Meet the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup contenders III

Fifty-eight of nation’s top bass pros vie for $500,000 payday, place in history

Monday, Aug. 1, 2011, 10:08 AM


With the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup slated for Aug. 11-14 on Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, Ark., the clock continues to tick toward the start of one of the most prestigious and exciting bass-fishing championships in the nation. In an effort to provide bass-fishing fans with a little more perspective and background on the competition, FLWOutdoors.com is launching a six-part series/overview of each of the 58 qualifying pros – one of whom will walk away with the title of Forrest Wood Cup champion.

With a guaranteed first-place prize of $500,000 on the line (as well as another $100,000 if the winning pro is Ranger Cup qualified), there is clearly plenty at stake at this year’s Cup. So without further ado, let’s meet the contenders.

(Editor’s note: Forrest Wood Cup competitors will be featured in alphabetical order. This is the third in a six-part series. Read Part I and Part II.)

Jeremy Guidry – Guidry – who calls Opelousas, La., home – punched his ticket to the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup as the points champ in the 2010 EverStart Series Texas Division. He has reeled in a half-dozen top-10 finishes, including an EverStart win (Falcon Lake 2008), and over $115,000 in career earnings with FLW Outdoors. This is his first time competing in the Cup.

Brett Hite – Hite’s big splash came in 2008 when he won back-to-back tournaments (and $250,000) on Lake Toho and the California Delta. Since then, he’s proven remarkably consistent – qualifying for the Forrest Wood Cup in each of the past five seasons. The last time the Cup visited Lake Ouachita (2007), Hite finished 15th. In his career, the Phoenix, Ariz., pro has over $600,000 in career earnings.

Ronald Hobbs Jr. – Hobbs’ big splash came at the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Lanier, where he finished sixth. While nearly everyone in the field targeted spotted bass out deep, Hobbs fished for both spots and largemouths in stained, shallow water. The Orting, Wash., native has qualified for the Cup twice via the FLW Series Western Division – finishing sixth in the points in 2010.

JT Kenney – Kenney qualified for this year’s Cup by finishing in the top 10 of the 2010 FLW Series Eastern Division points standings race. Kenney boasts over $881,000 in winnings and 30 top-10 finishes since he began fishing with FLW Outdoors in 1998. He won the Lake Okeechobee contest during his FLW Tour debut in 2002 and added an FLW Series win on the same body of water in 2008. Kenney, who also has seven FLW Tour top-10 finishes to his credit, is making his sixth Cup appearance.

Rob Kilby – As a native of Hot Springs, Ark., Kilby will be among a handful of pretournament favorites. He knows Lake Ouachita inside and out, which can be both beneficial and harmful. A 10-time Forrest Wood Cup qualifier, Kilby has seven FLW Tour top-10s to his name. He qualified for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup by finishing 36th in the FLW Tour Angler of the Year race.

Stacey King – One of the sport’s founding fathers, King’s 2011 season was one of his best ever. For much of the year he led the FLW Tour Angler of the Year race before finishing sixth. He opened the season with a second-place finish on Beaver Lake and a month later took fourth on Lake Hartwell. This is the Reeds Springs, Mo., pro’s third Forrest Wood Cup appearance.

Koby Kreiger – Kreiger qualified for this year’s Cup by finishing in the top 10 of the 2010 FLW Series Eastern Division points standings race. Kreiger is making his eighth appearance at the Forrest Wood Cup. Since he began his FLW Outdoors career in 1996, Kreiger has recorded a whopping 40 top-10 finishes as well as over $1.16 million in earnings. Kreiger has four EverStart titles to his credit, Kentucky Lake (2001), Lake Martin (2002) and Lake Eufaula (2004 and 2007).

Robert Lee – Lee qualified for this year’s Cup by finishing in the top 10 of the 2010 FLW Series Western Division points standings race. The California native has recorded 10 top-10 finishes and earned over $191,000 in winnings since he began his FLW Outdoors career in 1995. Lee is also making his second straight appearance at the Forrest Wood Cup.

Dave Lefebre – One of the most consistent anglers in the sport, Lefebre is making his ninth consecutive Forrest Wood Cup appearance. The highlight of his career to date is his 2004 FLW Tour win on Old Hickory Lake. At the 2008 Forrest Wood Cup, Lefebre finished second to Michael Bennett. The Erie, Pa., native qualified for the 2011 Cup by finishing the FLW Tour Angler of the Year race in 19th place.

Shane Long – Long qualified for this year’s Cup by winning the 2010 EverStart Series Central Division point championship. The Missouri native, who is still enjoying his rookie season on the FLW Tour, will be fishing in his first-ever Forrest Wood Cup in 2011. Long currently boasts four top-10 finishes and over $94,000 in winnings since the start of his FLW Outdoors career in 2005. Long also has one victory which came during a 2009 EverStart Series event at Lake of the Ozarks.

Related articles
Part I
Part II
Full pro field
Full co-angler field