MORGAN CITY, La. – Pro J.T. Kenney of Frostburg, Md., caught five bass weighing 17 pounds, 2 ounces Wednesday to lead the four-day, $500,000 Wal-Mart FLW Tour event on Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin. The tournament, presented by Frito Lay, features 350 of the world’s best bass anglers representing 35 states, Canada and Japan competing for a top pro award of $100,000 cash and a top co-angler award of $15,000 cash.
The Atchafalaya Basin event is the second of six tournaments that lead to the $1.5 million Jacobs Cup world championship of bass fishing, which will be held on the James River in Richmond, Va., Sept. 10-13. The top 48 pros and 48 co-anglers based on year-end points standings will advance to the Jacobs Cup, where the winning pro will earn $500,000 – the largest guaranteed cash award in the sport’s history. With a total of $5.76 million on the line this season, the road to Richmond, Va., is paved with gold.
FLW Tour anglers fought low water and the lingering effects of a cold front Wednesday but still hauled in 43 five-bass limits, several of which weighed more than 15 pounds. The water temperature was a chilly 48 degrees at takeoff, but with warmer weather in the forecast, fishing conditions should continue to improve as bass move into shallower water.
“Where I’m fishing is off the map,” said Kenney, who won last year’s FLW Tour season opener on Lake Okeechobee. “I only saw three tournament boats all day. I’m covering a lot of water and not wasting any time anywhere.”
Kenney caught the majority of his bass using jigs and spinner baits in deeper water.
Rounding out the top five pros are Gary Klein of Weatherford, Texas (five bass, 16 pounds, 10 ounces); Randall Hutson of Washburn, Mo. (five bass, 16 pounds, 2 ounces); Billy Bowen Jr. of Ocala, Fla. (five bass, 16 pounds, 1 ounce); and Dave Lefebre of Erie, Pa. (five bass, 15 pounds, 12 ounces).
Alton Lackie of Germantown, Tenn., caught four bass Wednesday weighing 9 pounds, 6 ounces to lead the Co-angler Division heading into Thursday’s competition. He caught his bass using a crankbait and a tube.
“We’re going into dead-end canals trying to find warm water,” said Lackie, who leads the Atchafalaya Basin tournament after winning on Lake Okeechobee last month. “We knew we had to stay close to wood.”
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Bill Terry of Raleigh, N.C. (four bass, 9 pounds, 5 ounces); Simon Morrow of Alexander City, Ala. (four bass, 9 pounds, 3 ounces); Curtis Thompson of Flint, Texas (four bass, 9 pounds, 2 ounces); and Dennis Kirby of Lakeland, Tenn. (three bass, 8 pounds, 15 ounces).
Kenney earned the Snickers Big-Bass Award in the Pro Division with a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass. He won $750 for the catch. Gerald Williams of Scottsville, Ky., won $500 as the co-angler winner of the Snickers Big-Bass Award with a 5-pound, 8-ounce bass.
Six hundred and twenty bass were caught Wednesday, and one hundred percent were released alive.
The Belle River Boat Launch in Belle River will host daily takeoffs at 7 a.m. Thursday and Saturday and 8 a.m. Friday. Thursday’s weigh-in will also be held at 3 p.m. at the boat launch. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 973 Highway 90 E. in Bayou Vista, La., beginning at 5 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.
The community is encouraged to attend daily takeoffs and weigh-ins as well as the Family Fun Zone, located outside the weigh-in tent at the Wal-Mart parking lot. With games, interactive displays and product giveaways, the Family Fun Zone offers enjoyment for fishing fans of all ages. The Family Fun Zone opens Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m.
Coverage of the Atchafalaya Basin tournament will be featured on the “FLW Outdoors” television show, which is broadcast to 55 million subscribers on the Outdoor Life Network. The program features fishing legends Hank Parker and Larry Nixon alongside hosts Charlie Evans, Carlton Wing and Taylor Carr. Parker’s preview of the Atchafalaya Basin tournament will air Saturday at 7 p.m. EST and again Sunday at 1 p.m. EST. Tournament highlights from the Atchafalaya Basin will air Feb. 22 and 23 followed by a tournament recap featuring Nixon March 1 and 2.
Anglers compete for two days to determine the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers who will advance to Friday’s semifinal round based on their two-day accumulated weight. Weights are cleared for Friday’s competition, and co-anglers compete for one day to determine the winner. Pros continue competition Saturday, with final positions determined by Friday and Saturday’s combined catch weight.
The Wal-Mart FLW Tour features a pro/co-angler format in which the pro supplies the boat, fishes from the front deck against other pros and controls boat movement. Co-anglers fish from the back deck against other co-anglers. One hundred and seventy-five pros and 175 co-anglers comprise a full field. Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points awarded to the winner, 199 points for second, 198 for third and so on. These points determine angler standings.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997.