Gary Paul of the Fort Myers bass Club is leading the points heading into the Florida Bass Federation Last Chance Qualifier Saturday on the St. Johns River, with Wayne Black of the Bass Capital Bassmasters hot on his heels.

“Gary Paul did really well on the St. Johns for the third qualifier and I look for him to do good again here Saturday,” said Jim Fowler, president of the state federation. “Wayne Black is his most feared competition. He lives in Palatka and knows the river very well, so there is a good chance for him to pull this thing out.”

In fact, Paul won the third qualifier on the St. Johns River April 18 with 31.95 pounds and Black finished third with 25.59 pounds. Paul also won the first tournament on Lake Okeechobee.

On the non-boater side, Jesse Woodring of the Lake Worth-Boynton BCH appears headed for his third straight Non-Boater Angler of the Year title, Fowler said.

“I don’t think anybody is going to touch him. He does a lot of pre-fishing and he knows where the fish are.”

Fowler said he is expecting 50 to 60 anglers to show up for Saturday’s tournament as it is the last chance to qualify for the state championship which will be held Oct. 30-31 on Lake Istokpoga.

“Some of them have already qualified, but they are just trying to fish all the tournaments,” he noted.

The outcome of Saturday’s tournament is hard to predict, Fowler said, because the river is dealing with an algae bloom, up to one-fourth of an inch thick in some places.

“The guys are still catching fish, but not the quality that we are used to,” he said. “There’s also an advisory out right now about not eating or even touching the fish. I’ve heard about a lot of bass dying on the north end of the river, and also a lot of redfish.”

Because of the algae problem, Fowler said a lot of anglers have been running up through Dunn’s Creek to Crescent Lake.

“The water is a little clearer on the south end and they have been getting some good fish out of there. Or they are running all the way into Lake George to Silver Glen or Salt Springs. That is all spring water and it’s naturally a lot clearer,” he said.

Florida Bass Federation Last Chance Qualifier

Sat. & Sun. Jun. 26-27, 2010

St Johns River

Palatka City Docks

http://www.floridabassfederation.com