‘Change’ is the word at the FLW Tour on Beaver Lake. The lead has changed again, most of the top guys are frequently changing locations to run new water, and it seems that the most productive patterns are changing as well.
Bryan Scmitt may have missed the Top 10 cut but he certainly figured out a key ingredient to success on Beaver Lake. “This is the kind of place where you need to fish new water each day.” Schmitt placed 14th with 39-5 over his 3 days on the lake. He’ll leave with a nice check and valuable points.
Jeff Sprague fared better. With a 3-day total weight of 44 pounds he is currently 3rd and will fish in Sunday’s final round. His 15-8 was one of the better bags today. “I’ve got one thing going away and another thing coming to me,” said Sprague of his pattern options. “I feel like I am ahead of the fish.”
That makes Sprague a dangerous man tomorrow as a mere 4 ounces seperate places 2-through-4 and Scott Canterbury has a lead of just a pound and four ounces on the field.
Canterbury knows that a pound doesn’t go as far as it once did on the new and improved Beaver Lake. “You’ve gotta average better than 3 pounds (per fish) now to do well at Beaver Lake.” The conservation efforts are paying off in Arkansas.
Evidence of the stronger fishery lies in Canterbury’s 45-7 total weight. Eighteen of today’s twenty anglers caught a limit. Canterburry’s weighed 14-6.
“I’m running new water,” said Canterbury. “I dont know if my fish are replenishing. I’ve been down to the dam. I’ve been up the White River.”
Canterbury’s ‘fish finder’ this week is not his electronics. It’s his Typhoon sunglasses. “I’ve caught a few off the bed. I’ve also caught a bunch just pitching to shallow wood that I can see.”
Darrel Robertson slipped off the lead by the slightest margin. It could have been much worse for the Oklahoma pro. “With 45 minutes to go I had about an 8-pound stringer. I was practicing my exit speach. In the last 10 minutes I caught my 2 biggets fish that I had.”
Robertson hopes he can capitalize tomorrow off what he figured out in those last 10 minutes today. Those fish bumped his weight to 13-1 for the day. He’s in striking distance, having backed off just a notch into 2nd. He has 44 pounds, 3 ounces to his credit.
Andy Morgan is in 4th with 43-15. That will have the top 3 guys looking in the rear view mirror. And as they say, objects in those things are closer than they appear to be. Morgan was today’s biggest mover with 16 pounds, 3 ounces – the day’s heaviest sack.
Reigning Angler of the Year Scott Martin is currently 5th with 43-3. With 15-12 today he made a big move. Sitting just 2-2 out of the lead he threatens to make another tomorrow.
Jimmy Houston took the stage to Toby Keith’s ‘I Ain’t As Good As I Once Was’ and then explained, “I shook off a 2-pounder and a 4-and-a-half. I weighed-in a 1-pound spot (among the other fish in his 10-pound limit) and I’m gonna finnish 12th. I’ll be at the Fun Zone tomorrow. Whoever finishes in 8th place, youre welcome,” giggled Houston as he lamented his lost opportunities.
Houston had a good week just throwing a chartreuse/whte Booyah spinnerbait.

Here’s the official word and standings from FLW Outdoors:

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

Final results for the rest of the field can be found at FLWFishing.com.

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.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.