(Editor's note: This is the fourth of several installments in a series titled Cup Q&A. These interviews focus on pros who qualified for this week's Forrest Wood Cup, to be held in Hot Springs, Ark. at Lake Ouachita.)

Thus far, BassFans have heard from Mark Davis, Scott Suggs and George Cochran – all ex-BASS pros, all Arkansans, all favorites at this week's Forrest Wood Cup.

Long-time Stratos Boats pro Larry Nixon is the next in line. This Bee Branch fisherman, one of the sport's true legends, is a clear favorite heading into the event, primarily because he knows the lake and he's so good with a deep worm.

In the following Cup Q&A, he talks about that deep bite, the new Cup formula, and whether boat traffic will be a factor this week.



Mark Davis said he's so excited about fishing Ouachita, he can hardly sleep. How about you?

Nixon: I'm sleeping good. I'm not going to worry about it. I'll do my dangdest to win this thing. It's going to be tough, and it's going to be hot. This is Arkansas in August. I don't know what's going to happen, but it seems like to me it's going to be tough.

Is this an event you can win?

I think it is. I just like this time of year. I'm a summertime bass fisherman more or less. If I can ever figure out what's going on, and get on some fish, I think I can win.

Will the event be won deep?

I think it's going to be won on a deep pattern. Not necessarily real deep, but deeper than 10 feet.

It's summertime, and there aren't that many shallow fish, unless something happens – like if they start schooling and running shad. I haven't seen any (of that) activity at all.

So does that put someone like George Cochran out of it, who thinks he needs to fish shallow to win?

No, I don't think so. He likes to worm fish. I have to admit, he likes it where his fishing pole touches bottom all the time.

It's out of his major element, but he's been working hard to learn the deep grass for this one particular tournament, so I don't think he's out of it at all.

Does this feel like a sort of reunion for some Arkansas legends – you, Cochran, Mark Davis, Ron Shuffield?

You know, it's great to have a lot of the local guys in here, and some are going to be really tough. Scott Suggs probably fishes the lake more than anybody I know. But it's going to be fun to have all the old regular guys here in one event like this.

FLW Outdoors did away with the bracket system this year, and you fish against the full field. Does that make your job easier or harder?

I liked the bracket formula. I always said I liked that. It made it interesting with just one guy to beat.

This year, since it's a larger field, you have to beat 80 other guys to get in the Top 10 to fish the last 2 days. That makes it more difficult.

It's more like fishing a regular FLW (Tour) event. You have to let it all hang out the first 2 days and catch all you can. There's no leaving anything. You make the cut, then go to zero, and 10 guys fish the last 2 days.

You won the Bassmaster Classic in 1983. There's a school of thought in that event that you need to practice with boat traffic in mind, and find a pattern that's isolated against an armada of watchers. Is that the case here?

I don't think it's as much of a factor in Arkansas as it is over in the Carolinas. Watching somebody fish is one thing, but chasing people all day? That's not on the mind of these Arkies. We'll have a few follow-boats, but it's not going to be the numbers we've seen in Birmingham and some of the other lakes. It didn't happen at Hamilton. (Site of the 2005 FLW championship, also in Hot Springs.–Ed.).

Based on your practice, how do you feel going into the event? Are you confident?

I'm always confident. I'm not satisfied with what I've got going, but it's still early. I'm not too awful concerned about it. Mainly, I've been eliminating a lot of the places I don't ever want to go back to.

Notable

> Along with Nixon's noted Classic win, he's a two-time BASS Angler of the Year (1982, 1980).

> His career winnings are nearly $2.5 million.

> His best FLW championship finish to date was 4th (2000). He finished 11th twice (2003, 2005).