MANNING, S.C. (April 21, 2006) – Pro Bryan Hudgins of Orange Park, Fla., caught a five-bass limit weighing 19 pounds, 7 ounces to lead day three of the Stren Series Southeast Division event on the Santee Cooper lakes. The top 10 pros and co-anglers from the day-three semifinal round advance to fish Saturday. Pros are competing for a top award exceeding $60,000 in cash and prizes while co-anglers are competing for as much $35,000 in cash and prizes.
Twelve of the 20 pros competing Friday caught a limit, and the top pro weights were comparable to Thursday’s weights, with the heaviest limits hovering around 20 pounds. Hudgins weights have steadily improved each day from 13-14 on day one to 17-11 two and nearly 20 pounds Friday. He’s one of only a couple pros competing in the final round that have increased their weight each day.
“I had five fish ready to bite that would have gone 40 pounds the day before the tournament,” Hudgins said. “But the weather changed a little and the fish left, so the first day I only had 14 pounds. But these fish are moving up by the hour, and I’m sight-fishing in areas where they consistently bed late in the season. I’ve got the whole area to myself, and I’m just covering as much water as possible.
“Today, right before I had to leave for weigh-in, I found a cove that had a 10, 7, 5, two 4s and a 3-pounder in it. And I’ve got a 5-pounder and two other 4-pounders that I think will be there tomorrow. So if those fish stay where they are, I could be in really good shape tomorrow.”
Rounding out the top five pros are Ken Ellis of Bowman, S.C. (five bass, 18 pounds, 14 ounces); James Dudley of Lynchburg, Va. (five bass, 18 pounds, 3 ounces); Roger Crafton of Boca Grande, Fla. (five bass, 17 pounds, 11 ounces); Kip Carter of Oxford, Ga. (five bass, 15 pounds).
Joseph Ellis Sr. of Cincinnati, Ohio, leads the Co-angler Division the for third day in a row with four bass weighing 9 pounds, 5 ounces. Ellis fished with Ron Klys Friday and primarily used a Zoom Fluke to pick off stragglers that Klys passed over while he was sight-fishing.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Derek Schlotterback of Simpsonville, S.C. (four bass, 7 pounds, 10 ounces); Matt Hults of Gautier, Miss. (three bass, 7 pounds, 4 ounces); Nathan Fuller of Hillsboro, Ga. (three bass, 6 pounds, 7 ounces); and Albert Pieper of Summerville, S.C. (one bass, 6 pounds, 3 ounces).
Anglers caught a total of 108 bass Friday weighing 284 pounds, 2 ounces, and 12 limits were caught.
Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 481 West Boyce St. in Manning beginning at 4 p.m. Saturday’s takeoff is at 7 a.m. at John C. Land III Sportfishing Facility. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
Stren Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of three rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday and Thursday, and the top 20 pros and co-anglers – based on two-day accumulated weights – advance to day three. Anglers start at zero Thursday and compete for 10 spots in each division in the final round. Winners are determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.
Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Stratos Owners Tournament Trail. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $36.7 million through 241 events in 2006.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world’s leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.
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