Outlook bright for Kentucky Lake finalists

Day three kicks off beneath rays of bright sunshine that could spur the deep structure bite

BENTON, Ky. – The top 10 finalists of this week’s Wal-Mart FLW Tour event on Kentucky Lake saw something Friday morning they hadn’t seen yet this week at takeoff – the sunshine. The dreary rain and cloudy conditions of days one and two were replaced today by brilliant sunny rays, a forecast that should continue throughout the day, although with unseasonably cool temperatures.

Sometimes during a tournament, anglers react negatively to a change in weather conditions, but No. 3 pro Terry Bolton says the cheery sunshine is a good thing. “That can’t do anything but help when you’re fishing structure,” he said.

No, it’s not the sun that’s troubling competitors today; it’s the wind. Winds are expected to blow anywhere from 15 to 25 mph today, which could make things a little more difficult on huge Kentucky and Barkley lakes.

“We’re going to have some wind again today, which doesn’t help,” Bolton said. “But we lost some boats today, which will open up some places.”

Unlike some lakes, the impact of two days of a 200-boat field catching bass after bass is minimal on Kentucky Lake due to the sheer number of bass that are to be caught coupled with the enormous amount of places there are to catch them not only on Kentucky Lake but Barkley Lake as well. Therefore, the top 10 anglers will likely continue to bring in solid stringers again today.

“There’s still plenty,” Bolton said. “There are a lot of good structure fishermen, and somebody’s going to stop on a place they’re biting.”

Friday’s conditions:

Sunrise: 5:48 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 51 degrees

Expected high temperature: 66 degrees

Wind: W at 17 mph

Maximum humidity: 55 percent

Day’s outlook: a mix of clouds and sun