Pro Chad Aaron of Ethridge, Tenn., caught a five-bass limit weighing 15 pounds, 13 ounces Saturday to win the FLW American Fishing Series Invitational on Wheeler Lake with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 52 pounds, 10 ounces. For his victory, Aaron earned $24,810 and a trip to the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup.
“Everything keyed around current,” said Aaron, who notched his first FLW Outdoors victory. “I caught some in less than 3 feet of water, but most of them I caught in 14 to 20 (feet) on isolated rock piles I found with my electronics.”
Aaron said some of his fish in the tournament fell for a Zara Spook, but his deep baits were green football-head jigs and a Lake Fork Tackle Flutter Spoon. Aaron said he discovered his pattern Wednesday afternoon.
“When I started fishing those isolated rock piles, I could pretty much call my shot and catch a 4-pounder,” Aaron said.
After weighing 21-12 on the first day of competition, Aaron said he eased off of his fish on day two to save them for the final day of competition. Aaron weighed 15-1 on day two.
“They didn’t bite as good today,” Aaron said. “I only caught six good fish today when I was catching a lot more than that.”
Rounding out the top five pros were:
| 2nd: | Kevin Snider | Elizabethtown, Ky. | 15 bass | 37-12 | $10,633 |
| 3rd: | Darryl Folse | Addis, La. | 15 bass | , 33-6 | $5,671 |
| 4th: | Pat Eichmann | Nancy, Ky. | 15 bass | 30-12 | $4,962 |
| 5th: | Bill Chapman | Salt Rock, W.V.. | 15 bass | 30-9 | $4,253 |
Aaron caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Pro Division Thursday – a 5-pound, 10-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $240.
Steve Gregg of Florissant, Mo., won the Co-angler Division and $9,486 and a trip to the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup, with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 33 pounds, 1 ounce.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers were:
| 2nd: | Andrew Luxon | Richmond, Ky. | 15 bass | 30-14 | $3,649 |
| 3rd: | Anthony Goggins | Auburn, Ala. | 15 bass | 28-9 | $2,189 |
| 4th: | Blase Frick | St. Louis, Mo. | 15 bass | 26-15 | $1,824 |
| 5th: | Steve Harwood | Weaverville, N.C. | 15 bass | 23-6 | $1,459 |
Ken Gregory of Greenwood, Indiana, caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the Co-angler Division Friday – a 5-pound, 12-ounce bass – that earned him the day’s Big Bass award of $150..
The top 50 pros and co-anglers from each of the FLW American Fishing Series divisions – Central, Northern, Southeast and Texas – qualified for the American Fishing Series Invitational.
ABOUT FLW OUTDOORS
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 189 tournaments in 2010. . For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, call (270) 252-1000.By: Chad Gay, Public Relations Manager
