After he failed to make a Top 10 cut all last year, South Carolina pro Anthony Gagliardi's back big-time. The 2007 FLW Tour Angler of the Year weighed 14 1/2 pounds today at the Table Rock FLW Tour in Missouri, jumped up from 3rd to clinch with a 28-14, 2-day total. He edged Arkansan Scott Suggs by just 10 ounces.
The win moved him up to 4th in the FLW Tour Angler of the Year (AOY) race.
Suggs came in more than 3 1/2 pounds lighter today than yesterday, and narrowly missed a win he would have dearly loved to have. His two limits totaled 28-04 and kept him at 2nd place.
Day-3 leader Scott Canterbury faltered today with just three fish, which gave him a total of 26-03 and 3rd place. Dan Morehead held onto his 4th-place position with 24-02 total, and David Walker stayed in 5th with 23-01.
The water slicked off today and made the fish less than cooperative for most of the anglers.
Gagliardi, Suggs and Morehead were the only three in the finals who managed a limit both days.
The rest of the Top 10 shook out like this:
6. Brent Ehrler: 6, 14-05
7. Michael Bennett: 3, 6-11
8. Greg Bohannan: 3, 5-11
9. Chad Morgenthaler: 2, 4-05
10. Shinichi Fukae: 0, 0-00
Shinichi Fukae was disqualified from the final 2 days because he inadvertently entered a "no power boats" area of the lake. He said he hadn't fished the area the first 2 days, but was looking for new water in the finals and was unaware of the restricted area. Further details can be found below.
Gagliardi Gratified
"It feels great to win," Gagliardi said. "It never sinks in right away, but this really feels good after not having made a cut all last season. To come out this year and have three good tournaments in a row (two FLW Tour events and one Eastern FLW Series) and then win one feels awesome."
He fished Lucky Craft jerkbaits in both the James and White River arms of the lake.
"I knew what I was doing had the potential to get some big bites," he added. "I didn't swing for the fences but I knew there were some big fish there. A 20-pound bag wasn't out of the realm of possibility.
"The thing I figured out was where some of the big females were coming in from. The weather was what I was most concerned about, though. It can change the bite fast – especially the jerkbait bite. I think what helped me was fishing out over deeper water, and when it slicked off those deeper fish weren't as affected."
The full details of his winning pattern, as well as pattern information for the other top finishers, will be posted soon.
Scott Suggs is tremendously disappointed.
2nd: Suggs Hurting
Suggs thought he had something going that nobody else had, and was eager to carry it to a win. Unfortunately for him, he came up 10 ounces short. He was visibly torn up onstage, and took several moments to collect himself before addressing emcee Charlie Evans' questions.
"I'm always happy to make the Top 10, but when you have the win within your grasp and it gets away, it hurts," he said. "This one hurt me more than any other one has. To have something so special that sets you apart from everybody else, then not be able to make it happen, it hurts.
"The conditions were what I wanted – the water was flat, but they didn't bite well for some reason. They weren't eating it – just hitting at it. The two biggest ones I caught today were hooked in the side of the head."
Each prior day he'd been able to catch fish suspended in treetops over deep water, then upgrade with a shallow jig.
"I had my limit again by 9 a.m.," he noted. "Then I went up the river, but never upgraded. I didn't get that many bites. In hindsight I maybe should have stayed with the trees, but I'd culled three times each day up to now by going shallow. So I went with that instinct, but it just didn't work out.
"I'm disappointed, but it was a fun tournament, and I had a blast. I have nothing to regret."
4th: Morehead Miffed
Yesterday, Morehead thought he'd figured out a way to work his jerkbait to perhaps produce bigger fish, but they didn't cooperate. His excitement turned to disappointment with his 4th-place finish, which was 4-12 away from the win.
"It ain't worth a damn," he said. "I'd rather have won. I fished good today, but I just didn't catch much. With the lack of wind I did all I could do. I saw some big fish follow my jerkbait but they wouldn't commit.
"I caught two on the jerkbait, and thought I figured something out," he added. "Then I had five bites where they were just slapping at it and caught just one 16-inch smallmouth. After the sun got up and it got bright they just followed the bait without biting it. I tried a jig and a Wiggle Wart crankbait after that, and caught three on the Wiggle Wart."
5th: Walker Sees Good and Bad
After he led the first 2 days, Walker felt let down when he dropped to 5th yesterday. He stayed there today. His 23-01 put him 5-13 short of the win.
"I don't feel too good (about finishing 5th)," he said. "I obviously could have done better, but I could have done worse I guess. I'm leading the AOY points now so that's good. I would have loved to have caught a big bag and won the tournament today, but the weather didn't cooperate."
He ran almost all the gas out of his boat every day as he traveled up the James River to fish bluff ends.
"Today went okay, even though I only caught four keepers," he noted. "I caught more short fish and that made it more interesting. It was good that the four I had were bigger than I'd been catching."
Shinichi Fukae he unknowingly entered waters where motor boats were restricted.
10th: Fukae Disqualified
Fukae had both yesterday's and today's weights disqualified under FLW Tour Rule 12 (Permitted fishing locations), which states in part: "Contestants may fish anywhere on tournament waters available to the public and accessible by boat, except areas designated as "off-limits," "no boats" or "no fishing" by local, state or federal officials."
In search of new water to fish in the finals, he said he inadvertently entered an area where power boats are restricted. He hadn't been there during the first 2 days or in practice, he noted.
"There were two buoys there, but one was covered by green moss and I couldn't see what it said," he told BassFan through his wife Miya, who speaks better English. "I didn't see the other buoy. It was my mistake.
"I need to learn the big lakes better, and learn more English. But I have a good experience for this issue and I have to be more careful for the future. I still feel good about (the tournament), because I got good points and still have a chance to win the AOY."
He's now 8th in the AOY standings.
He said he doesn't know who reported him for entering the restricted area.
Notable
> Day 4 stats – 10 anglers, 3 limits (2 fewer than yesterday), one 4, one 3, one 2, two 1s, two 0s.
> As expected, jerkbaits and crankbaits – especially Wiggle Warts – played predominant roles in the tournament.
> The next FLW Tour event will be at Lake Norman in Charlotte, N.C. April 23-26.
Day 4 (Final) Standings
1. Anthony Gagliardi -- Prosperity, SC -- 5, 14-06 -- 5, 14-08 -- 10, 28-14 -- $100,000 + $25,000
2. Scott Suggs -- Bryant, AR -- 5, 15-13 -- 5, 12-07 -- 10, 28-04 -- $50,000
3. Scott Canterbury -- Springville, AL -- 5, 16-00 -- 3, 10-03 -- 8, 26-03 -- $40,000
4. Dan Morehead -- Paducah, KY -- 5, 12-09 -- 5, 11-09 -- 10, 24-02 -- $30,000
5. David Walker -- Sevierville, TN -- 5, 11-08 -- 4, 11-09 -- 9, 23-01 -- $20,000
6. Brent Ehrler -- Redlands, CA -- 4, 9-08 -- 2, 4-13 -- 6, 14-05 -- $19,000
7. Michael Bennett -- Lincoln, CA -- 2, 4-01 -- 1, 2-10 -- 3, 6-11 -- $18,000
8. Greg Bohannan -- Rogers, AR -- 3, 5-11 -- 0, 0-00 -- 3, 5-11 -- $17,000
9. Chad Morgenthaler -- Coulterville, IL -- 1, 2-04 -- 1, 2-01 -- 2, 4-05 -- $16,000
10. Shinichi Fukae -- Mineola, TX -- 5, 0-00 -- 0, 0-00 -- 5, 0-00 -- $15,000
