Grand Pro Debut for Drew Benton

FLW Photo by Drew Carlson

 

With less than 10 minutes remaining in the four-day FLW Tour opener on Lake Okeechobee, a 7-pound largemouth inhaled Drew Benton's spinnerbait. That final fish accounted for nearly half of Benton's final-day weight and allowed him to take home the $100,000 in the first tour level event of Benton's career. Lake many newcomers to the pro ranks, 24-year-old Benton lacks a large sponsor portfolio and is paying his own way through his first season on the FLW Tour; therefore, this win and accompanying check are a huge boost for him.

Prior to last week's competition, there were many questions about how Big O would show itself and how the fish would be caught. With the tournament over, little is answered definitively. Top finishers did a little bit of everything and strategies had to change as the tournament progressed because of weather changes. Sight-fishing, casting moving baits like swimming jigs and vibrating jigs and punching mats of vegetation all played an important part to high-finishing pros at various times.

The lake produced some big catches, including 30-03 five-fish bag that fifth place finisher Rick Cotton brought to the scales on day two ; however, heavy winds made fishing far tougher on the final two days, and five of the top ten brought less than 10 pounds to the scales on day four.

Next stop for the FLW Tour is at Alabama's Smith Lake March 7-10, but for now most eyes in the bass world are on Tulsa, where the Bassmaster Classic begins in only a week and a half. Competitors will be traveling to Tulsa this week.