Bohannan Clings to Wal-Mart Open Finals Spot
Pros, Co-Anglers Start from Scratch in Today's Fishing
Last updated Friday, May 16, 2008 8:50 PM CDT in Sports
By Joe Mosby
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BEAVER LAKE - Rogers bass angler Greg Bohannan hung on to his top 10 standing by just 4 ounces Friday, and it got him into the finals today and Sunday in the FLW Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake.
What it means is Bohannan stays in the quest for a $200,000 top prize or one of the other significant paychecks rather than take home $14,000 like fellow Arkansan George Cochran did Friday.
Cochran was in 11th place after the first round of Thursday and Friday ended, 22 pounds, 4 ounces of Beaver bass to 22-8 for Bohannan.
The leaders underwent a shuffle Friday as fishing conditions changed on the lake.
Alvin Shaw of State Road, N.C., vaulted to the top with 26 pounds, 2 ounces. Sam Newby of Pocola, Okla., was second at 25-8, and Mark Pack of Mineola, Texas, the first day leader, came in third at 25-0.
All these weights are now discarded, however. The 10 finalists start from zero, and weigh-ins are changed too. They will begin at 4 p.m. today and Sunday at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers.
The FLW Fun Zone, a mix of exhibits, demonstrations and games, will open at noon. Both it and the weigh-in are free for spectators.
Bohannan is the only Arkansan in the professional final field, but 5 of the 10 co-angler finalists are Arkansas residents.
Jared Taliaferro of Rogers jumped into first among the co-anglers, the participants who fish from the back of professionals' boats, with his two-day total of 18-11.
Stetson Blaylock of Benton was second with 16-14. Danny Faught of Rogers was fourth at 15-6, Burl Smith of Prairie Grove sixth at 15-0 and Steve Meader of Bella Vista ninth at 13-11.
The co-anglers are going for a $40,000 top prize.
Bohannan said after Friday's weigh-in, "I did everything right today and got a limit. The good Lord blessed me. I think my pattern can hold up (for the finals), but I'm not getting big fish. Blue skies will hurt me a little, but I hope not too much."
Shaw rose from a fifth place tie the first day to the top of the pro field. He is a bass competition veteran, but he gave some credit, tongue in cheek, to his ping pong skills.
"Last night I had a good feeling when I beat Clark Wendlandt in two games of ping pong." Wendlandt is the Texas who has twice on this Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake.
Friday's fishing was down a little from Thursday, an unusually productive day on Beaver with high water, muddy or murky conditions and rainy or overcast skies.
Still, 115 limits came in from the 200 professional contenders. Largest bass was a 5-7 fish checked in by Bill Day of Frankfort, Ky. But neither Day nor Rob Digh of Denver, N.C., who had a 6-pounder Thursday, made the cut to the finals.
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