Wire to wire?
Fritts still leads FLW Kentucky Lake, but tight top seven within 2 pounds
BENTON, Ky. – David Fritts crankbaited his way into first place for the third day in a row in Wal-Mart FLW Tour competition at Kentucky Lake Friday, but he’s got company heading into Saturday’s final push for the $100,000 title. The Lexington, N.C., pro caught a five-bass limit weighing 16 pounds, 8 ounces to lead the first half of the final round.
“I’ve been looking forward to this one just to have the opportunity to do what I do best,” Fritts said. Crankbaits have been key lures for many anglers this week, which plays right into Fritts’ strengths, who is one of the best crankbait fishermen in the world.
“This was the best draw I’ve ever had in my life,” said co-angler Frank Divis Sr. of Fayetteville, Ark., Fritts’ fishing partner Friday. “I just got to watch him all day.”
What Divis saw was Fritts catching some 20 to 30 bass. Running around to a variety of spots on the mid-area of Kentucky Lake, the leader cranked out his limit like he has all week in relatively deeper water, eventually culling out to 16-8. But adverse weather conditions took their toll on the leader with wind and rain playing havoc with the fishing.
“It was a hard day,” said Fritts, who lost several good bass Friday. “I should have had about 4 more pounds than what I weighed in. It’s really hard to fish with the way the wind is blowing; you have to make do with what you can. If the wind wasn’t blowing so bad and I could sit still, I might have caught a few more. I caught a lot of fish, but it was just hard to get the quality bites.”
Fritts is already the FLW Tour’s winningest pro with four victories under his belt. If he makes a historic wire-to-wire run and wins his fifth tomorrow, it would be his second tour win at Kentucky Lake.
But this one is by no means decided yet. Sitting just 8 ounces behind Fritts in second place is dangerous David Dudley of Lynchburg, Va., the 2003 FLW Championship winner. Further down the list but still close in weight are a bevy of heavy-hitting tour pros like Greg Hackney, Shinichi Fukae and Andy Morgan. Morgan, in seventh place, sits just 2 pounds, 1 ounce behind the leader – easy striking distance at Kentucky Lake.
“I’m excited,” Fritts said. “I just need to get some great bites, and I need to get them in. It’s going to be a big shootout tomorrow.”
Dudley fishes “dying pattern,” surprises himself
Dudley seemed surprised by his 16-pound limit Friday that earned him second place. He said that he switched from a shallow top-water pattern to a deeper approach because he found the top-water bite a little trickier today.
“I was basically shallow fishing,” he said. “Those of us who are shallow fishing are fishing a dying pattern; it’s getting worse and worse every day. I didn’t think (my limit) weighed 16 pounds.”
Still, Dudley knows he has a good shot at another tour victory. Already the richest bass pro in history, he hinted at why he’s prone to such big-money success.
“At any tournament, if I finish anything below first (place), I feel like I should stamp a big `L’ on my forehead because I feel I’ve lost,” he said.
Bosley not intimidated, takes third
Brennan Bosley of Benton, Ark., took the third spot for the pros with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 6 ounces. Fishing in his second season on tour, he has never won – or even top-10ed – in a tournament above the BFL level.
But he said, even considering the stout competition in these finals, he’s not deterred.
“Oh, I’m pumped up about tomorrow,” he said. “There’s nobody here to intimidate (me).”
Hackney fourth
The red-hot pro Hackney, who hails from Gonzales, La., sits just more than a pound behind the leader in fourth place with a limit weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces. He hinted that, for Saturday, he has more fish where he caught those on Friday.
“The main thing is just to stay in the hunt,” he said. “It’s awesome to be on Kentucky Lake right now. Whatever happens, I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Shin fifth
While Osaka, Japan’s Shinichi Fukae was also bothered by the wind today, he managed to catch a limit weighing 14 pounds, 11 ounces and placed fifth.
“Today, my water was very rough,” he said.
Gagliardi, Morgan still in it, too
The sixth- and seventh-place pros are also still right in the thick of it. Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., caught a limit weighing 14 pounds, 11 ounces and placed sixth while Morgan, of Dayton, Tenn., caught a limit worth 14-7 and seventh place.
“I’m happy to be here,” said Gagliardi, who is cranking ledges this week. “I had 10 or 12 spots when I started this week, but now I’m down to one.”
Rest of the best
Rounding out the top 10 in the Pro Division are Alton Jones of Waco, Texas, with five bass weighing 10 pounds, 15 ounces (8th place); Morizo Shimizu of Osaka, Japan, with five bass weighing 10-4 (9th); and Terry Segraves of Kissimmee, Fla., who was the only pro who failed to catch a keeper Friday (10th).
The final day of FLW competition at Kentucky Lake begins Saturday at 6:30 a.m. CST as the 10 pro finalists take off from Kentucky Dam Marina in Gilbertsville, Ky. The heaviest two-day weight from Friday and Saturday combined will determine the tournament’s $100,000 winner.