David Walker Makes Big Move in Angler of the Year Standings

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 2) — Cabela’s/GEICO For Your Boat pro angler David Walker completed a solid weekend at the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on the Sacramento River with a 21st-place finish Saturday.

Walker collected 49 pounds of fish over his three days of competition, and while that wasn’t enough to place him into the top 12, which would allow him to fish Sunday, it was a boost in the Toyota Angler of the Year standings. He currently sits 31st, on which qualification for the 2016 GEICO Bassmaster Classic is based.

“I’m pleased with the finish,” Walker said. “It moved me up a long ways in Angler of the Year points. After starting off dead last in the points, it’s nice to be up there in contention to make the Classic again.”

Walker brought in 14 pounds, 13 ounces Saturday, just missing out on a top-20 finish.

“I’ve hovered right about that 20th-place mark all week,” Walker said. “I was 22nd, and then the next day I was 19th, and today I was at 21. I can’t really complain about where I finished because I feel like I did about as well as I could.”

Fishing on the California Delta, Walker battled long runs and changing tidal conditions to earn a check in Sacramento.

“The key to this place is tide, the water level that you’re fishing,” Walker said. “Each day that changes. We’re running an hour and a half to get to where we’re fishing, and that eats up most of your day. Your window that you fish in a day’s time is only six hours, as opposed to a normal eight- or nine-hour day. You’ve got that window, and if you choose the wrong spot you pay the penalty.”

That happened Saturday, though Walker fought through it as best he could.

“This morning I went to where I thought I would catch the best, but I needed to choose a different area,” Walker said. “Where I’d been catching them was just under the tide that I had, not under the tide I got. Hindsight being what it is, you can always second-guess yourself.”

Walker doesn’t have much time to second-guess himself because the Elite Series heads to Lake Havasu in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., next weekend. Practice begins Tuesday.

Cabela’s/GEICO For Your Boat pro angler David Walker completed a solid weekend at the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament on the Sacramento River, collecting 49 pounds of fish.