On Lock Down

Photo: David Hunter Jones - Bassmaster.com

When you lock through a dam you are always taking a gamble.  I have always known it was a risk, but the locks down here in Florida don't have barges coming through like in other places.  The only time I have ever encountered it was on the Third Day of the FLW Series on the Columbia River. We couldn't lock through without having to wait hours and were forced to change plans.  Barges always have priority no matter what is at stake in a tournament. This pales in comparison to what several Elite Series guys had to deal with today on the Arkansas River.  31 anglers were on the wrong side of the lock, and risked losing their entire season because of the barge.  Six of them were in the first flight and had their entire catch disqualified: Bradley Roy, David Walker, Boyd Duckett, Brian Snowden, Mark Davis and Jamie Fralick. Some of them were below the Classic cutoff without a real chance but a few of these guys might have ended their chances after today.  The rest of the 31 were saved by having a later flight and were on time. 

Here is where the late anglers stood before this event:

• David Walker was 26th (well within the Classic cut-off)
• Mark Davis was on the bubble for the Classic at 37th
• Snowden was 40th
• Fralick was 49th
• Bradley was 71st
• Duckett was 80th

You always take a gamble with locks, and maybe this will make it more real to the rest of the field as they prepare for the next two days in Arkansas.