Knight’ s winning ways in 2015 are a case in point. He caught fish in the back of a feeder creek on buzzbaits and drop-shot rigs in water as shallow as 2 feet. Ramie Colson Jr., who was runnerup to Knight that year, also caught his fish from wood cover near the bank.
As for the lures critical to success, frogs fished over shallow grass or through lily pads have helped account for four Cup titles, most famously in 2008 when Michael Bennett captured the title fishing Lake Murray’ s docks. Crankbaits ruled in five Cups, and spinnerbaits in four – including Steve Daniel’ s win at Lake Sinclair in the first-ever championship. Otherwise, jigs and buzzbaits and a variety of soft plastics – big worms or swimbaits mostly – have helped build winning stringers.
Familiar Favorites
Knight won’ t be there this year, nor Colson, but four of the top eight anglers from 2015 will return to Ouachita: Brandon Cobb( third in 2015), Scott Martin( fifth), Bryan Thrift( sixth) and Zack Birge( eighth). Momentum rides with Cobb, who finished third at Murray in 2017, ninth in 2016 at Wheeler and third in 2015. Martin won a Ouachita championship before, and Thrift almost wins everywhere, every year. Birge is a past Costa FLW Series Championship winner and, like Cobb, is on an upward trajectory in his young career. And then there’ s … who knows? Each Cup has its own surprises. Each unwinds in its own way and at its own pace.
Considering the composite gleaned from years past, the winning angler will be the one who winds up being able to excel within his comfort zone. He’ ll do the things he’ s good at, no matter whether he’ s been competing for two years or 20. He’ ll discover there’ s a particular pattern that he can milk with a multi-lure approach. He will be able to catch the 15 heaviest bass over three days and get them to the scale. He won’ t have any fish pull off or break off – at least none that counts. He won’ t use the wrong bait at the wrong time.
Actually, it’ s likely the championship will be won by somebody fishing a lure or lures that few others thought of, in ways that go against the collective grain, and perhaps in places that others passed by. All the stars will line up for the winner, though, of course, there will be other strong contenders as well. But he’ s the one who’ ll hold up the Forrest Wood Cup.
PHOTO BY JODY WHITE PHOTO BY SHANE DURRANCE PHOTO BY KYLE WOOD PHOTO BY JODY WHITE
Zack Birge
Brandon Cobb
Scott Martin
Bryan Thrift
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