Things are going so well for John Cox at the Red River FLW Tour Major in Louisiana that he's seemingly able to predict his weight a day ahead of time. He said yesterday that he hoped to catch a 12-pound sack on day 3, and he came in today with 12-01 to extend his lead to 8 1/2 pounds heading into the final day.
He abandoned the overflow pond off of Pool 4 he'd fished the first 2 days because the receding water level had barely allowed him access on day 2. He might've been able to get back in as rain last night brought the river up about a foot, but he didn't want to risk a long run in his 17-foot boat with a 75-hp engine.
He stayed in Pool 5 and found another competitor in the spawning area he'd hoped to exploit, so he bounced to two other locales and caught weigh-in fish on five different baits to bump his total to 40-11.
Clint Brownlee is a distant 2nd after boating a strong 11-12 stringer today to increase his aggregate to 32-03. Veteran Mark Rose moved up two spots to 3rd with an 11-10 sack that gave him a 30-09 total.
Darrel Robertson, the 61-year-old former Forrest Wood Cup champion, made his first Top 10 in 3 years by climbing 15 places today with an 11-10 bag for a 29-03 total. Gary Yamamoto, who hasn't posted a single-digit finish since 2006 and came in riding a streak of five consecutive finishes of 109th or lower, caught 7-11 today to move up one spot to 5th with 27-07.
Here are the totals for the anglers who'll be back on the water tomorrow, with their deficit margins indicated by red numbers in parentheses:
1. John Cox: 40-11
2. Clint Brownlee: 32-03 (8-08)
3. Mark Rose: 30-09 (10-02)
4. Darrel Robertson: 29-03 (11-08)
5. Gary Yamamoto: 27-07 (13-04)
6. (tie) Christian Romans: 27-04 (13-07)
6. (tie) David Dudley: 27-04 (13-07)
8. Brent Ehrler: 26-14 (13-13)
9. Mike Reynolds: 26-10 (14-01)
10. Jon Strelic: 26-04 (14-07)
The higher water was the biggest change today, and it was a benefit for some and a hindrance for others. There were only four bags that topped 10 pounds, so it had no discernible positive impact on the overall bit, which remained stingy.
In all likelihood, Cox can seal the win with a couple of keepers of any size tomorrow. He won't adopt that mindset, though, because Brownlee is in the vicinity of the best area he discovered today, and he said it has the capability to yield an 18-pound stringer.
Dudley, who moved up four places today with an 8-00 bag, will leave the event as the leader in the Angler of the Year (AOY) race. He won that award in 2008.
Tomorrow's forecast for the Shreveport area calls for isolated thunderstorms with a stiff southerly breeze topping out at 17 mph.
Cox Keeps Cruising
> Day 3: 5, 12-01 (15, 40-11)
It really seems as if Cox can do no wrong here.
"Everything's just falling together right now," he said. "It's pretty crazy.
"The spot where I thought I'd be able to catch them, I got there and Glenn Chappelear was in there, so I turned around and left. I started jumping around and I got into a little pocket, and within an hour I had 9 pounds. Then I found another area where I missed one and culled one."
The baits that produced for him included a worm, a spinnerbait, a jig and a fluke. He also caught a weigh-in fish on a flipping stick.
He has a lot of confidence in the second area he found today and doesn't think he'll be nervous prior to launch tomorrow.
"They're in there good, and there's some big ones. The bream are spawning in there and the bass are in there chasing them around.
"Whatever happens, happens, but I'm comfortable with everything and I think I'll be all right. I'll go out and do whatever I feel like doing and I won't be thinking twice about anything."
2nd: Brownlee Got 'Em on Top
> Day 3: 5, 11-12 (15, 32-03)
The higher water today was a boon for Brownlee's topwater bite.
"I think it made the fish go to the bank a little more," he said. "I threw a topwater about 90% of the time."
He went through about 10 keepers and got two quality bites – his bag contained one fish that was pushing 4 pounds and another that went about 3.
"I had one on early in the morning, a 2 1/2-pounder, that was foul-hooked on a buzzbait and it came off. That was the only fish I lost.
"All I can do tomorrow is swing for the fences. If the water's still up I'll probably stay up top, and if they pull water the fish might move to the stumps. I'll need some more 4-pounders, but you never know what might happen."
3rd: Rose Sticking With It
> Day 3: 5, 10-11 (14, 30-09)
Rose just keeps plugging away and maintaining his 10-pounds-a-day average.
"It's just fishing so tough," he said. "There aren't many bites to be had and there aren't many special places on the whole system right now.
"I'm just grinding with a Strike King KVD 1.5 (crankbait) and a Pro Model spinnerbait. I'm keeping my line wet and getting a bite every 45 minutes or so."
He camped today in the same area where he spent day 1. He said too much moving on day 2 resulted in his worst day of the event.
"Guys came in and out of there, but I had it pretty much to myself."
He'll shoot for his biggest day yet tomorrow.
"I'd love to get 15 pounds, but realistically, 7 or 8 is a decent day and 10 is something special. But I've seen 3-pounders in there and I've actually seen a 6. They're there."
4th: Robertson Running Low
> Day 3: 5 11-10 (15, 29-03)
Robertson has locked down to Pool 4 each day, but plans to remain in Pool 5 tomorrow.
"Down where I've been fishing, I think I've about got the place worn out," he said. "I've been flipping grass and I caught a lot of keepers the first 2 days."
Today's bag would've been much lighter had he not picked up a random 4-pounder.
"It was the first fish I caught. I'd been there 45 minutes and I was kind of disgusted, and I saw a dead tree out in 8 feet of water. I just tossed the bait out there and it took it.
"It's interesting fishing, but I kind of like it."
20th: Bolton's Spot Gave Out
> Day 3: 1, 1-02 (11, 20-13)
Terry Bolton had been sharing an area in Pool 5 with Dudley, but it produced very little today. Dudley found a place to fill out his limit, but Bolton was unsuccessful in that quest.
"The place kind of got beat up between us and our co-anglers," he said. "Then it rained a lot last night and the water had to have come up a foot. They didn't bite in there like they had been.
"When they were drawing (the water level) down, there was a little channel that acted like a funnel and positioned those fish there. I think the combination of the pressure, the water coming up and (the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) not drawing any water really hurt it."
Notable
> Day 3 stats – 20 anglers, 12 limits, 5 fours, 1 three, 1 two, 1 one.
> Keith Carson, Cox's team-tournament partner, won the co-angler division today with a 17-12 total for 3 days. His margin of victory was more than 4 1/2 pounds.
Weather Forecast
> Sun., May 22 - Isolated T-Storms/Wind - 91°/72°
- Wind: From the S at 17 mph
Day 3 Standings
1. John Cox -- Debary, Fl -- 5, 14-10 -- 5, 14-00 -- 10, 28-10 -- 5, 12-01 -- 15, 40-11
2. Clint Brownlee -- Tifton, Ga -- 5, 10-10 -- 5, 9-13 -- 10, 20-07 -- 5, 11-12 -- 15, 32-03
3. Mark Rose -- Marion, Ar -- 5, 12-10 -- 4, 7-04 -- 9, 19-14 -- 5, 10-11 -- 14, 30-09
4. Darrel Robertson -- Jay, Ok -- 5, 10-12 -- 5, 6-13 -- 10, 17-09 -- 5, 11-10 -- 15, 29-03
5. Gary Yamamoto -- Palestine, Tx -- 5, 7-05 -- 5, 12-07 -- 10, 19-12 -- 5, 7-11 -- 15, 27-07
6. Christian Romans -- Carrollton, Ky -- 5, 10-03 -- 5, 9-08 -- 10, 19-11 -- 5, 7-09 -- 15, 27-04
7. David Dudley -- Lynchburg, Va -- 5, 7-03 -- 5, 12-01 -- 10, 19-04 -- 5, 8-00 -- 15, 27-04
8. Brent Ehrler -- Redlands, Ca -- 5, 13-00 -- 5, 8-06 -- 10, 21-06 -- 4, 5-08 -- 14, 26-14
9. Mike Reynolds -- Modesto, Ca -- 5, 13-15 -- 5, 6-10 -- 10, 20-09 -- 4, 6-01 -- 14, 26-10
10. Jon Strelic -- El Cajon, Ca -- 4, 10-08 -- 5, 8-06 -- 9, 18-14 -- 5, 7-06 -- 14, 26-04
The following anglers did not make the cut and will not fish on day 4.
11. Jason Christie -- Park Hill, Ok -- 5, 9-02 -- 5, 9-15 -- 10, 19-01 -- 5, 6-08 -- 15, 25-09 -- $11,553
12. Travis Fox -- Rogers, Ar -- 5, 7-00 -- 5, 11-00 -- 10, 18-00 -- 4, 7-03 -- 14, 25-03 -- $11,553
13. Jim Moynagh -- Carver, Mn -- 3, 3-09 -- 5, 14-04 -- 8, 17-13 -- 5, 7-04 -- 13, 25-01 -- $11,553
14. Glenn Chappelear -- Acworth, Ga -- 5, 11-04 -- 5, 8-05 -- 10, 19-09 -- 3, 5-03 -- 13, 24-12 -- $11,553
15. Scott Martin -- Clewiston, Fl -- 5, 7-14 -- 5, 9-13 -- 10, 17-11 -- 5, 7-00 -- 15, 24-11 -- $11,553
16. Mike Wurm -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 5, 9-01 -- 5, 9-04 -- 10, 18-05 -- 4, 5-10 -- 14, 23-15 -- $11,086
17. Gene Eisenmann -- Frisco, Tx -- 5, 13-01 -- 2, 5-11 -- 7, 18-12 -- 2, 4-05 -- 9, 23-01 -- $11,086
18. Koby Kreiger -- Okeechobee, Fl -- 5, 10-13 -- 5, 6-11 -- 10, 17-08 -- 5, 5-09 -- 15, 23-01 -- $11,086
19. Kevin Hawk -- Guntersville, Al -- 5, 9-02 -- 5, 8-11 -- 10, 17-13 -- 3, 5-02 -- 13, 22-15 -- $11,086
20. Terry Bolton -- Jonesboro, Ar -- 5, 12-00 -- 5, 7-11 -- 10, 19-11 -- 1, 1-02 -- 11, 20-13 -- $11,086
