This week the FLW Tour pros tackle the tough Red River in Shreveport, La. The river is high but falling and muddy but clearing in the backwater areas. The result most experts and anglers predict will be a lot of guys fishing in a few areas. The pros we spoke to this week, who will remain nameless as of right now so as not to divulge too much about who is doing what, have all said the main river is muddy, too muddy and too much current for most anglers liking. So that is going to put the anglers looking for backwater areas either in the pool the tournament launches out of or locking down to the next pool.

Locking always adds an element of risk as limited access to the locks means you have to schedule your fishing and running around being at the lock at a certain time to get back to the weigh in. It’s a gamble anytime you lock as barges can take precedence and bump you from the locks all together.

We look for a very challenging tournament for the anglers. Someone will no doubt find a good limit or two from the backwater areas, but because of pressure and crowds, it’s anyone’s guess as to how long the fishing will hold up in the smaller backwater areas.

Jumping stumps, beaver dams, log jams and other obstacles is the name of the game as is tearing up equipment in the process. Many anglers have torn up lower units and bent prop ears in the process of hunting for the best bunch of bass in practice. Whoever wins this tournament is going to earn it in a big way.

But without further ado, here are some anglers we think will factor into this week’s contest.

Terry’s Picks

Chad Brauer- He’s won here before, and it’s setting up for how he likes to fish, a flipping bite.

Glenn Browne – He’s a great flipper and can find them in very skinny water.

Jason Christie – Christie has momentum now and growing up in Oklahoma has given him experience on red rivers.

Clark Wendlandt – He’s been a perennial hammer his whole career and always seems to buoy to the top in tough events. Never mind that he’s an understated flipper.

Bryan Thrift – He’s on a major roll and can catch them in a bucket of water. Tough events seem to be his forte too.

Todd’s Picks

Chad Brauer – This is the lock pick for me after he won so convincingly here just a short while ago. He loves to flip and pitch and this event should be a grind and right up his alley.

Glenn Browne – Another outstanding flipper and likes to be in real skinny shallow water with lots of cover. This fishery sets up like Browne likes it.

Bryan Thrift – How can anyone bet against him anymore?

Rusty Salewske – This is one of those gut picks. He’s a stick with a chatterbait and a jig. While the Red River is no California Delta, that experience could really play well here.

Brent Ehrler – Another pick you just have to make. When the going gets tough, the tough get a win. So we’re picking a tough winner.

Jason’s Picks

Chad Brauer – Yeah we’ll make it three for three on our picks with the younger Brauer. Let’s see this tournament is likely to be won on a jig and a spinnerbait, his two favorite things. He’s won here recently by an impressive margin no less and he feels comfortable on this fishery which will give him a leg up on about 75 percent of the competition.

Andy Morgan – The big stick will be swinging in this event and Morgan is an ole river rat from East Tennessee who can get it done junk fishing and flipping, two patterns that ought to be strong this week.

Ramie Colson, Jr – The “stump master”. This fishery is loaded with massive stumps, and Ramie is as good a stump fisherman as there is in the field. We look for the stump to rule here.

Terry Bolton – He’s known as an offshore guy but he’s a pretty good shallow spinnerbait and jig fisherman too. He’s good casting to targets like stumps. I think he’s been waiting to have a unique fishery to make his mark on this season. Something feels right about this one.

Bryan Thrift – I’m not betting against Thrift in a junk tournament where he’ll have to milk an area for every bass possible. He’s proven he can do well on tough rivers at Pittsburgh, so we look for him to do well yet again.