Photo: FLWOutdoors.com Kelly Jordon was disappointed with his finish at the Forrest L. Wood Championship, and disappointed in the fishery too.

Week 29 – Kelly Jordon
Hamilton Letdown 7/18/2005

Team Lucky Craft pro Kelly Jordon failed to qualify for the Bassmaster Classic this year, but he did make it to the Forrest L. Wood Championship at Lake Hamilton, Ark. last week. He finished a disappointing 42nd and took home a check for $15,000.

FLW Frustration

Jordon said he felt the selection of Lake Hamilton as a Championship site left a lot to be desired.

"Well, I didn't win, that's about all I can say," he said. "I actually think it's kind of a farce for us to go to a tourist lake like Hamilton in the middle of the heavy boater-recreation season.

"With so few fish available, it turns the contest into who's the luckiest," he added. "It was an absolute potshot who was going to win. It doesn't show us in the best light. I mean, who wants to come to that lake after seeing such little weights?

"They need to take us to a place that has bass. We're all very good anglers, so why not let us fish where we have a chance to catch them and show off our skills to develop a pattern and use our ability to win? This one was just a farce – too much luck involved.

"I really feel for the guys in the Classic too," he noted. "It's the same kind of thing. I get that they want to expand where we're fishing, but at least pick spots with a lot of fish. Otherwise, we're only there to fill hotel rooms for the community."

He said Lake Ouachita would have been better. "If I watched what happened at Lake Hamilton, I sure don't think I'd be interested in going there to fish. The Hot Springs area has a great fishery in Lake Ouachita, 15 minutes away. Instead, we fished a smaller lake with fewer fish."

Bracket Adjustment

While the bracket system is a big hit with the NCAA March Madness crowd, it doesn't sit well with Jordon.

"I think the FLW bracket is a little unjust," he said. "Sure, we all know the rules when we enter the contest, so it's equally fair to everyone, but it's not the best way to showcase the best anglers. From a pure fishing standpoint, the best person doesn't always win.

"I understand that it's for TV purposes," he added. "But the best angler doesn't always come out on top. Last year it worked out right. Luke Clausen was really on them. But this year there were several anglers with more weight than the winner."

Promo Man

Although Jordon is done with the tours for the year, he still has plenty of industry work for the next few weeks.

"I leave tomorrow for the ICAST show in Las Vegas," he said. "I've never been there before and I'm very excited about the opportunity. The folks at Lucky Craft provided the transportation and such for me to be there. I'll be in their booth and I'll check out the rest of the show."

From Vegas, he'll jet over to Pittsburgh for more sponsor obligations.

"After I'm done with the ICAST show, I'll head to Pittsburgh," he said. "I'll be there for all of my sponsors. After Pittsburgh, I'm going on vacation for a while. After that, I've got a few charity events lined up. I keep pretty busy, even when I'm not on tour."

Notable

> Jordon's hopeful he'll make the Cabela's Top Gun Championship. "I'll fish the Top Gun event, if I make it in," he said. "That event looks like it'll be pretty fun and competitive." (Only the Top 25 anglers in the State Farm-BassFan World Rankings are invited, plus the BASS and FLW Anglers of the Year. He's currently ranked No. 31.)