Omori, who took the lead following an impressive 17 pound, 15 ounce weigh-in on day two, never looked back the rest of the way as he weighed in a four-day total of 50 pounds and 11 ounces of Florida bass to take home the $102,000 prize.

"I've always wanted to win on the CITGO Bassmaster Tour because the best anglers in the world compete here," Omori said. "This is my eighth year of fishing on the Tour and it's the first time I have won. I have had two second-place place finishes, but never something like this. This one feels great."

Omori's victory comes on the heels of a resounding Classic victory in Charlotte, N.C., last August, which propelled the native Japanese pro into bass fishing's international spotlight. He's tried to keep things in perspective, though.

"I've already received a lot of attention from last year," Omori said. "The expectations are so high for any Classic winner, but it doesn't make any difference to me. I've really never experienced this type of pressure because I'm a pretty simple, quiet guy.

"On the water, I tried not to worry about those things," Omori continued. "It was such a great way to end the season, but this is a brand new one. Everything I have done recently has been almost too much for me. Before the season, I had to stop and refresh my mind because everything I was doing wasn't normal."

"On the water, I tried not to worry about those things," Omori continued. "It was such a great way to end the season, but this is a brand new one. Everything I have done recently has been almost too much for me. Before the season, I had to stop and refresh my mind because everything I was doing wasn't normal."

GERALD SWINDLE

Lucky Craft angler Gerald Swindle was also around on the final day of competition. The reigning CITGO Bassmaster Angler of the Year brought home a sixth-place finish when he checked 35 pounds, 11 ounces of bass over his four days of competition. Despite a strong tournament, he's still focused on that first Tour victory.

"I have made a lot of cuts, but I would sure like to win one of these," Swindle said. "I go to bed every night thinking about winning one of these tournaments. I feel like I'm toting a million pounds on my shoulders.

"I fished the way I thought would win," said Swindle, describing the final day of competition. "I don't regret it one bit. I fished every single area this lake had to offer. I fished every bank, canal, cypress tree, legs of creeks or anything I could think of. This lake was tough today - as much as I've ever seen it."

SKEET REESE

California's Skeet Reese made an early statement as well, grabbing the 18th position with 19 pounds, 11 ounces of Florida-strain bass. The California resident talked about what he did.

"I wound up keying on fish that were back in pockets," Reese said. "I know there were some good fish caught today in some hydrilla, but it wasn't my deal. I had eight or nine bites and put four keepers in the boat. I caught a four and a half pounder in the last half hour (of day two).

"Today (Friday), it was all flip fish," Reese added. "During the tournament, I never caught one reaction-bait fish. In the area I was fishing, I could see fish bursting along the area and I knew some of them were bass. The bait fish they are keying on were really small, so I fished right around the middle of ditches."

Reese felt like he accomplished one of his goals heading into the weekend.

"I had a top-25 finish," Reese said. "It's my goal next week as well. I don't go in expecting a win, but I would really like to finish in the top-10 however. Angler of the Year is my No. 1 goal and it always will be. If I'm lucky enough to get that title one day, then I want to win the Classic. The way I look at it, if I can stay in the top 20 in every tournament, I'm going to have a legitimate shot at Angler of the Year. It keeps everything solidified and demonstrates that you have had a good season."

Lucky Craft Pro Staff Notables for Lake Toho:

• Kelly Jordon wound up with 12 pounds and 12 ounces to finish in the 62nd spot. He spoke about his tournament.

  "I kind of salvaged a good finish today," Jordon said. "It wasn't a huge weekend, but I hung in there and didn't have a real bad tournament. It's tough because I've never really done well on this lake.

  "I fished this tournament to win," Jordon continued. "That's why I went back to my favorite spot where I thought there were some big ones. The weights were low enough yesterday where it was anybody's game. I had some eight-pound plus bites during practice and if I would have gotten one or two of those, it would have been a whole new ballgame. That's the way I fish. It gives you a little confidence to go out and try and win these tournaments. I try and swing for the fences, but I don't try and do it to a fault."

• Joe Thomas took home the 81st position, while Mike Auten scored a 98th-place finish.