 behind Jordon.

"Today went perfect," he said. "I caught everything I needed to. It went good, so I was happy about that.

"I need a couple of good bites tomorrow to have a really good shot at winning."

After yesterday's weigh-in, he said he was out of sight-fish. He said the same thing today. "Honestly, I don't know about tomorrow. Today, I wasn't sure what would happen, but it went well.

"Tomorrow, we only have 3 hours (to fish Guntersville), so I'll have to find them again. I found them today, so hopefully I can tomorrow."

He noted he didn't have a fish after the first hour this morning, but caught seven keepers total. "I had two that were 3 1/2 pounds, and no dead fish."

On whether the slop and flotsam on Guntersville hurt him, he said: "It never phased me. The only thing that phased me was probably an hour period of cloudy weather and a little wind. That made it tougher – harder to see."

And this is his first tour-level Top 10, but he's not intimidated by the other sticks he's fishing against. "Who's in the Top 10 doesn't matter. When it comes down to it, it's you against the fish. You just do what you can do, then if you win, you win. That's how I look at it."

Grigsby Lost Key Fish

Grigsby, in 3rd, is 3-14 behind Jordon. He could have been closer, but lost a good fish today.

"I've been sight-fishing in Guntersville," he said. "I've been doing that all week. Actually, I thought it petered out after Wednesday, but I caught them Thursday.

"I didn't think there'd be anything to go to today, but there was. And I actually lost about a 3 1/2- to 4-pounder. That would have put me right up where I needed to be."

He weighed a limit, but that fish would have culled out a "little bitty" keeper.

"Tomorrow, we don't have very much time," he said. "I'll just go out and try to sight some new ones. Play it by ear, I guess.

"I'll stay in pretty much the same area – just slide out a little bit and throw that little (Venom) Sling Worm."

He said the wind did hurt him today: "It's really hard to fish with that chop and cloud cover." But he also noted the water changed. "I think the water came up about 6 or 8 inches. That's what it looked like to me.

"With only 3 hours tomorrow, there'll be no running around. We'll wing around and try to scratch out five big ones. It ought to be fun anyway."

Shaw Might Change

Shaw's also very much in the hunt. He's 4th with 13-03 (4-08 behind Jordon).

"I just had to fish hard today," he said. "And I had to really, really slow down to get them to bite. With all the locking time, that sort of works on your nerves a little."

He said he's sharing his area with someone. "Another Top (10) guy is in the same area, and we sort of draw the line on who's got what. That's working fine.

"Curt Lytle was in there in the tournament, and Koby Krieger. So a lot of fish that were there have been caught. I think I can catch another limit there like I did today, but I need to find a 5- to 6-pound kicker. Actually, I need two of those tomorrow, since I didn't get one today.

"I need two kickers tomorrow and a good solid limit."

He's been a hot stick the past three tournaments, and this is his 3rd consecutive Top 10. Bobby Lane is the only other angler to do that on the Tour this year.

"I can't put a finger on it," Shaw said of his hot streak. "I feel like I'm working harder, and it's paying off. I spent a whole lot of time studying maps, doing homework and being more mentally prepared. And I've been psyching myself up."

He noted he doesn't think he'll change tomorrow, but he might. "I thought about it and thought about it. I don't want to shoot myself in the foot, but if something dawns on me tonight, I might do it if I think that's what it takes to win.

"So I might try some new water – see what happens. Sometimes things come to you. Sometimes that happens – you sort of get an intuition to do something and it works out. But is has to really feel right."

Hackney: New Water Tomorrow

Like most of the others, 5th-place Hackney sight-fished on Guntersville today.

"I actually lost one fish today – about a 3 1/2-pounder," he said. "If I'd have caught that fish, I would have had a great day. "I only found five today that I could get to bite. The last couple of days, I haven't been able to find a lot of fish, but the ones I found would bite. So that was different."

His biggest fish today was a 4 1/2-pounder. "There was a bunch of other 4-poudners I had to go and leave. They were real squirrely – not locked down.

"I'm not sure what I'll do tomorrow. I found one place (today) I'd like to go back to. I'll probably start there, then run new water.

"When I come across the right fish, I have no trouble catching them. So I'm really thinking about just looking for new areas. I know the areas they're getting on, to the point where I can about pull up and know what banks they're on."

> He noted he was penalized 8 ounces for a dead fish today.

Suggs Got Slimed

Scott Suggs led day 1 and made the cut in 2nd. He's currently 9th after he caught only three fish for 6-14 today.

"It was a real tough day," he said. "The biggest thing that probably hurt me more than anything – and I don't know what caused it – but running up, the river was solid logs and sticks and wood. It settled all over the river, and there was no wind to push it off to the side. I don't think they're running the water at night.

"Then when I got up to Guntersville, that stuff (wood) and fat slimy stuff had settled all over the top of the water."

He wasn't sight-fishing, and he said the slime hurt his efficiency. "Out of 500 casts, only 200 were proper. My bait just stayed covered all the time. It was a pain in the rear.

"I'm fishing way offshore, and most of that stuff settled out in the middle of the lake."

But he said he'll stick with what he's got tomorrow. "The fish are still there. I didn't get but four keeper bites today, and lost one of them.

"I'll fish the same places tomorrow. I have to. I can come in and zero, but I could also bust another giant bag like the first day."

Hawkes Lost Wheeler Bite

Mike Hawkes, in 10th, was the only angler to fish Wheeler today. He caught the biggest sack on day 2 (20-10), but struck out today with one fish for 2-01.

"Oh man, I struggled bad," he said. "I'm fishing one stretch on Wheeler, and I think on Wheeler, you can catch them all – or enough to hurt them, the aggressive ones anyway.

"I caught one early, then just never got another bite. I only caught one more, a non-keeper, the rest of the day. It was pretty ugly.

"I feel I exploited the fish available there the first couple of days, but I was afraid this would happen."

On his plan for tomorrow, he said: "I'll make one pass down that same stretch, and see if there's any big fish there. Then I'll start to explore some new water – just go practicing.

"I don't have anything concrete, but it'll be the same type of stuff, just in different places.

"I think I'd be spinning my wheels if I made the run to Guntersville and looked for sight-fish."

Notable

> Day 2 stats – 10 anglers, 4 limits, no zeroes.

> Shaw is the only angler to compete in every FLW Tour Championship since 1996.

> Three of the Top 10 also finished in the Top 10 at the Ouachita River: Namiki, Shaw and Hawkes.

Weather Forecast

Sat, May 14 -- Isolated T-Storms -- 81°/56°
> Wind: S at 5 to 10 mph

Day 3 Standings

1. Kelly Jordon -- Mineola, Tx -- 5, 17-11

2. Michael Bennett -- Roseville, Ca -- 5, 15-03

3. Chad Grigsby -- Colon, Mi -- 5, 13-13

4. Alvin Shaw -- State Road, Nc -- 5, 13-03

5. Toshinari Namiki -- Hachioji-City, To -- 3, 12-14

6. Greg Hackney -- Gonzales, La -- 4, 12-13

7. Lendell Martin Jr -- Nacogdoches, Tx -- 4, 7-10

8. Chip Harrison -- Bremen, In -- 3, 7-05

9. Scott Suggs -- Bryant, Ar -- 3, 6-14

10. Mike Hawkes -- Sabinal, Tx -- 1, 2-01