Co-angler Keirsey claims second FLW Tour title
2003 FLW Championship winner strikes again
FLORENCE, Ala. – Ken Keirsey already has five Wal-Mart FLW Tour Championship berths and a victory under his belt, and he showed why Friday by winning his second tour Co-angler Division title and $20,000 in dominating fashion at Pickwick Lake.
Keirsey, a veteran co-angler out of Owasso, Okla., caught the only five-bass limit of day from the back of the boat. Weighing 13 pounds, 7 ounces, it was the third-heaviest co-angler limit of the week.
Fishing with pro leader George Jeane Jr., Keirsey caught his fish on an array of baits Friday. Working deeper water on Pickwick Lake, he landed fish on a ¾-ounce brown jig, a Lucky Craft jerkbait and a homemade white spinnerbait.
“I was really excited when I drew (Jeane) and he told me that we were going to be fishing deep,” Keirsey said. “I had a great day. We caught a lot of fish today.”
Keirsey’s last trip to the podium was his $25,000 co-angler victory at the 2003 FLW Championship at the James River. He also has two other FLW Tour top-10 finishes. He said, while winning here at Pickwick was sweet, the James River win still stands out.
“The championship was a little more special,” he said, “I think because it was my first one. But I’m excited, I really am. I can’t wait until next week (for Wal-Mart FLW Series competition at Lake Lanier).”
Shannon Fletcher of Honaker, Va., finished in second place for the co-anglers and claimed $10,000 with a three-bass catch of 9 pounds, 8 ounces.
“We had five minutes of the most exciting fishing I’ve ever had,” said Fletcher, who was throwing a blue-and-silver lipless crankbait. “My partner (pro Todd Auten) and I caught 10 fish in five minutes.”
Alex Ormand of Bessemer City, N.C., also a perennial top-10 co-angler on the FLW Tour, finished in third place and collected $9,000. He caught two bass weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces.
Rookie Chad Parks of Memphis, Tenn., caught two bass weighing 4 pounds, 5 ounces and finished fourth. He earned $8,000.
Rounding out the top five co-angler finishers was James Green of Lincoln, Ala., who caught one bass weighing 2 pounds, 5 ounces and earned $7,000.
Rounding out the top 10 co-angler finishers at FLW Pickwick Lake:
6th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., one bass, 2-3, $6,000
7th: Arch Cornett, Huntsville, Ala., one bass, 1-15, $4,000
8th: Bill Gift, Alix, Ark., zero bass, $3,000 (opening-round leader)
9th: Stephen Smith, Glenwood, Ark., zero bass, $2,500
10th: Judy Israel, Clewiston, Fla., zero bass, $2,000
Final round Saturday
Day four of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour competition at Pickwick Lake begins as the final-round field of 10 boats takes off from McFarland Park in Florence at 7 a.m. Central time Saturday. Friday’s weights carry over to Saturday, and the $100,000 Pro Division winner will be determined by two-day combined weight.