Paul Marks had won some tournaments in the past that offered a lucrative top prize, but he'd never prevailed over a field as strong as the one that assembled at Georgia's Lake Lanier for the first PAA Tournament Series event of 2011.
The 44-year-old landscaper from nearby Cumming, Ga. caught a 13.92-pound sack today that gave him a 3-day total of 44.44. That was more than enough to triumph over a Top-20 contingent that featured 14 tour pros.
Derek Remitz grabbed the runner-up spot with a day-best 18.79 sack today for a 42.30 total. Todd Auten caught 15.59 today and climbed 3 places to finish 3rd with 41.89.
Aaron Martens also gained 3 spots today as he brought a 12.32 stringer to the scale for a 4th-place total of 38.59. Tom Mann Jr. came in with just 10.31 today, but that was enough for him to hold onto the No. 5 position with 38.34.
Here's how the lower half of the Top 10 finished:
6. John Murray: 37.82
7. David Hendrick: 33.97
8. Nick Larson: 32.71
9. Takahiro Omori: 30.79
10. Doc Seger: 29.43
The event turned out to be as tough as many had predicted, as it took an average of less than 15 pounds a day to win and less than 10 pounds a day for a Top-10 finish. The lake is behind schedule due to a colder-than-normal late winter and should emerge from its doldrums soon, but it'll be too late to help those who showed up this week.
Some powerful winds arose unexpectedly today, blowing at a sustained 20 to 25 mph with gusts to 30. Some, such as Remitz, used that factor to their advantage, whereas others found it difficult (if not impossible) to execute their patterns in the face of 3-to 4-foot rollers.
Derek Remitz said today's strong winds had a positive effect on his jerkbait bite.
While Marks and Mann finished the day in the same position they started, another local – Troy Morrow – took a big tumble. After catching the event's lone 20-pound bag on day 2 to move up to 4th place, he blanked today and ended up 14th.
North Carolina's David Hendrick, who was 3rd after day 1 and 2nd after day 2, managed just three fish for 5.59 today and dropped to 7th.
Hit and Miss for Marks
> Day 3: 5, 13.92 (14, 44.44)
It was a great day for Marks, but it was by no means an easy one.
"The morning started out tough," he said. "Then I got on one spot and caught two pretty quick, and after that I hit another dry spell. Then I went to another place and caught two more, then I went back to the place I'd gotten the other two and caught one more."
He got his final bite at about 2:00 and his bag was topped by a 4-pounder.
"Those five were all the fish I caught. I got one on a (Sworming Hornet) FishHead Spin and the rest on a jerkbait."
He was thrilled that he could pull off the victory against such stout competition.
"It means a lot with it being right here at home and with family and friends here. And this field was very strong – all these guys can catch them."
Details of his winning pattern will be posted soon.
2nd: Wind Aided Remitz
> Day 3: 5, 18.70 (15, 42.30)
Remitz focused on main-lake points throughout the event and said he got some help from the stiff breeze today.
"The wind blew in the right direction," he said. "I was fishing a certain kind of point – chunk rock and then a flat with a dropoff – and when I was cruising around I saw four or five with the wind blowing in on them. I think it made them bite the jerkbait a little better, too.
Todd Auten weighed only three fish today, but two of them were big ones.
"I had a pretty decent practice and one of my favorite ways to fish is to throw a jerkbait all day."
He threw a Megabas Vision 110 in the Megabass sexy shad color.
3rd: Auten had to Wait
> Day 3: 3, 14.59 (12, 41.89)
Auten caught only three keepers today, but he had a 6 1/2-pounder and another one that topped 5.
"It's kind of amazing how tough it was," he said. "Every day it was 11:00 or 12:00 before I caught a fish – I mean no bites at all. Then all of a sudden I'd get in the right area and catch one.
"I was getting quality bites, and that's what saved me."
He spent the entire event chasing largemouths up the Chattahoochee River.
"In practice I was only getting four or five bites a day, but every day I'd get a good one. I just stuck with that because I'm not big on fishing for spots anyway.
"The first day I lost a 4-pounder and that kind of killed me right there."
Conditions were far from ideal for sight-fishing (not a lot of fish had moved up yet and the water was stained by recent rains), but he got four that he took to the scale in that manner. The rest came on a ChatterBait-style lure with a Zoom Fluke trailer.
4th: Martens Grinds it Out
> Day 3: 5, 12.32 (15, 38.59)
Martens was one of only four anglers (along with Remitz, Mann and Murray) who brought a limit to the scale each day. He accomplished that feat via a Megabas Vision 110 jerkbait and a shakey-head.
"It was brutal," he said. "It was a battle to get a limit every day. I was mixing it up and fishing new spots every day. I don't know the lake that well, so I basically winged it.
Aaron Martens weighed a limit each day, but said it was a struggle.
"Most of the time it was like one fish every couple hours."
He focused mainly on primary and secondary points near the entrances to creeks.
5th: Mann's Frustration Over
> Day 3: 5, 10.31 (15, 38.34)
Despite a Top-5 finish, it was a frustrating event for Mann – he was hoping that his home lake would make a much better early-spring showing. Today he said he was greatly hindered by the wind.
"I fished down on the lower end where it's wide open and I was very, very fortunate to catch five today," he said. "I got one decent one on a Rapala X-Rap Deep 10 and I threw the Yamamoto Pro Senko the rest of the time.
"I only caught five. I had a sixth one hooked but it came off, and I don't know if it would've helped me."
He said that despite his unparalleled experience on the lake, he was unable to figure out the jerkbait bite to the degree that Marks did.
"I threw it quite a bit in practice, but I never could really get it going. Paul was obviously doing something a little bit different.
"You had to commit to doing it and getting just five or six bites a day, and I couldn't do that. I threw that worm around trying to get eight or 10 bites a day. In hindsight, that probably wasn't the way to win."
Notable
> For complete final standings, click here.
