Crunch time

Final day of Stren Midwest opener will be a crowded one on Kentucky Lake

BENTON, Ky. – When you have a pair of lakes as solid as Kentucky-Barkley, people want to be on them. There lies the problem for the 10 pros and co-anglers fishing today’s final round of the Stren Series Midwest Division opener – they’re not alone.

Not only will today’s summertime weather bring out the pleasure boaters, but the finalists will also be competing for hot spots with competitors from at least two other events.

“We’ve got a couple of big tournaments close to here, so it’ll be a little tougher on everybody,” said No. 10 pro Ramie Colson Jr. of Cadiz. “There will be more traffic and a little less time to fish.”

However, pros are pros for a reason, and this week’s crop of finalists are obviously on fish. Leader Sam Lashlee is traveling far south on Kentucky Lake this week near his home of Camden, Tenn., and he brought in more than 64 pounds of bass from there the first three days.

During a bass tournament, weather consistency is always a good thing, and Stren competitors have definitely had that this week, though the hot sunshine has certainly made them sweat.

“This is the weather I like to fish in,” Colson said. “It puts them where I like to catch them – down deep in structure. I’m pretty optimistic about what I can catch. I’m looking forward to it.”

Indeed, though Lashlee may be enjoying a hot streak and is obviously onto something, he does have strong competition following him. The finalists will weigh in their catches today beginning at 4 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 310 W. Fifth St. in Benton. Winners are determined by the heaviest two-day weights.

Saturday’s conditions:

Sunrise: 5:33 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 68 degrees

Expected high temperature: 94 degrees

Wind: from the SSW at 10 mph

Maximum humidity: 53 percent

Day’s outlook: sunshine and a few clouds