The FLW Championship's bracket format makes picking a winner -- or even 10 pros who could win -- nearly impossible. That's not to say it can't be done, it's just that the format is new so no one really knows how it will play out.
Still, as always, some safe bets can be made based on angler performance this season and the conditions at Cross Lake.
Top 10 To Watch
Here they are, in no particular order:
1) Jay Yelas -- Yelas was the hottest stick on the FLW Tour this year (he won FLW Angler of the Year), and did well in tournaments where the conditions were tough. He also won the last major tournament, the BASS Masters Classic. The only question is whether his hectic schedule since his Classic win has exhausted him or taken some of this season's magic out of his fingers.
2) Kevin VanDam -- Okay, you always have to pick VanDam, the No. 1 angler in the world and runner-up in both the FLW and B.A.S.S. 2002 AOY standings. He also can excel when the fishing is miserably tough, as it looks like it will be at Cross.
3) Clark Wendlandt -- Flipping/pitching conditions are ideal for Wendlandt, the No. 5-ranked angler in the world. He also finished 4th in the FLW AOY standings.
4) Dean Rojas -- Rojas, ranked 10th in the world, is killer in shallow water and has been hot lately, especially on the FLW Tour where he finished 3rd in the points.
5) Sam Newby -- This Oklahoma pro was 5th in FLW AOY points this year, a whale of a season for a near-rookie.
6) Randy Blaukat -- Although Blaukat finished 43rd in the FLW points, he fished well near the end of the season because of a mental change in his fishing style. Can he get on that roll again?
7) Takahiro Omori -- Due for a good finish, Omori can excel at "one fish here, one fish there" events. He's also equally good with power and finesse techniques.
8) Greg Hackney -- This season Hackney, who is from Louisiana, had his best year ever on the FLW Tour. He finished 10th in the points, which shows consistently good fishing. He also recently finished 4th in another tough tournament, the Red River Central Open, which he led on day 1.
9) Tommy Biffle -- Some pros might not like to make 5,000 pitches a day for 5 bites, but Biffle might consider that the most fun he's ever had, particularly if those 5 bites are fish over Cross' slot limit. In a shallow-water flipping/pitching game, you can't overlook him.
10) Guido Hibdon -- The conditions are tough, the lake is small, and Hibdon has experience and loads of finesse expertise. He could win it. And besides, who wouldn't like to see this Hall of Famer win again?
Other Pros To Watch
> Mark Pack -- Good in shallow water, and may have found some big fish.
> Larry Nixon -- Though he ended up 35th in the FLW points standings, Nixon fished extremely well on the B.A.S.S. side, is ranked 3rd in the world and -- is Larry Nixon.
> Rob Kilby -- Kilby likes shallow water, and as his record-setting one-day catch at Old Hickory showed, he can sometimes pull one out when the conditions are tough.
> Pat Fisher -- A relative unknown despite 6 years on the FLW Tour, this Georgia angler has fished well this year. He ended up 12th in the points, and finished 2nd at Old Hickory -- a vastly different body of water than Cross Lake, but a tough tournament.
> Alton Jones -- Jones was 13th in the points this year, is good in shallow water and can do well in tough tournaments if he gets on a pattern.
> Rick Clunn -- You can't count him out, but he's in the process of changing his fishing style. Then again, that might mean he's already better.
> Dion Hibdon -- He learned all his father's tricks and might have taught him a thing or two.
> Mike Wurm -- Wurm finished 6th in the FLW points and consistently finishes high. He just has to win one. Maybe the bracket format will suit his style better.
> Don't Count Out -- David Dudley, the $700,000 man, and Bernie Schultz finished 7th and 8th respectively in the FLW points standings.
> The Unknown Factor -- Andre Moore of Arizona won the Beaver FLW and finished 9th in the FLW points.
Stay tuned for BassFan.com's in-depth coverage of day 1!
