The FLW Tour will wrap up its regular season at the Detroit River for the second straight year, and those familiar with that fishery (which includes lakes Erie and St. Clair) will tell you it's a tough place to lock down a points position – whether you're contending for the Angler of the Year (AOY), a Forrest Wood Cup berth or just automatic requalification for next year's Tour.
Everybody catches some of the abundant smallmouths (along with the smattering of largemouths) there, and a couple of key bites a day can be the difference between 20th place and 120th. Those who need a high finish are almost forced to head out onto Lake Erie, and if the wind blows hard enough, they might not make it back to the launch in time for the weigh-in. And even if they do make it, they'll have taken a brutal physical pounding from the waves.
Then there's the makeup of the field, which is different than any other during the season. Some Tour pros who lack tangible objectives to fish for opt to forego the trip, which opens up numerous spots for local aces. One of those – Lima, Ohio's Steve Clapper – led all 4 days last year and won by more than 6 pounds, and four other Top-10 finishers were non-regulars.
All of those factors – and more – are taken into account when strategies are laid out. Those with positions to protect might like to fish conservatively, but that's not feasible in an event in which back-to-back 15-pound sacks of bronzebacks won't get you a Top 50.
Only the Top 40 in the points after the event are guaranteed Cup slots, but that number will be higher due to double-qualifiers from the FLW Series. Those in the current Top 40 who've already punched their ticket for Lake Murray next month via the Series are David Dudley (5th), Clark Wendlandt (6th), George Cochran (8th), Brent Ehrler (9th), Michael Bennett (14th), Mark Rose (19th), Larry Nixon (22nd), Koby Kreiger (24th), J.T. Kenney (26th) and Kyle Mabrey (29th).
BassFan spoke with several anglers who'll have something to gain (or lose) in Detroit this week and asked for their preliminary thoughts about the event. Their responses are below.
Andy Morgan (1st)
"The (AOY) is definitely on my mind, but I'm going up there trying to make the cut. That's not going to be an easy deal with as many locals that got in there.
"As far as the points battle, I kind of wish we were going somewhere that it's a little tougher to catch them. I don't really like this drag-fest; it'd be nice to be at Old Hickory or somewhere.
"I've got a 22-point lead, so if make a Top 20 or so, I'll win that deal. It'd be a feather in my hat and when you get this close, you want to finish it. But my goal all year is to make the Top 10 in every tournament and it'd be hard to play it conservatively and do well."
Glenn Browne (2nd)
"Last year I fished St. Clair, and for me that's a safe way to fish for a check and feel comfortable. But to catch the fish I need to beat Andy, I'll probably have to fish Erie. It's not that you can't catch 20 pounds a day out of St. Clair, but the bigger fish live in Erie.
Glenn Browne will head to Erie to try to make up his 22-point deficit in the AOY race.
"I've seen the forecast through (the 4-day practice period) and it doesn't look like there's going to be significant wind – just 6 to 10 mph or so. If it's like that, then Erie's the place to be, but I haven't seen what the tournament days are supposed to be like.
"(Winning the AOY) would really help my career. It's one of those big titles that everybody strives for and tries to win."
Vic Vatalaro (42nd)
"Where I'm going to fish, I'm trying for about six bites a day. I won't catch a lot of fish, but when I do get them, they'll be 4-pounders.
"Last year I went for it and I ended up hurting myself on the first day when I only caught one fish. I did well the second day, though. I've still got to go for it, but somewhere between the haunts I fish and the back of the Detroit River, I need to find a spot where I can go in a strong west or southwest wind and get 16 or 17 pounds.
"A west wind will kill me on Erie – it'll just shut me down completely."
Carl Svebek III (47th)
"I had a decent tournament there last year (12th) and I feel like I have a legitimate chance to do it again this year. I fished St. Clair last year, and I plan to do the same this year.
"Erie's just so intimidating. I don't want to sound like a big sissy, but I fished out there 4 or 5 years ago in a Stren and it took me forever to get back. It was probably the worst ride I've ever had in a boat.
"It took me 3 hours and 20 minutes to get in, and I was late for the weigh-in. I learned a lot that day – don't take chances when the wind blows on Erie."
Shad Schenck (56th)
"I had a real good shot to win it there last year, and I think if I could have stayed on my rock pile for another 45 minutes or an hour on Saturday, I might've won (he ended up 5th). I think I have another good opportunity to do what I need to do to get a chance to fish for $1 million in August.
"Anytime you do well on a lake, you're excited about going back again. That doesn't mean you're going to do well again, though. It's a whole new game and you have to go in with an open mind and a whole new attitude.
"It always seems like your whole season comes down to that last couple of hours. You put in all that time and all that work – it's just crazy."
David Walker (65th)
"The way I've got it figured, I'm going to need a Top 20 (to make the Cup). I definitely can't go up there and try to slide through – I have to go where the biggest fish are, and that means Erie.
Carl Svebek III will qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup if he can turn in a second straight strong showing in Detroit.
"It's a unique place. At most places you just go fish the lake and there aren't many choices. Here there is a choice. Erie's where the biggest stringers are caught, and I've got to focus on catching a 20-pound stringer of smallmouths. I can't go out and try to get 14 pounds of largemouths and hope that's good enough.
"It's one of my favorite places to go fishing, and I'm certainly not dreading it."
Mike Hawkes (84th
"I've backed myself into a corner and I have to target the bigger fish to have a chance at a Top 10 finish. I'm kind of relaxed – I know the odds are stacked against me and I think I can do pretty well.
"Last year I didn't practice anywhere except Pelee Island (on Erie) and then when the wind blew real hard that first day, I said there was no way I was going out there. But it was like something took control of the boat and started steering out in the middle of that lake.
"It took 2 hours and 45 minutes to travel that 37 miles out there, then it took 3 hours and 15 minutes coming back. I'd never been in anything like that – it was like you were tied to a wild animal."
Notable
> Clark Wendlandt, who already has a Cup berth secured, doesn't think he has much of a shot at his third AOY from his 6th-place position. "I've got too many guys to climb over, and basically my only chance would be to win (the tournament)," he said. "I kind of blew it in the last one (when he was 78th at Ft. Loudoun-Tellico). But it's still been a good year, and my goal is just to do as well as I can in the tournament."
