Not quite the third year in a row Glenn, but the 2nd in 3 years.
We fished the tournament with only 1/2 day of prefishing as the Delta was closed to recreational boat traffic due to massive flooding. However, that's not too much of an excuse for our placement, as every one had the same problem. The tournament was won by a local team. As a caveat to winning, that team automatically earned positions as co-anglers in the FLW Championships in Beaver Lake AR. later this year. That's an automatic $10,000.00 guaranteed payoff to last place!
Scott & I were in 7th place at the end of day 1, and we both felt that we could most likely move ahead with a duplicate effort on day two. However, our big fish bite went away and it was nearly 1 in the afternoon before we had a limit. That was quite a change from day 1 when we started culling after 45 minutes and had several fish over 3 1/2 lbs, including a 7'1" and a 5. On day 2 we also had two other tournaments going on, so there was quite a bit more boat traffic in our fishing areas than before.
Don't know how we can afford the trip to TN with the way fuel is now. I've got a line some sponsor support from a dealer in TN so I don't have to tug my boat all the way out there.
Finally, this was the 1st tournament put on by the FLW that I have ever fished. Let me emphatically state that they are most assuredly a 1st class organization!
The entire tournament ran as smoothly as a lightly-oiled Shimano. LOL (Got to plug my boys heh heh) It was as if the tournament director was following a script. I have fished in several major BASS events and always found them to be outstanding. However, FLW takes the professionalism of the event upwards a notch. The organization is also very patriotic and mindfull of our armed forces members.
I eagerly look forward to participate in another FLW event and suggest to anyone who fishes competatively to take a long look at the FLW. I'm sure they will be as impressed as I was.
Smitty P.S. For those of you who know Scott, ask me how I got him to cry like a whimpering baby. It was quite amusing! OF COURSE, he's got a story about me now also.