Dearal Rodgers has had mixed result in five previous FLW Tour tournaments on Arkansas’ Beaver Lake, but he notched top 50 finals in the last two events there and is looking for more of the same in the third FLW Tour Major of 2012 this week.

But, it might not be easy.

“Beaver Lake was high a couple of weeks ago but it has been dropped about 6 or 7 feet and is pretty low right now,” said the second-year Camden, S.C., pro. And that, he added, has made the fishing “rather tough.”

Rodgers did not earn a check in his first trip to Beaver Lake as a co-angler in 2006 when he finished near the bottom of the pack. But, he did pick up prize money in his next two trips there, finishing 82^nd in 2007 and 81^st in 2008, as a co-angler.

His best finish came in 2009 when he weighed in seven bass over two days at 11 pounds, 3 ounces, to finish in 21^st place and win $1,300.

The next time he fished Beaver Lake was last year when he finished 50^th as a pro angler after weighing in six bass at 14 pounds, 13 ounces, and won $10,000.

In 2009 Rodgers was the FLW Tour’s Co-Angler of the Year after registering two top 25s, a top 15 and two top 10s. The following year, he capped his co-angler career by winning the Forrest Wood Cup on Georgia’s Lake Lanier. In his second year as a pro angler he is currently ranked 87^th, after finishing 68^th at Lake Hartwell and 95^th on Table Rock in the first two Major tournaments of the year, both in March.

In 2011 Rodgers finished 59^th in points, but felt he had a fairly good year as a first-year pro considering the fact that he was able to take only so much time away from his job and did not get to practice sufficiently for most tournaments. Caught between the rigors of tournament fishing and job demands he ran out of steam towards the end of the year.

But that changed this year after he and his wife opened their own business and his financial demands were eased somewhat when Sportsman’s Warehouse came on board as his major sponsor. The relationship also helps with planning his fishing strategy, he said.

“I logged onto sportsmanswarehouse.com and ordered some more Spot Removers and trick worms for the event on Beaver Lake,” he said.

After checking out the lake this week Rodgers said he has not seen any fish on the banks.

“They seem to be relating to the steeper areas. I feel like there is going to be a good bite on top early in the morning and then it will get tougher in the middle of the day,” he said. “A lot of Shakey Head fish will be weighed in and I think 10 pounds a day will be very good.”

Rodgers added, “Largemouth keepers are going to be key this week so I’ll be trying hard to catch some.”

 

FLW Tour Major

Apr 26-29, 2012

Beaver Lake

Prairie Creek Park

www.flwoutdoors.com