Rankings, Points, Local Knowledge Matter At Murray

The FLW Tour season is short – just six events determine Angler of the Year (AOY) and FLW Tour Championship qualification. Conventional wisdom says you can't win AOY in the first two events, but you can sure as heck lose it. Same goes for an FLW championship berth.

So those who started strong at Okeechobee need to keep pace with a strong showing at the Chevy Open (Murray FLW) today in South Carolina. The two lakes – Murray and Okeechobee – are polar opposites. Okeechobee's all grass, and

Murray's devoid of grass – compliments of a weed-eradication program last fall. So anglers who can follow up a strong Okeechobee with a strong Murray event will prove their versatility.

Another important factor today is the BassFan World Rankings. Top 10 and Top 20 ranked anglers are fishing Murray. They're hot right now, and with a 2006 Top Gun Championship berth at stake, they bear watching too.

And don't forget that the field also includes Palmetto State anglers familiar with Murray. The lake has changed drastically since last fall, so local knowledge could play huge.

With all that in mind, and a little more, here's BassFan's recommendation on the Top 10 to watch at today's Murray FLW.

Top 10 To Watch

1) Anthony Gagliardi – He's No. 7 in the world and this is his home lake. Nice. He was done practicing last Friday, so he has a plan, and thinks the weather change won't hurt him. The local jinx looms large though.

2) Shinichi Fukae – The 2004 FLW AOY and 2006 Okeechobee FLW champ is hot again. The big question is whether the cold snap blew his trademark mega-practice. Then there's the swimbait factor. He threw one at Okeechobee, and Murray's swimming with big fish. Lots of potential there.

3) Chris Elliot – He won here in 2003 and has a solid handle on the lake. He's on the right fish again, but needs to tweak his stuff to accommodate the weather change. Confidence plays huge here. He did it once, and could do it again.

4) Larry Nixon – He's hot. He was 11th at the 2005 FLW championship, 16th at Okeechobee and finished 6th here in 2003. It's his kind of lake.

5) David Fritts – Practice dock talk has been all about the crankbait bite. Crankbaits? Clearer water? Think David Fritts. There's probably nobody better, and he's coming off a 5th at Okeechobee. Yes, he finished 63rd here in 2003, but that was a late-march tournament when fish were closer to the spawn.

6) Ricky Shumpert – A South Carolina stick who's strong both deep and shallow. Had a great 2004, followed by a weak 2005, so he's due. This venue is right up his alley.

7) Takahiro Omori – He bombed here in 2003, but is peaking right now with a No. 5 world ranking. An awesome crankbaiter who loves wood and rocks as much as grass. No grass here, but tons of brown cover.

8) George Cochran – Was so-so at the "Big O," but he's another super-cranker. If the bank-bite takes figuring out, he'll be one of the few who does it. Rejuvenated and red-hot right now after his FLW championship win and currently No. 15 in the world.

9) Cliff Pirch – Call it a gut pick, but Murray right now is fishing a lot like his Arizona home lakes. Deep, shallow or in-between, Pirch can catch 'em, and he has a knack for the big bite that could be a difference-maker.

10) Mike Wurm – He won the 1999 Murray FLW, held in late February. It was a much different lake then, but he's been waiting to turn things around for a while now. Could be his time.

Others To Watch

Wayne Jeffcoat – He's from Chapin, site of the event. A strong local pick.

Clark Wendlandt – Won here in 2000, when it was a sight-fishing event. Wanted to stage a comeback, but got roughed up at Okeechobee with a 101st.

Dean Rojas – Can he focus on this event with a Florida Classic so close?

Mark Davis – An ex-BASS star who's now FLW-only. Has been up-and-down with health issues (shoulder).

Toshinari Namiki – An uncharacteristic 113th at Okeechobee must have left him seething.

Notable

> John Murray had an okay practice – lots of bites but no big ones. For his report, click here to go On Tour With the BassFan Big Sticks.

> FLW Outdoors reported that many in the field have caught obscene numbers of pickerel during practice – as much as 20 to 25 a day.

Weather Forecast

Here's the Weather Channel's forecast for the tournament days.

> Wed., Feb. 8 – Mostly Sunny – 55/33°
- Wind: From the NNW at 9 mph

> Thurs., Feb. 9 – Mostly Sunny – 49°/28°
- Wind: From the NNW at 9 mph

> Fri., Feb. 10 – Partly Cloudy – 55°/33°
- Wind: From the SW at 11 mph

> Sat., Feb. 11 Partly Cloudy – 50°/27°
- Wind: From the W at 10 mph