Scott Suggs Professional Bass Angler FLW Outdoors

After winning the 2007 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Ouachita and becoming the first person to ever win a $1 million payday at a single bass-fishing event, it’s not entirely surprising that Scott Suggs of Bryant, Ark., is once again in the running for a tournament title on his home lake.

Using a total catch of 17 pounds, 11 ounces, Suggs continued his assault on the Lake Ouachita leaderboard, ending the first day of competition in third place overall.

“It’s always fun to come to Ouachita and to come home again,” said Suggs. “We lost about an hour and a half of fishing this morning (due to the fog delay) and that usually makes everyone’s bag look bad. But it worked out for me today.”

However, it wasn’t until about midday that Suggs’ mastery of Lake Ouachita became apparent. Complete Story

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – It was only a matter of time, right? Fishing on his home lake as well as the site of his last major tournament victory, Scott Suggs of Bryant, Ark., vaulted from third place overall to the top of the leaderboard using a stellar two-day catch of 34 pounds, 13 ounces.

It’s now obvious that Suggs is picking up right where he left off the last time the bright spotlight was on him during a Lake Ouachita tournament. That event – the 2007 Forrest Wood Cup – allowed Suggs to become the first person in bass-fishing history to net a $1 million payday (which is still a record to this day) for a tournament victory.

Clearly, Suggs now owns Lake Ouachita. And after today’s competition, there was little doubt who the frontrunner will be for the remainder of the tournament. Complete Story

It was a harried morning for Suggs after the fog delay. He had a short day due to boat draw, and wanted that morning bite before the sun rose. "I feel fortunate and blessed to catch what I did," he said. "I fished under a lot of pressure this morning. Knowing all that I wanted to try and do, I was just kind of nervous. And I lost more than I caught this morning. I lost a couple 3-pounders right off the bat, then I lost an even bigger one a little after that. Then it all starts playing in your head with the day being slick-calm and all that.

"I was just fortunate that I made some good decisions. I changed my style of fishing for a little bit to go for a limit, then from 12:30 until weigh-in I managed to catch one nearly 5, a 5 and another good one." Complete Story

Scott Suggs fished one lock up the Allegheny in his bid to become the first two-time Cup winner. He was on fish there that were better-than-average size, but managed a limit only on the first day.

"I didn't pre-fish much, but I rode all three rivers in practice and I could tell that the Allegheny was the flattest of all of them," he said. Complete Story