Leader Emerges in Okeechobee Slugfest
Clewiston, Florida– The Tackle Warehouse Invitationals on Lake Okeechobee kicked off Power-Pole Stop 1 Presented by Phoenix Boats with 15 pros weighing at least 20 pounds.
A total of 28 pounds, 1 ounces weighed in for David Walker, who edged out Italian pro Jacopo Gallelli (26-11).
Behind the top two, Jason Vance and Tai Au also crossed the 25-pound mark, and 18 pounds placed them 30th after day one.
Just a few casts into his morning, Walker hooked into a keeper.
“You know, it started good, but it didn’t start with big fish,” he said. I was sure that I could catch some bites in the area I went to. I’d had some bites there in practice and just kept going through it. When I caught one about 2 something pounds (pounder), I didn’t make two or three casts and thought, “Well, that’s good, there are still some fish here.”
A few hours later, Walker caught a 4-1/2-pound fish that turned his day around.
‘I wasn’t expecting such a caliber of fish there, and I didn’t know I’d have to cull them,’ he said. I mean, what a day.
Walker’s Day 1 success can be attributed largely to acting on a hunch about his area during a challenging practice session.
The Tennessee pro also drew from Okeechobee experiences dating back to 1995.
As he explained, practice was mainly about finding a location where the water was good.
“I wanted to cover a lot, but I realized that there weren’t many places to fish.” Conditions were terrible. If you see bites in an area, you know it’s likely that there are a lot more (fish) there. I was optimistic about the day as far as getting bites, but I didn’t think I would catch fish like that.”
Walker started off strong, boating several keepers and two bass in the 4-pound class, which prompted him to slow down a bit and get methodical.
After catching two 4s and a 7, I thought I was in good shape. I moved to another area, catching three 5s. I culled everything except the 7.
The quality of fish Walker caught on Day 1 can be challenging to find on Day 2, but Walker expects it to be just as bite-filled on Day 2.
The bites (tomorrow) won’t be hard, he said. “Just (today) everything was going my way because there were a lot of boats fishing (in my area), but I caught the fish.”
Photo by Jody White
Gallelli has the best challenging ‘fishing day of his life’
Gallelli’s 26-11 bag looks great on paper, but the Italian transplant admits it wasn’t an easy day.
His fish was the smallest keeper he’s ever caught – less than three-quarter pounds.
As a professional, you learn how to handle a bad situation and get up and make a good choice while under pressure.
That’s what you learn being a professional; you learn how to handle a bad situation and how to make a good choice under pressure.
After about four hours of fishing, Gallelli started picking off fish one by one.
As he explained, he had four fish with about four hours to go when he hooked his fifth fish, which was a big one that weighed about 14 pounds.
After that, I felt like I was flying, and I began fishing more confidently. I caught another one and drained it with a six-pounder.
It was just one of those days that started off tough but ended up being the best fishing day of my life. I’ve never caught three big ones like this.”
Despite feeling like Day 2 could be a grind, Gallelli feels that even a mediocre bag could keep him in contention after Day 3.
“I feel like I got lucky today,” he said. “I feel like it will be a struggle again tomorrow for me. I mean, I didn’t catch that many fish today. I had only eight bites all day long, to be honest. With 37 pounds, I make it to the third day. I would be happy with five (keepers) – and let’s be honest, 10 pounds – tomorrow. Then I have to think about not bombing the tournament before I think about winning.”
Noteworthy
Brett Hite finished in fifth place with a very respectable 23-3 bag, while Jason Vance and Tai Au both posted bags over 25 pounds.
The Top 50 cut line sits at 15-7, and with even better weather forecast in the coming days, anglers expect weights to continue to trend upward as fish move into spawning grounds.
On Day 1, Wyatt Frankens caught the biggest bass, a 7-12 largemouth, earning him $1,000.
Lance and Kollin Crawford celebrated a remarkable event today – the start of Kollin’s journey on the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals circuit.
Hailing from Broken Bow, Oklahoma, this father-son duo made their mark in 2022 when Kollin qualified through the Toyota Series.
After his son’s successful Day 1 performance, Lance expressed immense pride: “He’s been fishing ever since he was 3 years old and has seen great success in high schools – two junior state championships and one high school state championship. Plus, he made it to nationals half a dozen times. That’s when I told him it would cost just as much for the Toyotas and here we are!”
He went on to say that with hard work and determination, Kollin could make something of himself within this field.
Top 10 pros
1. David Walker – 28 – 1 (5)
2. Jacopo Gallelli – 26 – 11 (5)
3. Jason Vance – 25 – 9 (5)
4. Tai Au – 25 – 4 (5)
5. Brian Latimer – 23 – 14 (5)
6. Brett Hite – 23 – 3 (5)
7. William Fletcher – 22 – 1 (5)
8. Colby Schrumpf – 21 – 15 (5)
9. Tom Redington – 21 – 11 (5)
10. Jonathan Dietz – 21 – 3 (5)
Sources: MLF
