Anthony Gagliardi began the 2014 FLW Tour season by being disqualified from the tournament on Okeechobee. Almost nobody, including Gagliardi, thought he had a realistic shot at making the Forrest Wood Cup – to be held on his home waters, Lake Murray – with zero points to show for the first event.

“I came home after that first tournament and looked at the lake and got the sickest feeling in my gut,” said Gagliardi.

Today he had knots in his stomach for a different reason. He was competing on the final day for the 2014 Forrest Wood Cup title in his backyard after all.

“I don’t feel anything right now,” exhaled a physically and emotionally exhausted Gagliardi as he sat in front of his trophy at the post-weigh in press conference.  

Gagliardi’s comeback has made for one of the most remarkable stories ever in tournament bass fishing. Even while fishing this week he never took a lead until today’s final weigh in at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC was nearly over.

Gagliardi overtook Scott Canterbury by one ounce and then held off Brent Ehrler by 7 ounces. The weigh in featured 5 lead changes. The top 5 pros were separated by 11 ounces. This was one of the most hotly contested Cups in history.

Topwater tactics ruled on Murray. Bass wanted lures up and moving. Buzzbaits and toads were popular choices. Casey Ashley used a Pop-R extensively. Brent Ehrler reached out to schooling bass with a Lucky Craft 115 Gunfish when he wasn’t tossing a fluke.

Fluke style baits were commonly employed on the shallow herring bite that materialized down lake during the tournament. Under a cloudy start on day 3, Ehrler used a double rig with a pair of Yamamoto D Shads on 14 lb. Sunline fluorocarbon leaders and 30 lb. braid main line.

The other viable option was shallow wood, especially up the river and creek arms. Steve Kennedy ran to where rapids form in the Big Saluda River and tossed a toad for bass that weighed up to 5 pounds. Gagliardi caught most of his biggest bass pitching a 10-inch Texas rigged worm to isolated laydowns and brush upriver.

In a tournament that featured a different leader each day, Gagliardi saved his best for last and found that, despite a disastrous start to the season, it’s good to be home.

Your Final Top 10:

1        ANTHONY GAGLIARDI   PROSPERITY, SC 51-2 (19)   $500,000

2        SCOTT CANTERBURY SPRINGVILLE, AL   51-1 (19)  $60,000

3        BRENT EHRLER  REDLANDS, CA  50-11 (20)  $50,000

4        CASEY ASHLEY DONALDS, SC     50-7 (20)     $40,000

5        STEVE KENNEDY        AUBURN, AL       50-7 (20)     $35,000

6        MATT HERREN   ASHVILLE, AL    48-0 (20)     $30,500

7        BRYAN THRIFT  SHELBY, NC        44-6 (18)     $26,000

8        MICHAEL WOOLEY     COLLIERVILLE, TN      43-4 (16)     $24,000

9        SCOTT MARTIN  CLEWISTON, FL           35-13 (16)   $22,000

10      JACOB WHEELER         INDIANAPOLIS, IN      33-7 (13)     $20,000