Marshall Deakins joins Rhea trio on Walmart FLW Tour

Marshall Deakins from Dunlap, Tenn., is a longtime angler about to start his first year on the Walmart FLW Tour.
Marshall Deakins from Dunlap, Tenn., is a longtime angler about to start his first year on the Walmart FLW Tour.

Andy Morgan looked out the window at his Dayton, Tenn., home Wednesday evening and saw visions of the central Florida sunshine. Or course, he was having to look through snow to get those images.

The Walmart FLW Tour's points champion the last two years already was psyching up for a possible three-peat, but the recent weather has him suffering from "cabin fever" even more than usual.

"I'm over this winter weather," Morgan said emphatically by phone. "I'm tired of fooling with it. Of course when it's after hunting season I'm already looking forward to getting back to fishing and trying to make some money."

The first of six tournaments in FLW's top tour runs next Thursday through Sunday on Lake Tohopekaliga near Kissimmee, Fla. The participants can practice on "Toho" this Sunday through Tuesday.

"I hope this clears out by Saturday," Dunlap's Marshall Deakins said of the snow.

Morgan is 43 and beginning his 20th FLW season. He's been doing it "solely for a living" since 2003.

Deakins turns 63 the day after the Toho tourney ends and would love to give himself a wonderful birthday present with a good finish. But this is his first year on the Walmart FLW tour, although he did fish in one of its events on Lake Guntersville in 2011.

He's fished in the Rayovac FLW series as well as many of the Bass Fishing League events and others, and he has $113,141 in career earnings and four tournament wins.

He got a spot in the big tour this year as an experienced pro angler who owns a Ranger boat.

"I'm getting too old for this," Deakins joked. "But I'm in good health and I feel good, and I can fish all day, which a lot of these young guys can't do. I'm having to do it all on my own (without sponsorship), but I've been wanting to do it for a long time."

Morgan, Michael Neal and Wesley Strader gave Rhea County three of the top 10 finishers in the Walmart FLW Tour points standings last year, and Morgan welcomed the Sequatchie County native to their ranks.

"I know Marshall well," Morgan said. "I've fished around Marshall all my life. He's a good guy. I like fishing with these country boys. It makes it even more fun."

Morgan has had more than his share of fun in FLW angling. He's had more top-10 finishes and has qualified for more FLW Championships than anyone else.

He's also one of the hosts of an outdoors reality show, "Moultrie's The Hit List" about white tail deer hunting, and it's gone to 52 weeks of episodes. He admitted that making 20 original programs is hard enough to do but that they will be trying for 26 this year.

As far as Lake Toho goes, "I've done really bad there, and I've done well. I think 2008 was the last time we were there, and I think I finished fourth.

"I'm ready to get something started, I know that. I'm ready to get busy."

Contact Ron Bush at rbush@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6291.

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