My old Kentucky tie

Wellman, Carman each haul in 50-10 on day three at Kentucky/Barkley

BENTON, Ky. – Mother Nature unleashed her wrath on Stren Series Central Division anglers who dared to take on Kentucky/Barkley today, with reports of boats blowing sideways and blinding rain being the least of their worries. Even so, bass were still caught, and day-two leader Nate Wellman retained his lead with a three-day weight of 50 pounds, 10 ounces.

That exact weight was also caught by No. 2 Jeff Carman of Liberty, Ky., but Wellman has the official lead because he held the higher position yesterday. Although he remains at the top, Wellman had his toughest day yet today, bringing in only 13 pounds, 11 ounces after catching 17-1 on the first day and 19-14 yesterday.

“It was hard,” he said. “I had a big mental battle today, having been in the lead. I felt really confident that I could win this tournament, and I still do, but I struggled today.”

Contributing to Wellman’s panic mode were the pair of bass he lost that he estimates weighed around 3 pounds and 4 to 5 pounds, respectively.

“That one I lost kept jumping and tormenting me,” he said. “It was like, `Twist the knife a little deeper!'”

Wellman estimates he struggled through 40 to 50 “swing and miss” bites but ultimately did weigh in a five-bass limit. After a successful day one and day two, he figures he had it coming and hopes he got his bad luck out of the way today.

“I had to have a bad day, I guess,” he said.

Wellman has maintained that the color of his bait, which he has now revealed to be a black and blue jig, was of the utmost importance, but today a change in weight of that jig turned out to be key.

“Yesterday I caught them all on a 3/8-ounce jig, and today I switched to a 1/2-ounce jig that I call Old Faithful,” he said. “I got my two biggest ones in the last hour. Tomorrow I’m going to pick up that jig and throw it all day. It’s going to be hero or zero.”

Carman threatens with tied weight

After busting a 19-pound, 6-ounce catch on day two, Jeff Carman caught another limit today weighing 18-7 to match Wellman’s 50-pound, 10-ounce weight and put himself in serious contention for a Stren Series victory. It wouldn’t be his first – he claimed a co-angler win in 2004 on Lake Eufaula.

“I took a gamble today,” Carman said. “My best spot is about 50 miles south, and I didn’t go today.”

By making that choice, Carman avoided what would have been a very bumpy ride and was lucky enough to use his same pattern much closer to catch another fat bag of bass.

“I caught one weighing about 4 pounds here close yesterday, so I decided to try and get enough to make the cut, and it worked,” he said. “I probably wasn’t 4 or 5 miles from the marina.”

The rough weather is expected to move out overnight, and if that is the case, Carman is considering going back to the long run tomorrow.

“I’ve got to look at the weather,” he said. “If the wind will let me, I’m going to run. I’ve got a spot where the big females are just moving up, and with a little luck, I can catch a big bag tomorrow.”

Colson climbs to third

Ramie Colson Jr. of Cadiz is no stranger to Kentucky/Barkley top-10s, and he scored yet another one today with a 20-pound, 11-ounce day-three stringer that brought his combined total to 48 pounds, 12 ounces.

“It’s just a shallow bite on Barkley – home, sweet home,” Colson said. “It started off a little slow, but it’s getting better. I probably caught more today than I have all week.”

That number, though, is still fairly low, as Colson said he caught only eight keepers today.

“I’m not catching that many, but the ones I’m getting have been pretty quality bites,” he said. “Tomorrow’s another day, and I feel pretty good about it.”

Colson said the weather has kept him from traveling as far as he’d like to go, and he’s hoping all that will change for the final day.

“It’s kept me pinned to where I couldn’t go to places further south,” he said. “If it lays down, maybe I can get there tomorrow and get another bag like today.”

Eakins contends from fourth

In the No. 4 spot after day three is Troy Eakins of Nixa, Mo., with a three-day catch of 47 pounds, 11 ounces. He had his toughest day yet today, though, bringing in a limit worth 13 pounds, 5 ounces.

“The bite was a little slower than it was, and it was a little wet,” Eakins said. “I fished the same fish I did yesterday, and I think I’ve hurt them a little bit. The big fish didn’t bite today.”

With his big-fish spot probably beaten up, Eakins is looking to switch things up a bit tomorrow.

“I’m going to go to a different area tomorrow,” he said. “I’m going to go back where I caught them the first day, if the weather cooperates.”

McMullin steady in fifth

Taking fifth is Bobby McMullin of Pevely, Mo., with 47 pounds, 7 ounces over three days. McMullin has been quite the consistent angler this week, catching 15-15 the first day, 15-13 yesterday and 15-11 today.

“I got bit early,” McMullin said of day three. “I had three in the boat in 30 minutes, and then it slowed down a bit. I probably caught eight or nine keepers.”

For the final day, McMullin hopes to stick with what works.

“I’m going to do the same thing but switch areas of the lake,” he said. “I fished Kentucky the last two days and both lakes the first day.”

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top 10 pros who will fish tomorrow’s final day on Kentucky/Barkley:

6th: Dick Shaffer, Rockford, Ohio, 15 bass, 46-15

7th: Koby Kreiger, Okeechobee, Fla., 14 bass, 46-13

8th: Mark Rose, Marion, Ark., 15 bass, 46-11

9th: David Young, Mayfield, Ky., 14 bass, 45-11

10th: Michael Wooley, Collierville, Tenn., 14 bass, 45-5

Nelson catches four but establishes huge co-angler lead

Leading the Co-angler Division by a whopping 7 pounds, 5 ounces is yesterday’s leader B.J. Nelson of Louisa, Ky., with 38 pounds, 5 ounces over three days. He jumped out to that big lead despite having his toughest day yet today, catching only four worth 8-10 after catching 12-15 the first day and 16-12 yesterday.

“I had the fifth keeper on three or four times and he just got off,” Nelson said. “I lost three today and I hadn’t lost a fish all week. It tore me up.”

Nelson has stuck with the same presentation all week long to land his bass.

“I flew a jig all week and didn’t pick anything else up today,” he said. “I’m flipping shallow. I just want to catch a limit tomorrow since I’ve got a little lead now.”

Greenwood mixes it up for second

In second place on the co-angler side is Mitch Greenwood of Russellville, Ky., with a three-day catch of 31 pounds. His limit today clocked in at 11 pounds, 13 ounces.

“We caught them over on Barkley, and I never caught two fish on one bait,” he said. “They were scattered.”

Greenwood and his pro partner made a rough 20-mile run but it proved to be worth it. Greenwood is banking his day-four hopes on the versatility he has proven this week.

“I fished three different days and caught them three different ways, so I think I can do it,” he said.

Rest of the best

In third place heading into the final day is co-angler Lawrence Bean of Union, Mo., with 28 pounds, 4 ounces. Behind him in fourth is Tim Cummings of Waynesboro, Tenn., with 28-1 over three days. In fifth is Lonnie Seawood of Hamtramck, Mich., with 28 pounds.

Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers who will fish the final day on Kentucky/Barkley:

6th: Clint Williams, Fayetteville, Ark., seven bass, 27-8

7th: Tim Rhoades, Leitchfield, Ky., 11 bass, 27-6

8th: Joey Rogers, Mayfield, Ky., nine bass, 27-4

9th: Arnold Payne Jr., Cuba, Mo., 11 bass, 27-1

10th: Justin Russell, El Dorado, Kan., nine bass, 26-7

The final 10 will take off tomorrow at 6:30 a.m. from Moors Marina, located on Moors Road in Gilbertsville, Ky. They will weigh in their catches beginning at 4 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located on West 5th St. in Benton.