Ardent sponsors flippin' and pitchin' expert Dave Gliebe, AKA the "Stockton Stick"
It's been 10 years, but Gliebe's still a favorite to win WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Mohave Invitational.

He's nearly frozen to death and he's already cashed a bunch of big fish checks. With his ability to put a jig anywhere he wants, Dave Gliebe is right in the hunt for WON BASS Angler of the Year and is a solid favorite to finish at or near the top of the leader board when the WON BASS Nitro/Mercury Lake Mohave Invitational May 20-21 comes to a close.

WON BASS Director Harvey Naslund was influential in getting Gliebe back on the tournament scene and helped arrange a sponsorship for Gliebe with Ardent.

"It's only fitting that a one-of-a-kind American fisherman should be linked up with a top-notch reel company of America, such as Ardent," said Naslund. "We used to call him the 'Stockton Stick' in the Western Bass days and there were some years when he flat out couldn't be beat."

And Gliebe can still compete at a top level. When Naslund announced the sponsorship at the awards for the Lake Havasu Invitational, Gliebe received several checks for a fourth place finish, the Pro Option and Big Fish.

"It's good to be back fishing tournaments," said Gliebe. "And it's really good to be back and fishing well."

Although Ardent went to an Eastern flippin' and pitchin' legend, Denny Brauer, to design the signature F700 Denny Brauer Flip-N-Pitch reel, it was Gliebe and other Delta standouts like Dee Thomas who originated the techniques back in the 70s. They used those methods to dominate. In 1977 Gliebe won the first three events he ever fished on the Eastern circuits.

This year on the WON BASS Pro Circuit, Gliebe is in third place after three events in the race for the Angler of the Year prize of a Nitro Z-7 bass boat fully rigged with a Mercury 175 OptiMax Prox XS outboard. He started off with a 17th on the Delta, fourth at Havasu and climbed up to 21st at Shasta despite the fact he had to come in early the first day to battle the onset of hypothermia.

And Gliebe said he would have done better at the Delta, if not for a change in conditions.

"I was on some really big fish in pre-fish, then a weather front came in and my fish were gone," Gliebe noted. Even though his bite fell apart, the quality he was targeting is shown by the fact he only caught 4 fish for the two day event and still got 17th, mightily helped by a 7.98 pounder that was the big fish of the first day.

Gliebe likes the new reels he is fishing and likes his prospects at Mohave.

"I've been fishing the XS600 baitcaster and the F700 Flip-N-Pitch and they really cast well," said Gliebe. "I reckon I'll be doing a lot of pitchin' at Mohave. I'm hoping the spawn will be over and the bigger fish will be out on the structure."

"It's been 10 years since I fished Mohave but the last time I did I should have won it," said Gliebe. "I had an 8-pound lead going into the last day and when we woke up the warning flags were flying and it was blowing 40 mph. I thought I had the tournament in the bag. I couldn't believe it when they didn't call off the last day and sent us out anyway. Ish Monroe caught two 4 pounders on a jig at the same time at the end of the day to win it, so I guess it was meant to be."

Always a threat on the Colorado River lakes, Gliebe was able to crown his career with a U.S. Open win on Lake Mead in 2000. Gliebe will be among the 2010 field that heads out for three days of fishing on Lake Mead July 19-21.

A Nitro Z-8 rigged with a Mercury 225 Pro XS along with tens of thousands of dollars will go to the U.S. Open winner. Gliebe has won more than 40 boats in his career. Now the Ardent pro staffer is on the path towards possibly winning two or three more (a Nitro/Mercury combo is the top award in the Western Classic, too).

Only time will tell. Meanwhile, look for the guy with big fish and Ardent reels.