Randall Tharp is the 2013 FLW Cup Champion!

FLW Press Release
(Photos: FLW)

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, La. – Two years ago, Randall Tharp fished a nearly-flawless Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Ouachita but took second to Scott Martin and a big school of offshore bass. Tharp prepared for the 2013 Cup knowing that deep fish weren't an option on the Red River. Everything was shallow and positioned around dense cover – right in the honey badger's wheelhouse.

Coming in to the tournament, Tharp had located a handful of productive backwater areas in Pool 5. He was convinced that the bigger bites that came from the main river were random, whereas the backwater kickers, while extremely difficult, could be patterned. On day one, he learned several other pros had found those same areas and was forced to regroup and reassess. By Sunday, he was fishing two spots – one a finger off the river located three miles north of Red River South Marina and one a lily pad field adjacent to the marina.

Tharp started each of the last three days on the finger, one of the few areas lined with homes. He'd throw a bluegill-colored 3/8-ounce 4x4 Swim Jig with a Strike King Rage Craw Trailer (green pumpkin with 1/3 of the body trimmed) on the side that featured a mud bank. Once the sun got up around 9 a.m., he'd bounce across and fish the longer riprap stretch with a Lucky Craft 1.5 squarebill crankbait (TO color).

Randall Tharp is the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup Champion!!

2013 Top Bass Tri-Lakes Saturday: Scott Burns and Jay MacDonald Win with 19.58lbs

By Luigi De Rose

Under ideal fishing conditions, 132 boats hit the water. The Tri-Lakes in the Kawarthas didn't disappoint. Here is the Top 15. Each earned a payday.

1) 19.58 Scott Burns & Jay MacDonald ($6,000)
2) 19.13 Ej Boyak & Brad Deakin
3) 17.13 Ron Pilkey & Jay Martin
4) 16.81 Gary Murray & Deb Carter
5) 16.70 Jarrod Dean & Gerrard Cocks (2nd big fish 5.46 lbs)
6) 16.53 Joe Figueira & Duane Gonsalves
7) 16.24 Jim Dodd & Chris Giles
8) 16.20 Peter Garnier & Rob Lafleur
9) 16.18 Stewart Evans & Jesse Evans
10) 16.24 Ed Baker & Brandon Baker
11) 15.85 Tai Dang & Brian Curry
12) 15.51 John Charters & Dallas Charters
13) 15.30 Mike Brown & Kenny Brown
14) 15.18 Glenn Chapman & Jerry Hughes
15) 15.07 Mike Tomasin & Mark Tomasin

BIG FISH 5.52 Danny Goboitsios & Sotiri Theofilktid

2013 Forrest Wood Cup Day3: Thrift Leads by 4 ounces!

FLW Press Release

SHREVEPORT, La. – Chevy pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C., brought a five-bass limit to the scales weighing 9 pounds, 15 ounces to lead day three of the Forrest Wood Cup at the Red River presented by Walmart. Thrift, with a three-day total of 15 bass for 39-6, holds a 4-ounce lead over previous leader EverStart pro Randall Tharp of Port St. Joe, Fla., who weighed five bass weighing 9-7 for a three-day total of 15 bass for 39-2. The Forrest Wood Cup, professional bass fishing's world championship, features 46 of the best professional anglers from across the country casting for the top cash award of $500,000.

Bryan sets the hook early. Every bite is gold on the Red River!
(Photo: FLW)

"Well, I'd rather have the lead then be in second," said Thrift, who finished in third place at the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup. "It's still anybody's game, though. Somebody in sixth or seventh could go out tomorrow and try something off the wall and catch 18 pounds like Randall and I did on the first day and win this thing. The river is capable of producing those type of weights, so I really don't believe that anybody is out of this."

Thrift said that despite taking the lead, he struggled for most of the day. He estimated that he only had eight or nine keeper bites throughout the day, and four were barely over the 12-inch mark.

2013 Forrest Wood Cup Day 3: Thrift Jumps into Lead on Difficult Day.

By Luigi De Rose

Bryan Thrift is pulling out all the stops to take the lead
in the FLW Cup.
(Photo: FLW)

The Red River bass have surrendered to the intense fishing pressure and summer heat. They are refusing to bite, particularly bass over 2 lbs. The lead continues to be a tug-of-war match over Randall Tharp and Bryan Thrift. By the end of Day 3, Bryan inched passed Tharp for the first time in this event. Tharp has had a narrow lead the past two days and didn't indicate any desire to relinquish it. The final top 10 anglers will fish on Sunday. It might seem like a two-angler battle for the Cup but if anyone catches another 18 pound bag like Bryan and Randall did on Day 1, they might enjoy the $500 000 dollar grad prize.

Standings
rank/angler/hometown/day1 (#fish), day2 (#fish), day 3 (#fish), total (#fish)

1	BRYAN THRIFT	SHELBY NC	18-7 (5)	11-0 (5)	9-15 (5)	39-6 (15)
2	RANDALL THARP	PORT SAINT JOE FL	18-8 (5)	11-3 (5)	9-7 (5)	39-2 (15)
3	LARRY NIXON	BEE BRANCH AR	13-4 (5)	14-5 (5)	8-5 (5)	35-14 (15)
4	JACOB WHEELER	INDIANAPOLIS IN	7-4 (5)	13-7 (5)	14-4 (5)	34-15 (15)
5	MARK ROSE	WEST MEMPHIS AR	12-15 (5)	11-14 (5)	9-9 (5)	34-6 (15)
6	ROBBIE DODSON	HARRISON AR	10-15 (5)	12-8 (5)	9-14 (5)	33-5 (15)
7	KERRY MILNER	BONO AR	8-15 (5)	12-4 (5)	11-10 (5)	32-13 (15)
8	TROY MORROW	EASTANOLLEE GA	10-15 (5)	10-10 (5)	10-14 (5)	32-7 (15)
9	TOM MONSOOR	LA CROSSE WI	11-8 (5)	13-3 (5)	7-9 (5)	32-4 (15)
10	MICHAEL NEAL	DAYTON TN	11-5 (5)	10-11 (5)	10-4 (5)	32-4 (15)
11	ADRIAN AVENA	VINELAND NJ	13-2 (5)	8-14 (5)	10-3 (5)	32-3 (15)
12	RAY SCHEIDE	DOVER AR	12-7 (5)	12-12 (5)	6-8 (4)	31-11 (14)
13	JT KENNEY	PALM BAY FL	11-2 (5)	11-0 (5)	8-9 (5)	30-11 (15)
14	WESLEY STRADER	SPRING CITY TN	9-7 (5)	10-13 (5)	10-3 (5)	30-7 (15)
15	JUSTIN LUCAS	GUNTERSVILLE AL	10-3 (5)	12-13 (5)	7-6 (5)	30-6 (15)
16	JOHN COX	DEBARY FL	10-10 (5)	13-5 (5)	5-11 (5)	29-10 (15)
17	MARK DANIELS JR	FAIRFIELD CA	11-12 (5)	11-6 (5)	6-8 (4)	29-10 (14)
18	MATT AREY	SHELBY NC	11-6 (5)	9-10 (5)	7-11 (5)	28-11 (15)
19	ANDY MORGAN	DAYTON TN	11-2 (5)	8-11 (5)	8-2 (5)	27-15 (15)
20	BRENT EHRLER	REDLANDS CA	8-12 (5)	12-0 (5)	6-11 (5)	27-7 (15)

2013 Forrest L. Wood Cup Day 2: Tharp Leads as Catches Decrease.

FLW Press Release

SHREVEPORT, La. – Forty-six of the best professional bass anglers from across the country continued their four-day battle for a top cash award of $500,000 at the Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of professional bass fishing, at the Red River in Shreveport/Bossier City on Friday.

Frogging, flipping and pitching dominate
on the Red River.
(Photo: FLW)

EverStart pro Randall Tharp of Port St. Joe, Fla., crossed the stage with a five-bass limit weighing 11 pounds, 3 ounces for a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 29-11 to maintain the lead for the second consecutive day. Tharp holds a 4-ounce lead over Chevy pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C., who weighed five bass weighing 11-0 for a two-day total of 10 bass for 29-7.

"I started out today in a different area that I didn't fish in yesterday," said Tharp, who is seeking his first Tour-level win outside of the state of Florida. "I caught two decent fish right away and it really settled me down. It wasn't fast and furious, but I had my limit today by 9:15 a.m., and it was pretty close to what I weighed in today.

2013 Forrest L. Wood Cup Day 2: Tharp Leads but Thrift only 2 ounces behind!

Randall Tharp holds a 2 ounce lead over Bryan Thrift.
Larry Nixon is closing in with two steady catches. 

Day 2 Rankings
(rank/angler/hometown/day 1(#bass)/day 2 (#bass)/ total/winnings

1	RANDALL THARP	PORT SAINT JOE FL	18-8 (5)	11-3 (5)	29-11 (10)
2	BRYAN THRIFT	SHELBY NC	18-7 (5)	11-0 (5)	29-7 (10)
3	LARRY NIXON	BEE BRANCH AR	13-4 (5)	14-5 (5)	27-9 (10)
4	RAY SCHEIDE	DOVER AR	12-7 (5)	12-12 (5)	25-3 (10)
5	MARK ROSE	WEST MEMPHIS AR	12-15 (5)	11-14 (5)	24-13 (10)
6	TOM MONSOOR	LA CROSSE WI	11-8 (5)	13-3 (5)	24-11 (10)
7	JOHN COX	DEBARY FL	10-10 (5)	13-5 (5)	23-15 (10)
8	ROBBIE DODSON	HARRISON AR	10-15 (5)	12-8 (5)	23-7 (10)
9	MARK DANIELS JR	FAIRFIELD CA	11-12 (5)	11-6 (5)	23-2 (10)
10	JUSTIN LUCAS	GUNTERSVILLE AL	10-3 (5)	12-13 (5)	23-0 (10)
11	JT KENNEY	PALM BAY FL	11-2 (5)	11-0 (5)	22-2 (10)
12	ADRIAN AVENA	VINELAND NJ	13-2 (5)	8-14 (5)	22-0 (10)
13	MICHAEL NEAL	DAYTON TN	11-5 (5)	10-11 (5)	22-0 (10)
14	TROY MORROW	EASTANOLLEE GA	10-15 (5)	10-10 (5)	21-9 (10)
15	KERRY MILNER	BONO AR	8-15 (5)	12-4 (5)	21-3 (10)
16	MATT AREY	SHELBY NC	11-6 (5)	9-10 (5)	21-0 (10)
17	BRENT EHRLER	REDLANDS CA	8-12 (5)	12-0 (5)	20-12 (10)
18	JACOB WHEELER	INDIANAPOLIS IN	7-4 (5)	13-7 (5)	20-11 (10)
19	WESLEY STRADER	SPRING CITY TN	9-7 (5)	10-13 (5)	20-4 (10)
20	ANDY MORGAN	DAYTON TN	11-2 (5)	8-11 (5)	19-13 (10)
21	SPENCER SHUFFIELD	BISMARCK AR	12-8 (5)	7-3 (5)	19-11 (10)
22	DAVE LEFEBRE	ERIE PA	10-13 (5)	8-13 (5)	19-10 (10)
23	DAVID FRITTS	LEXINGTON NC	11-6 (5)	7-12 (5)	19-2 (10)
24	JACOB POWROZNIK	PRINCE GEORGE VA	6-12 (5)	11-13 (5)	18-9 (10)
25	JAY YELAS	CORVALLIS OR	10-11 (5)	7-10 (5)	18-5 (10)
26	JIM MOYNAGH	CARVER MN	10-1 (5)	8-3 (5)	18-4 (10)
27	CHRISTOPHER BRASHER	HALLSVILLE TX	5-14 (5)	12-3 (5)	18-1 (10)
28	BARRY WILSON	BIRMINGHAM AL	9-7 (5)	8-9 (5)	18-0 (10)
29	JASON CHRISTIE	PARK HILL OK	9-3 (5)	8-6 (5)	17-9 (10)
30	STETSON BLAYLOCK	BENTON AR	6-14 (5)	10-6 (5)	17-4 (10)
31	ISHAMA MONROE	HUGHSON CA	7-7 (5)	9-11 (5)	17-2 (10)
32	DAN MOREHEAD	PADUCAH KY	8-4 (5)	8-9 (5)	16-13 (10)
33	JAMES WATSON	WAYNESVILLE MO	9-11 (5)	7-0 (5)	16-11 (10)
34	ZELL ROWLAND	MONTGOMERY TX	8-13 (5)	7-14 (5)	16-11 (10)
35	DAVID DUDLEY	LYNCHBURG VA	9-5 (5)	7-5 (5)	16-10 (10)
36	CODY MEYER	AUBURN CA	8-8 (5)	8-2 (5)	16-10 (10)
37	LUKE CLAUSEN	SPOKANE WA	8-11 (5)	7-14 (5)	16-9 (10)
38	SCOTT MARTIN	CLEWISTON FL	6-9 (5)	8-12 (5)	15-5 (10)
39	DREW BENTON	PANAMA CITY FL	7-5 (5)	8-0 (5)	15-5 (10)
40	STACEY KING	REEDS SPRING MO	8-12 (5)	6-6 (5)	15-2 (10)
41	KOBY KREIGER	OKEECHOBEE FL	7-13 (5)	7-2 (5)	14-15 (10)
42	SCOTT CANTERBURY	SPRINGVILLE AL	8-3 (5)	6-4 (5)	14-7 (10)
43	CASEY MARTIN	NEW HOPE AL	9-15 (5)	4-7 (4)	14-6 (9)
44	PAUL CLARK	MONROE LA	3-8 (3)	9-4 (5)	12-12 (8)
45	BILL MCDONALD	GREENWOOD IN	9-12 (5)	2-2 (2)	11-14 (7)
46	JIMMY HOUSTON	COOKSON OK	2-2 (2)	3-1 (2)	5-3 (4)