Tightly-Stacked Weights Set Stage for Dramatic Championship Sunday
The Walmart FLW Tour at Beaver Lake presented by Jack Link’s is setting up for a dramatic final day on Sunday – all of the anglers that made the top-10 cut are in striking distance and have a legitimate shot to win the tournament, and the top prize of $125,000.

Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury of Springville, Alabama, who started the day in second place, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 14 pounds, 6 ounces to take the lead with a three-day total of 45-7.
Day two leader Darrel Robertson of Jay, Oklahoma, (44-3) fell to second after bringing in a limit weighing 13-1. Keystone Light pro Jeff Sprague (44-0), Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan (43-15) and reigning FLW Angler of the Year Scott Martin (43-5) round out the top five.
With just 4-15 separating leader Canterbury from 10th place angler Andrew Upshaw (40-8) the tournament is still very much up for grabs.
“I’m excited, but I know that it’s not like I’ve got this tournament in the bag,” said Canterbury, who is seeking the first FLW Tour win of his career after six previous second- or third-place finishes. “I’ve got the best in the world right behind me – ‘Mr. Beaver Lake’ Matt Arey, the G.O.A.T. Andy Morgan right on my tail, and Jeff Sprague has caught them every day. I’m going to have to go out and catch five good ones tomorrow.
“I only caught 14 pounds today and if I do that tomorrow, I won’t win,” Canterbury continued. “I have to catch at least 15 pounds, otherwise I won’t have a shot at this. This lake is as healthy as it has ever been and is fishing really good.”
Canterbury said that he has caught all of his fish this week pitching a jig, and he is catching 8 or 9 keepers each day. He has been running mostly new water throughout the tournament, returning only to a few choice locations.
“I’ve been to this lake so many times that I just know little stretches that I like to fish. I’ve been fishing down almost to the dam and I’ve been up the White River and all over this place. Four of the five fish that I weighed in today came in places that I hadn’t fished before. I have caught a fish every day off of one rock, and I caught a 3-pounder there today, so I’m going back to it but other than that I’m not repeating a lot.
“I don’t know yet what I’m going to do tomorrow,” Canterbury went on to say. “At Beaver Lake, you have to fish the conditions each day. I’ve been in this spot before and I know how quickly this lake can change. I’m just going to go fishing and try to have some fun.”
The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition on Beaver Lake are:
1st: Quaker State pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 15 bass, 45-7
2nd: Darrel Robertson, Jay, Okla., 15 bass, 44-3
3rd: Keystone Light pro Jeff Sprague, Point, Texas, 15 bass, 44-0
4th: Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 43-15
5th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 15 bass, 43-5
6th: Chris Whitson, Louisville, Tennessee, 15 bass, 43-0
7th: Quaker State pro Matt Arey, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 42-2
8th: Livingston Lures pro Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark., 15 bass, 41-4
9th: J.T. Kenney, Palm Bay, Fla., 15 bass, 41-0
10th: Andrew Upshaw, Sapulpa, Okla., 15 bass, 40-8
Finishing in 11th through 20th are:
11th: Jeff Gustafson, Keewatin, Ontario, 15 bass, 40-5, $12,000
12th: Quaker State pro Jimmy Houston, Cookson, Okla., 15 bass, 40-1, $12,000
13th: John Cox, Debary, Fla., 15 bass, 39-6, $12,000
14th: Bryan Schmitt, Deale, Md., 15 bass, 39-5, $12,000
15th: Jacob Wheeler, Indianapolis, Ind., 15 bass, 39-2, $12,000
16th: Kurt Mitchell, Milford, Del., 14 bass, 37-6, $12,000
17th: Brandon Cobb, Greenwood, S.C., 15 bass, 36-13, $12,000
18th: Jim Moynagh, Carver, Minn., 14 bass, 36-12, $12,000
19th: Power-Pole pro Darrell Davis, Dover, Fla., 14 bass, 35-13, $12,000
20th: Kerry Milner, Bono, Ark., 15 bass, 35-3, $12,000
Overall there were 98 bass weighing 247 pounds, 5 ounces caught by pros Saturday. Eighteen of the final 20 pros weighed in five-bass limits.
Joey Cifuentes of Clinton, Arkansas, won the co-angler division and $25,000 Friday with a two-day total of nine bass weighing 25 pounds, 12 ounces, followed by Mike Devere of Berea, Kentucky, who finished in second place with 10 bass weighing 23 pounds, 6 ounces worth $7,500.
In addition to casting for top awards of up to $125,000 cash in the pro division and up to $25,000 cash in the co-angler division, anglers are also competing for valuable points in hopes of qualifying for the 2016 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. The 2016 Forrest Wood Cup will be in Huntsville, Alabama, Aug. 4-7 on Wheeler Lake.
Anglers will take off from the Prairie Creek Park Marina located at 9300 N. Park Road in Rogers at 6:30 a.m. Sunday, the final day of competition. Sunday’s final weigh-in will be held at Walmart, located at 2110 W. Walnut St., in Rogers beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will also be treated to the FLW Expo on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at Walmart prior to the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes a 100-yard Lew’s Casting Lane, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by FLW sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public.
Coverage of the Beaver Lake tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network (NBCSN) September 14 from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. EST. The Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show airs on NBCSN, the Pursuit Channel and the World Fishing Network and is broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.
The Walmart FLW Tour at Beaver Lake presented by Jack Link’s is hosted by Visit Rogers.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2016 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 235 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros.
By: Joe Opager, Director of Public Relations
