PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. (June 30, 2012) – Earlier in the season, Castrol pro David Dudley told the crowd attending the Walmart FLW Tour at Beaver Lake to “watch out at Lake Champlain.” Dudley’s prophetic statement seems to have come true as he led a field of the bass pros in the world for the third straight day at the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Champlain Presented by Chevy.

 

Dudley also cemented his third Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year presented by Kellogg’s title in five years Saturday. With the title, Dudley becomes the first pro to win back-to-back AOY crowns. The title is determined by the most points accumulated over the six Tour Majors over the course of the season. Dudley earned $100,000 plus a berth in the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup in addition to the AOY title.

 

Dudley, who won previous Angler of the Year titles in 2011 and 2008, started the 2012 FLW Tour Major season with a 24th-place showing at Lake Hartwell. He followed that up 59th at Table Rock Lake. He went on a tear after that and won at Beaver Lake, finished third at the Potomac River and then posted a 14th-place finish at Kentucky Lake.

 

Dudley has won more than $2.9 million over the course of his FLW career, making him FLW’s leading money winner. He was the youngest angler to the $2 million mark. He has accumulated six FLW wins, 35 top-10 finishes and has qualified for 14 Forrest Wood Cup appearances in his 17 years as a pro. Key wins in his career include the 2003 Forrest Wood Cup on the James River, where he won $500,000, and the 2002 Ranger M1 Millennium that brought a $700,000 payday.

 

Dudley joins fellow FLW Tour angler Clark Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, as the only Tour angler to win three Angler of the Year titles.

 

“We have a lot of fishing left to do and I’m looking forward to the Forrest Wood Cup,” Dudley said. “Clark is a great fisherman, and to tie with Clark is a great thing.

 

“My strength comes through my Lord and savior Jesus Christ,” Dudley added. “In an interview a guy asked me, ‘Do you see any difference in where you were at in 2008?’ I told him the skill level I was at in 2008 when I won Angler of the Year would not even make the (Forrest Wood Cup) in 2012. So you have to constantly be aware of what you’re doing and never be satisfied.”

 

The Lynchburg, Va., angler advanced to the top 10 as the No. 1 seed with a five-bass limit Saturday of 15-9. With a three-day catch of 15 bass weighing 58 pounds, 8 ounces, he now holds a 2-pound, 2-ounce lead in the tournament going into the final day of competition.

 

Snapple pro Jacob Powroznik of Prince George, Va., advanced to the final round of 10 pros in the No. 2 spot with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 56-6.

 

The top 10 pros advancing to the final day of competition are:

 

1st: Castrol pro David Dudley, Lynchburg, Va., 15 bass, 58-8

2nd: Snapple pro Jacob Powroznik, Prince George, Va., 15 bass, 56-6

3rd: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 55-15

4th: Joseph Thompson, Landenburg, Pa., 15 bass, 55-9

5th: EverStart pro Ron Shuffield, Bismarck, Ark., 15 bass, 54-4

6th: Blake Nick, Adger, Ala., 15 bass, 54-2

7th: David Wolak, Wake Forest, N.C., 15 bass, 53-9

8th: Straight Talk pro Scott Canterbury, Springville, Ala., 15 bass, 52-2

9th: Roland Martin, Naples, Fla., 15 bass, 51-15

10th: John Voyles, Petersburg, Ind., 15 bass, 51-11

 

Finishing in 11th through 20th are:

 

11th: Rayovac pro Jason Christie, Park Hill, Okla., 15 bass, 51-7, $10,226

12th: Barry Wilson, Birmingham, Ala., 15 bass, 51-3, $10,226

13th: Koby Kreiger, Okeechobee, Fla., 15 bass, 51-2, $10,226

14th: Walmart pro George Cochran, Hot Springs, Ark., 15 bass, 50-12, $10,226

15th: Cody Bird, Granbury, Texas, 15 bass, 50-9, $10,226

16th: Craig Dowling, Nashville, Tenn., 15 bass, 50-9, $9,806

17th: National Guard pro Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., 15 bass, 50-8, $9,806

18th: Christopher Brasher, Spring, Texas, 15 bass, 49-8, $9,806

19th: Scotch Tape pro Ray Scheide, Dover, Ark., 15 bass, 44-2, $9,806

20th: Spencer Shuffield, Bismarck, Ark., 10 bass, 36-13, $9,806

 

Final results for the remaining field can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.

 

Overall there were 95 bass weighing 307 pounds, 1 ounce caught by pros Saturday. The catch included 19 five-bass limits.

 

Pros are competing for a top award of up to $125,000 this week plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing. The top 35 anglers in the point standings from the six Walmart FLW Tour Major tournaments will qualify.

 

Clent Davis of Montevallo, Ala., was awarded the 2012 FLW Tour Rookie of the Year award Saturday, which is awarded to the rookie pro angler who finishes the season with the highest point total.

 

Chris Hall of Clarks Summit, Penn., won the co-angler division and $25,000 Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 46 pounds even followed by Nick Hensley of Cumming, Ga., in second place with 14 bass weighing 44-4 worth $6,244.

 

“I didn’t think I was going to have it,” said Hall, who finished second at the 2011 FLW Tour event at Lake Champlain. “The first day I lost a couple of smallmouth that I that thought were going to come back to haunt me. But it worked out alright.”

 

Hall credited his day three pro angler (Nick) with helping him achieve victory. He said he used a variety of baits to catch his fish, including a jig and a Jackall IOBee frog.

 

The final top 10 co-anglers are:

 

1st: Chris Hall, Clarks Summit, Pa., 15 bass, 46-0, $25,000

2nd: Nick Hensley, Cumming, Ga., 14 bass, 44-4, $6,244

3rd: Doug Caldwell, Kane, Pa., 15 bass, 43-7, $4,144

4th: Marc Marsh, Prosperity, S.C., 15 bass, 43-5, $3,304

5th: Glenn Babineau, Mechanicville, N.Y., 15 bass, 42-15, $2,464

6th: Frank Divis Sr., Fayetteville, Ark, 14 bass, 39-14, $2,044

7th: Richard Peek, Centre, Ala., 12 bass, 39-6, $1,624

8th: James Schneider, Watervliet, N.Y., 15 bass, 38-9, $1,456

9th: Patrick Bone, Cleveland, Ga., 15 bass, 38-2, $1,372

10th: Jason Johnson, Gainesville, Ga., 15 bass, 37-14, $1,288

 

Final results for the remaining field can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.

 

Overall there were 80 bass weighing 193 pounds, 4 ounces caught by co-anglers Saturday. The catch included 13 five-bass limits.