By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor

Trevor Fitzgerald’s first FLW victory came in a two-day BFL super tournament at the St. Johns River 11 1/2 years ago. He remembers it well.

Chances are his most recent triumph there will stand out a little bit more.

Fitzgerald, a native of Florida who cut his teeth as a bass fisherman along the St. Johns, came away with the victory at last week’s FLW Series Southern Division opener with a three-day total of 57-12.

It wasn’t the lights-out sight-fishing derby some expected in the wake of the challenging conditions faced by Bassmaster Elite Series competitors the previous weekend. Fitzgerald did pick off some spawners early in the derby, then had to rely on staging areas in the main river to strengthen his grip on the event.

Having a number of friends and family on hand to cheer him on meant a lot to Fitzgerald, who owns and operates a tackle company bearing his name.

“I really enjoyed this one a lot more because this is where my parents took me fishing,” he said. “This is one of the places where I was taught. They were at the weigh-in and I stayed at home the entire event. My whole family was there. With me growing up fishing that place, this one means a lot more.”

Went Looking First

In practice, Fitzgerald got a first-hand look at the low-water conditions that Elite Series pro had to contend with. He didn’t bank on the water magically coming back in and that prompted him to head south in an attempt to find areas that still had ample water and would be mostly immune to the tide swings.

“We never got that water back until Saturday when the wind blew out of the northeast,” he said.

He combed residential canals and places that required lengthy idles to get to locate bedding fish.

“There was one big one that I found the day before the tournament,” he said. “I caught that one, but a lot that I had marked the day before were gone.”

He ran through about 10 canals and knew many in the field would opt for the sight-fishing pursuit. Where he had an edge, though, was his experience on the fishery and knowing some of the key places to check.

“It was a matter of finding ones where they’d moved up,” he said. “A lot of canals in that river are off the beaten path and that was key for me. Guys either don’t know about them or didn’t want to invest the time to get in there. Having history and knowing what’s in there was key. I can see where it’s a lot tougher for an out-of-town guy who didn’t know what could get in there.”

He came out of day 1 with 21-02 and the lead, but he knew he couldn’t ride the spawners for the duration of the event.

“After I had a good limit, I checked some staging areas and caught 3s and 4s off those, so that clued me in for the following day,” he added.

Two-Pronged Approach

To start day 2, Fitzgerald revisited some canals from day 1, but discovered no new fish had pulled in. It was overcast and just 60 degrees, so he bailed and went to his backup plan, which consisted of targeting areas where pre-spawners stage.

He caught plenty of fish casting and dead-sticking a soft-plastic stickbait, but nothing weighed more than 4 pounds. His 17-02 stringer, while respectable, wasn’t enough to help him retain the lead. He didn’t slip far, though, as he trailed Jason Blair by 1-11 entering day 3.

“That day was phenomenal as far as catching fish, but I didn’t catch a big one and that’s why I slipped that day,” he said.

His confidence was still intact going out on Saturday. He had narrowed his focus to a couple spots that were isolated in the mouths of residential canals.

“I had it pretty much honed in to two spots that, if they would bite there, I could win,” he said. “It was just a deeper spot in the river where they sit and stage. I found it in practice and another in Lake George. They were literally surrounded by super shallow water. It was a just a little drop off, but they were places I knew about. Back when they had eelgrass there, I’d remember sight-fishing it and seeing multiple big fish swimming around waiting to spawn.

“I checked it in practice and shook off a couple good fish. Practice wasn’t any good up until then. I’d found some sight fish, but what do you do after that?”

Fitzgerald found his answer. The bite was a bit off in the morning as the fish weren’t devouring Fitzgerald’s bait like they were on day 2. Several lost fish prompted him to rig up the same stickbait on a shaky-head jig using spinning gear and that turned things around.

“I think going to the lighter line helped because it was one of those spots where I’d caught a lot of fish that week,” he said. “I think the shaky-head saved the day and the tournament for me.”

The other key to his 19-08 bag on day 3 was a slight cold front Friday night. Fitzgerald knew it would get tougher for the other finalists, but the move to finesse tackle proved to be the right move.

“Saturday morning it was 40 degrees,” he said. “It was a nice day, but we had high pressure, so it was not the best for fishing. That and it was a spot where I’d caught a bunch and they were getting wise to me..

“It just got tougher on day 3 in general. It was the front. That hurt ‘em bad. I had to step down the line size and get finessey.”

Winning Gear Notes

> Sight-fishing gear: 7’3” heavy-action Fitzgerald Fishing All-Purpose Series casting rod, Fitzgerald Fishing Stunner casting reel (7.0:1 ratio), 17-pound Fitzgerald Fishing Vursa fluorocarbon line, 1/4-oz. Fitzgerald Fishing tungsten worm weight, 4/0 Berkley Fusion19 heavy cover hook, Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver (green-pumpkin).

> Worm gear: Same rod (medium-heavy), same reel, same line, same weight, 4/0 Hayabusa wide gap offset heavy duty worm hook, Reaction Innovations Pocket Rocket (tramp stamp or hematoma).

> Shaky-head gear: 7’3” medium-heavy Fitzgerald Fishing Stunner spinning rod, Fitzgerald Fishing Stunner spinning reel (size 3000), 10-pound Fitzgerald Fishing Vursa braided line, same line (10-pound), 1/4-oz. Spanker Jigs shaky-head, Reaction Innovations Pocket Rocket (tramp stamp or hematoma).

Final Results

1. Trevor Fitzgerald -- Belleview, Fl -- 21-2 (5) -- 17-2 (5) -- 38-4 (10) -- 19-8 (5) -- 57-12 (15) -- $38,048

2. Jason Blair -- West Palm Beach Fl, Fl -- 17-12 (5) -- 22-3 (5) -- 39-15 (10) -- 11-13 (5) -- 51-12 (15) -- $14,550

3. Steven Hatala -- Harrison Township, Mi -- 14-0 (4) -- 21-1 (5) -- 35-1 (9) -- 15-5 (4) -- 50-6 (13) -- $11,265

4. Rodney Marks -- Apopka, Fl -- 13-2 (5) -- 22-8 (5) -- 35-10 (10) -- 9-6 (5) -- 45-0 (15) -- $9,387

5. Keith Carson -- Debary, Fl -- 16-11 (5) -- 20-5 (5) -- 37-0 (10) -- 6-6 (5) -- 43-6 (15) -- $8,833

6. Jacopo Gallelli -- Florence, Italy -- 16-8 (5) -- 19-2 (5) -- 35-10 (10) -- 2-14 (2) -- 38-8 (12) -- $8,510

7. Jonathan Kelley -- Old Forge, Pa -- 10-11 (5) -- 22-5 (5) -- 33-0 (10) -- 4-12 (2) -- 37-12 (12) -- $6,571

8. Frank Kitchens Iii -- Oxford, Ga -- 15-14 (5) -- 20-14 (5) -- 36-12 (10) -- 0-12 (1) -- 37-8 (11) -- $5,632

9. Jason Meninger -- Saint Augustine, Fl -- 13-3 (5) -- 19-14 (5) -- 33-1 (10) -- 3-2 (2) -- 36-3 (12) -- $4,694

10. Chris Hensley -- Marbury, Al -- 9-7 (5) -- 24-4 (5) -- 33-11 (10) -- 0-0 (0) -- 33-11 (10) -- $3,755

The Following Anglers Missed The Cut And Did Not Compete On Day 3.

11. Mark Blevins -- Palatka, Fl -- 14-8 (5) -- 17-5 (5) -- 31-13 (10) -- $3,520

12. Thomas Oltorik -- Deland, Fl -- 14-13 (5) -- 16-12 (5) -- 31-9 (10) -- $3,285

13. R M Couch Jr -- Ocala, Fl -- 8-12 (5) -- 21-7 (5) -- 30-3 (10) -- $2,816

14. Terry Scroggins -- San Mateo, Fl -- 14-5 (5) -- 15-14 (5) -- 30-3 (10) -- $2,816

15. Eddie Carper -- Valliant, Ok -- 19-6 (5) -- 10-6 (5) -- 29-12 (10) -- $2,816

16. Richard Dunham -- Palm Harbor, Fl -- 14-5 (5) -- 15-2 (5) -- 29-7 (10) -- $2,816

17. Terry Fisher -- Jacksonville, Fl -- 11-9 (5) -- 17-11 (5) -- 29-4 (10) -- $2,816

18. Jessie Mizell -- Parrish, Fl -- 14-11 (5) -- 14-5 (5) -- 29-0 (10) -- $2,816

19. Donny Bass -- Naples, Fl -- 14-13 (5) -- 14-1 (5) -- 28-14 (10) -- $2,816

20. Michael Conley -- Bainbridge, Ga -- 20-11 (5) -- 8-1 (3) -- 28-12 (8) -- $2,816

21. Kyle Welcher -- Opelika, Al -- 19-14 (5) -- 8-7 (5) -- 28-5 (10) -- $2,716

22. Tim Frederick -- Leesburg, Fl -- 19-1 (5) -- 9-0 (5) -- 28-1 (10) -- $2,581

23. Clint Brown -- Bainbridge, Ga -- 10-12 (5) -- 17-4 (5) -- 28-0 (10) -- $2,581

24. Tim Vanegmond -- Gay, Ga -- 13-11 (5) -- 14-3 (5) -- 27-14 (10) -- $2,581

25. Anthony Ford -- New Smyrna, Fl -- 14-14 (5) -- 12-2 (5) -- 27-0 (10) -- $2,581

26. Kyle Hall -- Granbury, Tx -- 11-10 (5) -- 15-3 (5) -- 26-13 (10) -- $2,347

27. Andrew Warbington -- Coker, Al -- 17-14 (5) -- 8-14 (5) -- 26-12 (10) -- $2,347

28. Mikey Keyso Jr -- North Port, Fl -- 13-6 (5) -- 13-3 (5) -- 26-9 (10) -- $2,347

29. Jerry Stalvey, Jr -- Palatka, Fl -- 13-3 (5) -- 12-6 (5) -- 25-9 (10) -- $2,347

30. Dakota Ebare -- Denham Springs, La -- 12-11 (5) -- 12-7 (5) -- 25-2 (10) -- $2,347

31. Christopher Keeble -- Lenoir City, Tn -- 10-14 (5) -- 13-14 (5) -- 24-12 (10) -- $1,877

32. Jim Jones -- Big Bend, Wi -- 14-0 (5) -- 10-9 (5) -- 24-9 (10) -- $1,877

33. Stephen Bennett -- Hahira, Ga -- 16-7 (5) -- 7-15 (4) -- 24-6 (9) -- $1,877

34. Jeffrey Mathews -- Maitland, Fl -- 8-2 (5) -- 16-3 (5) -- 24-5 (10) -- $1,877

35. Zak Fadden -- Plymouth, Mi -- 16-9 (5) -- 7-5 (5) -- 23-14 (10) -- $1,877

36. Roland Martin -- Naples, Fl -- 5-7 (3) -- 18-5 (5) -- 23-12 (8) -- $1,877

37. Pat Fisher -- Colbert, Ga -- 9-2 (5) -- 14-8 (5) -- 23-10 (10)

38. Brian Jamison -- Greensboro, Ga -- 15-2 (5) -- 7-13 (5) -- 22-15 (10)

39. Wayne Murray -- Baton Rouge, La -- 11-14 (5) -- 10-11 (5) -- 22-9 (10)

40. Austin Black -- Palatka, Fl -- 16-1 (4) -- 6-3 (3) -- 22-4 (7)

41. Joey Thigpen -- St Johns, Fl -- 11-14 (5) -- 9-15 (5) -- 21-13 (10)

42. Lonnie Oneal -- Valdosta, Ga -- 13-5 (5) -- 8-7 (2) -- 21-12 (7)

43. Brent Bonadona -- Port Allen, La -- 13-15 (5) -- 7-8 (5) -- 21-7 (10)

44. Laramy Strickland -- Bushnell, Fl -- 8-13 (5) -- 12-4 (5) -- 21-1 (10)

45. Dillon McMillan -- Belle Glade, Fl -- 14-0 (5) -- 7-0 (2) -- 21-0 (7)

46. Matt Kinney -- Bunnell, Fl -- 7-12 (4) -- 12-15 (5) -- 20-11 (9)

47. Jai Hunter Sr -- Deland, Fl -- 15-6 (5) -- 5-2 (2) -- 20-8 (7)

48. Ken Sharpless -- Lake Wales, Fl -- 9-15 (5) -- 10-4 (5) -- 20-3 (10)

49. Matthew Wieteha -- Miami, Fl -- 11-7 (5) -- 8-10 (4) -- 20-1 (9)

50. Dennis Redd -- Old Town, Fl -- 11-9 (3) -- 8-5 (5) -- 19-14 (8)

51. Robert Crosnoe -- Inverness, Fl -- 16-6 (5) -- 3-7 (2) -- 19-13 (7)

52. John Bitter -- Maitland, Fl -- 9-15 (4) -- 9-5 (4) -- 19-4 (8)

53. Brandon Medlock -- Lake Placid, Fl -- 14-9 (5) -- 4-10 (3) -- 19-3 (8)

54. Joey Cifuentes -- Clinton, Ar -- 11-9 (5) -- 7-10 (5) -- 19-3 (10)

55. Scott King -- Crescent City, Fl -- 10-8 (5) -- 8-8 (5) -- 19-0 (10)

56. Greg Roth -- Orono, On -- 14-11 (5) -- 4-4 (1) -- 18-15 (6)

57. Dennis Cameron -- Travelers Rest, SC -- 5-1 (3) -- 13-13 (5) -- 18-14 (8)

58. Troy Roder -- Brookeland, Tx -- 9-1 (5) -- 9-13 (5) -- 18-14 (10)

59. Bryan New -- Belmont, NC -- 9-7 (5) -- 9-7 (5) -- 18-14 (10)

60. Dean Boruff -- Valdosta, Ga -- 12-6 (5) -- 6-7 (4) -- 18-13 (9)

61. Casey Warren -- Galivants Ferry, SC -- 11-0 (5) -- 7-6 (5) -- 18-6 (10)

62. Yoan Alvarez -- Miami, Fl -- 2-14 (2) -- 15-6 (5) -- 18-4 (7)

63. Nicholas Hoinig -- Port St Lucie, Fl -- 12-15 (5) -- 5-4 (4) -- 18-3 (9)

64. Bobby Wilson -- Albany, Ga -- 6-10 (4) -- 11-4 (5) -- 17-14 (9)

65. Nick Thliveros -- St. Augustine, Fl -- 7-7 (4) -- 10-5 (5) -- 17-12 (9)

66. Tony Couch -- Buckhead, Ga -- 10-11 (5) -- 6-15 (3) -- 17-10 (8)

67. Jeff Fitts -- Keystone Heights, Fl -- 8-2 (3) -- 8-14 (3) -- 17-0 (6)

68. Raymond Guerra -- Port Saint Lucie, Fl -- 7-9 (3) -- 9-5 (3) -- 16-14 (6)

69. Chris Heath -- North Augusta, SC -- 11-0 (5) -- 5-3 (4) -- 16-3 (9)

70. Corey Smith -- Clermont, Fl -- 11-15 (5) -- 4-3 (3) -- 16-2 (8)

71. John Kremer -- Sanford, Fl -- 6-12 (4) -- 9-1 (5) -- 15-13 (9)

72. Steve Young -- Valdosta, Ga -- 2-15 (2) -- 12-12 (5) -- 15-11 (7)

73. Dustin Smith -- Grand Island, Fl -- 8-5 (5) -- 7-5 (4) -- 15-10 (9)

74. Brett Cannon -- Parkland, Fl -- 7-10 (5) -- 7-13 (5) -- 15-7 (10)

75. Kyle Walters -- Grant Valkaria, Fl -- 8-0 (4) -- 6-11 (3) -- 14-11 (7)

76. Preston Clark -- Palatka, Fl -- 6-14 (5) -- 7-9 (4) -- 14-7 (9)

77. Danny White -- Milledgeville, Ga -- 7-0 (5) -- 7-6 (3) -- 14-6 (8)

78. Jeff Cannon -- Douglasville, Ga -- 4-12 (4) -- 9-9 (4) -- 14-5 (8)

79. Brandon Classon Sr -- Leesburg, Ga -- 6-8 (4) -- 7-11 (5) -- 14-3 (9)

80. Fred Thompson -- Defuniak Springs, Fl -- 6-7 (3) -- 7-10 (5) -- 14-1 (8)

81. Rick Taylor -- West Olive, Mi -- 3-4 (2) -- 10-8 (4) -- 13-12 (6)

82. Gary Milicevic -- Labelle, Fl -- 10-4 (4) -- 3-7 (2) -- 13-11 (6)

83. Darrell Davis -- Dover, Fl -- 6-4 (4) -- 7-6 (3) -- 13-10 (7)

84. Hojin Chang -- Windermere, Fl -- 5-12 (4) -- 7-13 (4) -- 13-9 (8)

85. Bradley Enfinger -- Colquitt, Ga -- 8-0 (5) -- 5-7 (4) -- 13-7 (9)

86. Morris Nix -- Marietta, Ga -- 5-9 (5) -- 7-9 (5) -- 13-2 (10)

87. Brandon McIntosh -- Saint Augustine, Fl -- 5-11 (3) -- 7-5 (5) -- 13-0 (8)

88. Wendell Causey Jr -- Irmo, SC -- 12-14 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 12-14 (5)

89. Kyle Stafford -- Lakeland, Fl -- 1-10 (1) -- 11-3 (5) -- 12-13 (6)

90. Kenneth Harris -- Zolfo Springs, Fl -- 7-6 (4) -- 5-7 (3) -- 12-13 (7)

91. Santos Solis -- Vero Beach, Fl -- 1-12 (1) -- 10-13 (5) -- 12-9 (6)

92. Troy Gibson -- Mountain Home, Ar -- 9-14 (4) -- 2-11 (2) -- 12-9 (6)

93. Terry Tucker -- Gadsden, Al -- 8-12 (4) -- 3-13 (2) -- 12-9 (6)

94. Lance Pemble -- Leesburg, Fl -- 5-15 (3) -- 6-4 (4) -- 12-3 (7)

95. Scott Kirsch -- Edgewater, Fl -- 0-0 (0) -- 12-0 (3) -- 12-0 (3)

96. Trent Pardue -- Okeechobee, Fl -- 3-14 (2) -- 7-11 (3) -- 11-9 (5)

97. Matt Massey -- Littleton, Co -- 7-2 (5) -- 4-7 (3) -- 11-9 (8)

98. Wayne Christopher -- Huntsville, Al -- 5-0 (4) -- 6-9 (2) -- 11-9 (6)

99. Richard Newberry -- Saint Petersburg, Fl -- 5-14 (3) -- 5-1 (1) -- 10-15 (4)

100. Larry Broughton -- Okeechobee, Fl -- 1-12 (1) -- 8-15 (3) -- 10-11 (4)

101. Barry Bass -- Bradenton, Fl -- 3-14 (2) -- 6-10 (4) -- 10-8 (6)

102. Phil Cury -- Jacksonville, Fl -- 6-5 (2) -- 4-0 (2) -- 10-5 (4)

103. Bradley Macqueen -- West Palm Beach, Fl -- 5-15 (4) -- 4-2 (3) -- 10-1 (7)

104. Nathan Thomas -- Weirsdale, Fl -- 5-15 (3) -- 4-2 (1) -- 10-1 (4)

105. Austin Bell -- Winter Haven, Fl -- 5-8 (1) -- 4-9 (2) -- 10-1 (3)

106. Lane Olson -- Tigard, Or -- 2-0 (2) -- 8-0 (3) -- 10-0 (5)

107. Chris Blair -- Newnan, Ga -- 9-14 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 9-14 (5)

108. Thadeus Ragan -- West Park, Fl -- 3-11 (2) -- 6-3 (2) -- 9-14 (4)

109. Ty Solis -- Albany, Ga -- 3-11 (3) -- 5-14 (4) -- 9-9 (7)

110. Scott Byrd -- Ocklawaha, Fl -- 9-8 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 9-8 (5)

111. Clay Batson -- Bradenton, Fl -- 2-11 (2) -- 6-9 (4) -- 9-4 (6)

112. Brad Stalnaker -- Eatonton, Ga -- 9-3 (3) -- 0-0 (0) -- 9-3 (3)

113. Billy Hall -- Greenback, Tn -- 7-7 (5) -- 1-10 (1) -- 9-1 (6)

114. Landon Tucker -- Adel, Ga -- 1-4 (1) -- 7-7 (4) -- 8-11 (5)

115. Justin Morgan -- Okeechobee, Fl -- 6-11 (5) -- 2-0 (1) -- 8-11 (6)

116. Mike Jackson -- San Mateo, Fl -- 8-6 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 8-6 (5)

117. John Dial -- Winter Haven, Fl -- 3-3 (4) -- 5-3 (5) -- 8-6 (9)

118. Rick Mitchell -- Naples, Fl -- 3-8 (1) -- 4-12 (3) -- 8-4 (4)

119. Kenneth Lesesne -- Blue Ridge, Ga -- 0-14 (1) -- 7-1 (4) -- 7-15 (5)

120. Jared McMillan -- Belle Glade, Fl -- 7-13 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 7-13 (5)

121. Matthew Elixson -- Lake Butler, Fl -- 1-10 (1) -- 5-12 (5) -- 7-6 (6)

122. Tim Zdrazil -- Crawfordville, Fl -- 0-0 (0) -- 7-3 (3) -- 7-3 (3)

123. George Matthews (Billy) -- Valdosta, Ga -- 0-0 (0) -- 6-14 (2) -- 6-14 (2)

124. Harry Moore -- Valley, Al -- 2-2 (2) -- 4-11 (4) -- 6-13 (6)

125. Greg Bartz -- Lakeland, Fl -- 2-7 (1) -- 4-6 (2) -- 6-13 (3)

126. Peter Thliveros -- Saint Augustine, Fl -- 6-9 (4) -- 0-0 (0) -- 6-9 (4)

127. Curtis Lewis -- West Palm Beach, Fl -- 3-13 (2) -- 2-11 (2) -- 6-8 (4)

128. Frank Clark -- Port Saint Joe, Fl -- 4-5 (3) -- 1-13 (1) -- 6-2 (4)

129. Reid Heard -- Climax, Ga -- 2-12 (2) -- 3-6 (2) -- 6-2 (4)

130. Mark Mitchell -- Mesquite, Tx -- 3-13 (1) -- 2-4 (1) -- 6-1 (2)

131. Steve Crowley -- Inverness, Fl -- 6-0 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 6-0 (5)

132. Ryan Thompson -- Longs, SC -- 5-15 (5) -- 0-0 (0) -- 5-15 (5)

133. Jae Evans -- Boca Raton, Fl -- 0-15 (1) -- 3-9 (1) -- 4-8 (2)

134. Roger Stubbs -- Locust Grove, Ga -- 1-14 (2) -- 1-13 (1) -- 3-11 (3)

135. Gerry Brousseau -- Naples, Fl -- 0-0 (0) -- 3-7 (1) -- 3-7 (1)

136. Mitchell Liss -- Grand Island, Fl -- 3-2 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 3-2 (2)

137. David Bear -- Winter Haven, Fl -- 0-0 (0) -- 2-14 (2) -- 2-14 (2)

138. John Tavano -- Sebring, Fl -- 2-5 (2) -- 0-0 (0) -- 2-5 (2)

139. Byron Hendrix -- Lawrenceville, Ga -- 2-3 (1) -- 0-0 (0) -- 2-3 (1)

140. Craig Cavanna -- Spring Hill, Fl -- 1-15 (1) -- 0-0 (0) -- 1-15 (1)

141. Thomas McLinskey -- Altha, Fl -- 1-8 (1) -- 0-0 (0) -- 1-8 (1)

142. Mark Knight -- McDonough, Ga -- 1-4 (1) -- 0-0 (0) -- 1-4 (1)

143. Dererk Savage -- Port St. Lucie, Fl -- 1-1 (1) -- 0-0 (0) -- 1-1 (1)

Jeff Ragsdale -- Gardendale, Al -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0) -- 0-0 (0)