Walters Extends Lead To 25 Pounds

By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor

When Patrick Walters moved to the top of the standings sheet with an 11-plus-pound cushion after day 2 of the Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest, he said no lead is ever big enough at Lake Fork due to its propensity to kick out enormous bags.

He went out on day 3 and more than doubled his advantage to 25 pounds with a tournament-best 29-06 stringer. It's not a certainty that the 26-year-old from South Carolina will claim his first tour-level victory on day 4, but it's not far from it.

He had a 9-pounder in his livewell before some of his fellow competitors had even left the launch on day 3. His rock-solid program of throwing a jerkbait around submerged trees went on to produce four more that were each in the 5-pound class as he topped Rick Clunn's opening-round weight by 2 ounces.

The only downer was that his early-morning monster wasn't a half-pound heavier; the angler who catches the biggest fish of the event is awarded a new Toyota Tundra and Seth Feider leads that contest with a 9-09 on day 1.

"Words cannot describe what this week has been like," said Walters, who has a 3-day total of 82-02 and appears to be on his way to collecting a commemorative "Century Belt" for surpassing the 100-pound mark. "I guess when it's your time, it's your time."

"I caught quite a few fish in practice, but the biggest was 3 1/2 pounds. As I've kept going back, they've gotten bigger and bigger."

Clark Wendlandt wrapped up the Angler of the Year title in his home state with a 28th-place finish in the event. Had he fallen below 31st, David Mullins would've taken that honor. Mullins bowed out of the event on Friday with a 47th-place finish.

The three-time FLW Tour AOY winner managed just four small fish on day 3, but they were enough to further solidify his Hall of Fame résumé.

"This is awesome," he said on the stage after receiving the trophy. "This is the award that everybody wants at the start of the year. I had one bad tournament (an 81st-place finish in the previous stop at Lake Chickamauga last month), but luckily I had enough good ones to overcome it.

"Today was a grind like you can't imagine. The first fish I hooked came off – it was a 3- or 3 1/2-pounder. My heart was beating so hard that I didn't think it was going to stay in my chest. In the end, I caught enough and I'm really proud. I might not fish again for a while – it's time to go hunting."

Walters' total is already higher than the 4-day winning weight was projected to be (many surmised that an average of 20 pounds per day would be insurmountable). Those prognostications would've been correct had he not shown up.

He's averaging more than 27 pounds per round. His closest pursuer, Ed Loughran (57-02 total) is averaging just over 19 pounds.

"I figured out (the pattern) in the first hour of practice," he said. "It's something that me and a couple buddies from Alabama have been doing and I used it to finish 10th at Cherokee. A jerkbait around wood – they bite it."

His 9-pounder came off a tree that he'd previously been unaware of.

"I wasn't even going to start there, I was going to work my way (farther into the creek). I decided that I couldn't pass by that point and that I'd better check it out. I was leaving the two stumps that I've fished there, I hadn't caught anything, and I noticed one tree out in the middle of nowhere. She was sitting right there."

He won't let up at all on the final day.

"I'm going for no less than 20 pounds; I want that Century Belt. It's going to be all gas and no brakes."

A trio of Texans – longtime Lone Star State tournament ace Keith Combs, Brad Whatley and Fork guide Lee Livesay – had strong showings on day 3 to secure spots in the final round. Combs sacked 21-12 to climb from 11th to 3rd with 57-01, Whatley registered 19-07 to jump from 14th to 6th with 52-06 and Livesay compiled 26-02 to catapult from 32nd to 9th with 49-10.

Notable

> Day 4 stats – 40 anglers, 25 limits, 5 fours, 3 threes, 3 twos, 3 ones, 1 zero.

> Austin Felix, the 68th-place finisher in the event, wrapped up the Rookie of the Year award.

Weather Forecast

> Sun., Nov. 8 – Partly Cloudy - 78°/63°
- Wind: From the SE at 8 mph

Day 3 Standings

1. Patrick Walters -- Summerville, SC -- 15, 82-02 -- 100
Day 1: 5, 25-14 -- Day 2: 5, 26-14 -- Day 3: 5, 29-06

2. Ed Loughran III -- Richmond, VA -- 15, 57-02 -- 99
Day 1: 5, 21-13 -- Day 2: 5, 19-12 -- Day 3: 5, 15-09

3. Keith Combs -- Huntington, TX -- 15, 57-01 -- 98
Day 1: 5, 11-07 -- Day 2: 5, 23-14 -- Day 3: 5, 21-12

4. Brandon Palaniuk -- Rathdrum, ID -- 13, 53-10 -- 97
Day 1: 5, 16-03 -- Day 2: 5, 24-12 -- Day 3: 3, 12-11

5. Jay Yelas -- Lincoln City, OR -- 15, 52-11 -- 96
Day 1: 5, 19-02 -- Day 2: 5, 19-02 -- Day 3: 5, 14-07

6. Brad Whatley -- Bivins, TX -- 15, 52-06 -- 95
Day 1: 5, 17-05 -- Day 2: 5, 15-10 -- Day 3: 5, 19-07

7. Stetson Blaylock -- Benton, AR -- 13, 52-00 -- 94
Day 1: 5, 14-00 -- Day 2: 3, 16-07 -- Day 3: 5, 21-09

8. Skylar Hamilton -- Dandridge, TN -- 15, 49-13 -- 93
Day 1: 5, 19-13 -- Day 2: 5, 16-00 -- Day 3: 5, 14-00

9. Lee Livesay -- Longview, TX -- 14, 49-10 -- 92
Day 1: 4, 09-01 -- Day 2: 5, 14-07 -- Day 3: 5, 26-02

10. Brock Mosley -- Collinsville, MS -- 12, 49-10 -- 91
Day 1: 5, 19-08 -- Day 2: 2, 05-03 -- Day 3: 5, 24-15

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

11. Seth Feider -- New Market, MN -- 14, 48-04 -- 90 -- $15,000
Day 1: 5, 23-04 -- Day 2: 5, 13-15 -- Day 3: 4, 11-01

12. Brandon Lester -- Fayetteville, TN -- 15, 48-04 -- 89 -- $15,000
Day 1: 5, 12-05 -- Day 2: 5, 20-07 -- Day 3: 5, 15-08

13. Chris Zaldain -- Fort Worth, TX -- 14, 47-11 -- 88 -- $15,000
Day 1: 5, 17-15 -- Day 2: 4, 13-09 -- Day 3: 5, 16-03

14. Buddy Gross -- Chickamauga, GA -- 14, 47-09 -- 87 -- $15,000
Day 1: 4, 09-08 -- Day 2: 5, 25-03 -- Day 3: 5, 12-14

15. Koby Kreiger -- Alva, FL -- 15, 47-06 -- 86 -- $15,000
Day 1: 5, 20-03 -- Day 2: 5, 15-01 -- Day 3: 5, 12-02

16. John Cox -- Debary, FL -- 15, 46-12 -- 85 -- $15,000
Day 1: 5, 20-14 -- Day 2: 5, 15-13 -- Day 3: 5, 10-01

17. Rick Clunn -- Ava, MO -- 11, 46-06 -- 84 -- $15,000
Day 1: 5, 29-04 -- Day 2: 3, 07-00 -- Day 3: 3, 10-02

18. Chad Pipkens -- Dewitt, MI -- 12, 45-14 -- 83 -- $15,000
Day 1: 5, 17-11 -- Day 2: 5, 23-07 -- Day 3: 2, 04-12

19. Derek Hudnall -- Denham Springs, LA -- 14, 44-07 -- 82 -- $15,000
Day 1: 5, 15-13 -- Day 2: 5, 17-00 -- Day 3: 4, 11-10

20. Rob Digh -- Denver, NC -- 14, 43-14 -- 81 -- $15,000
Day 1: 5, 17-05 -- Day 2: 4, 12-06 -- Day 3: 5, 14-03

21. Hunter Shryock -- Newcomerstown, OH -- 15, 43-10 -- 80 -- $12,000
Day 1: 5, 15-08 -- Day 2: 5, 14-12 -- Day 3: 5, 13-06

22. Scott Canterbury -- Odenville, AL -- 15, 43-08 -- 79 -- $12,000
Day 1: 5, 13-07 -- Day 2: 5, 11-11 -- Day 3: 5, 18-06

23. Caleb Kuphall -- Mukwonago, WI -- 12, 41-11 -- 78 -- $12,000
Day 1: 5, 13-10 -- Day 2: 2, 10-03 -- Day 3: 5, 17-14

24. Kyle Monti -- Okeechobee, FL -- 15, 41-08 -- 77 -- $12,000
Day 1: 5, 14-13 -- Day 2: 5, 10-12 -- Day 3: 5, 15-15

25. Tyler Rivet -- Raceland, LA -- 15, 41-02 -- 76 -- $12,000
Day 1: 5, 17-02 -- Day 2: 5, 12-12 -- Day 3: 5, 11-04

26. Greg DiPalma -- Millville, NJ -- 11, 41-01 -- 75 -- $12,000
Day 1: 5, 22-09 -- Day 2: 5, 16-00 -- Day 3: 1, 02-08

27. Chad Morgenthaler -- Reeds Spring, MO -- 11, 38-09 -- 74 -- $12,000
Day 1: 5, 20-01 -- Day 2: 4, 12-01 -- Day 3: 2, 06-07

28. Clark Wendlandt -- Leander, TX -- 14, 38-05 -- 73 -- $112,000
Day 1: 5, 16-11 -- Day 2: 5, 14-06 -- Day 3: 4, 07-04

29. Hank Cherry Jr -- Lincolnton, NC -- 13, 37-13 -- 72 -- $12,000
Day 1: 5, 17-04 -- Day 2: 3, 06-00 -- Day 3: 5, 14-09

30. Steve Kennedy -- Auburn, AL -- 15, 37-07 -- 71 -- $12,000
Day 1: 5, 10-11 -- Day 2: 5, 16-00 -- Day 3: 5, 10-12

31. Cliff Prince -- Palatka, FL -- 12, 34-13 -- 70 -- $11,000
Day 1: 2, 06-04 -- Day 2: 5, 17-05 -- Day 3: 5, 11-04

32. Jake Whitaker -- Fairview, NC -- 14, 34-10 -- 69 -- $11,000
Day 1: 5, 13-01 -- Day 2: 5, 12-02 -- Day 3: 4, 09-07

33. Wes Logan -- Springville, AL -- 13, 34-10 -- 68 -- $11,000
Day 1: 5, 12-11 -- Day 2: 3, 09-02 -- Day 3: 5, 12-13

34. Destin DeMarion -- Grove City, PA -- 12, 31-10 -- 67 -- $11,000
Day 1: 5, 12-04 -- Day 2: 3, 08-10 -- Day 3: 4, 10-12

35. Gary Clouse -- Winchester, TN -- 12, 30-12 -- 66 -- $11,000
Day 1: 5, 09-11 -- Day 2: 5, 12-00 -- Day 3: 2, 09-01

36. John Crews Jr -- Salem, VA -- 10, 30-00 -- 65 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 15-03 -- Day 2: 5, 14-13 -- Day 3: 0, 00-00

37. Bill Lowen -- Brookville, IN -- 13, 29-02 -- 64 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 08-12 -- Day 2: 5, 13-08 -- Day 3: 3, 06-14

38. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, AZ -- 10, 27-11 -- 63 -- $10,000
Day 1: 2, 04-09 -- Day 2: 5, 17-03 -- Day 3: 3, 05-15

39. Frank Talley -- Temple, TX -- 7, 27-01 -- 62 -- $10,000
Day 1: 2, 05-02 -- Day 2: 4, 15-02 -- Day 3: 1, 06-13

40. Luke Palmer -- Coalgate, OK -- 9, 23-13 -- 61 -- $10,000
Day 1: 5, 14-14 -- Day 2: 3, 07-06 -- Day 3: 1, 01-09