Ward wrangles away lead in Kentucky by 2 ounces

Paris continues to produce in Stren Series event

MURRAY, Ky. – The cream is starting to rise to the top in the Stren Series Central Division event on Kentucky Lake.

A handful of pros who caught 20-pound-plus bags yesterday caught big limits again today, and now the top of the leaderboard is turning into an ounce-by-ounce scramble to the top of the hill.

Once again, the Paris area seems to be the key in getting a solid foothold to climb the leaderboard. The top three pros have all owned up to fishing far south on Kentucky Lake.

Now leading the event is Mike Ward of Paris, Tenn., who added 20 pounds, 8 ounces to his 22-pound, 2-ounce day-one limit to take a slim lead with 42 pounds, 10 ounces.

Ward mentioned that he is “hole swapping” with other competitors on the south end of Kentucky Lake.

“It’s starting to get locked up down there,” said Ward. “Finding a fishing spot is getting harder and harder; I could only get on two of my spots today. Yesterday, there were more areas open.”

Ward made it clear that he is not blaming anyone for any wrong doing. It’s just a matter of playing pro fishing’s version of musical chairs.

“That’s just the nature of the beast on this lake,” he said. “I’m not acting like I own any of those places. Some of them are community type spots that other anglers certainly know about and part of the game is getting the timing right on them. Sure, there are going to be boats on certain ledges, but you try to block it out mentally, wait your turn and hopefully the bite turns on when you get your turn on the spot.”

Ward added that he does have some out-of-the-way spots that he is saving for the finals, but he does not have as much confidence in those places as he does some of the more popular and proven ledges.

“It’s all about confidence,” he said. “I found a couple of new places in practice where I caught fish, but I don’t know them as well as I know the other spots. Mainly, I don’t know the best timing for those new spots. But as the fishing pressure continues to mount down there I’ll have to go fish them and hopefully I’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

Ward caught most of his fish on a big worm yesterday, but said he had to go to a ¾-ounce Strike King football jig today to get his bites.

Also, lurking just 2 ounces behind Ward is well-known Billy Schroeder, one of Kentucky Lake’s most heralded pros.

“Billy is a super class act and he’s catching them,” Ward added. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about him over the next couple of days.”

Schroeder second

Kentucky lake legend Billy Schroeder of Paducah, Ky., has sacked up two 20-pound plus stringers over the last two days for a two-day total of 42 pounds, 8 ounces for second place.

“In the last six days I’ve caught more 4 pounders on this lake than I’ve caught all summer long,” he said. “It’s just amazing how many quality fish are out there.”

Schroeder is fishing around the Paris area as well and he had what he weighed in by 8 o’clock this morning.

“The last two days I’ve been fishing places that I knew other people would fish,” Schroeder noted. “That’s been my plan: fish the well-known stuff first and then as the weekend fishing pressure comes on, go to some other ledges that are off the beaten path.”

But sometimes those ace-in-the-hole places don’t pay off.

“I’ve been saving my absolute best spot all week,” he explained. “I’ve been watching it the last two days and it has not had a boat on it. So I slipped in there this afternoon to see if I could get one good fish off it and I never got a bite. I was surprised by that. I have no idea what happened to those fish but I sure hope they bite in the next couple of days because I’m counting on them.”

Wooley third

Michael Wooley of Collierville, Tenn., is in third place after day two with 42 pounds, 4 ounces.

Wooley, too, is fishing in the Paris area. Yesterday, he needed just one spot to collect 22 pounds, 6 ounces. Today, he had to visit five of his premium areas to get 19 pounds, 14 ounces.

“I did move around more today, but other than that, I did not change a whole lot,” Wooley mentioned. “I’m still sticking with shallower ledges in 10 to 15 feet of water with a big worm.”

Shaffer fourth

Day one leader Dick Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio, stayed in the top five with an 18-pound, 9-ounce stringer today for a two-day total of 42 pounds, 3 ounces.

Shaffer is employing a run and gun approach on Kentucky Lake, hitting multiple spots along a 13-mile stretch of the river. Some spots are shallow grass beds; others are deep ledges and he spends no more than about 10 minutes on one spot.

“I don’t wait around on these fish,” Shaffer said. “They get one chance to eat my lure or I move on.”

Today, Shaffer estimates that he fished about 20 spots with a variety of lures.

Pickett fifth

Lloyd Pickett, Jr., of Bartlett, Tenn., grabbed a top-5 position after day two with 37 pounds, 7 ounces.

Pickett is the only pro in the top 5 who did not mention going way south and instead is working a “fuel-economy pattern.”

“I’m fishing pretty close,” Pickett said. “I have not burned more than three gallons of gas per day.”

In addition to saving fuel, Pickett is also playing a strategy he hopes will work in his favor as the weekend begins.

“I know the better bite is down around Paris right now, but I also know that there is another tournament going out of there tomorrow and things are going to get even more crowded,” he explained. “I practiced on these ledges from the bridge (Hwy. 80) to the dam because they’re deeper and will receive less pressure over the next two days. If I should make the cut for Saturday, hopefully more fishing time and less fishing pressure will work to my advantage.”

Big bass

Zachary King of Clarksville, Ark., caught the big bass in the Pro Division on day two weighing 6 pounds, 10 ounces.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top-10 pros in the Stren Series event on Kentucky Lake after day two:

6th: Sam Lashlee of Camden, Tenn., two-day total of 36-6

7th: George Jeane, Jr., of Evans, La., two-day total of 36-5

8th: Ramie Colson of Cadiz., Ky., two-day total of 35-12

9th: Terry Bolton of Jonesboro, Ark., two-day total of 35-8

10th: Keith Amerson of Jonesboro, Ark., two-day total of 35-7

Jackson still leads co-anglers

Ben Jackson of Paducah, Ky., still leads the Co-angler Division of the Stren Series event on Kentucky Lake with a two-day total of 32 pounds, 15 ounces.

Jackson added 11 pounds, 1 ounce to his monstrous day-one catch of 21 pounds, 14 ounces to protect his lead today.

Co-angler Chris Darby of Mount Ida, Ark., moved into second place with a two-day total of 30 pounds, 14 ounces.

Alan Johnson of Crestwood, Ky., is in third place with a two-day total of 29 pounds, 10 ounces.

Chad Kerr of Burlington, Iowa, is in fourth place with a two-day total of 27 pounds, 6 ounces.

Steven Strejcek of Clever, Mo., jumped into the top 5 today with a 20-pound, 2-ounce limit, which gave him a two-day total of 25-2.

Big bass

Steve Dozier of Dover, Tenn., caught the big bass in the Co-angler Division on day two weighing 6 pounds, 1 ounce.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers in the Stren Series event on Kentucky Lake after day two:

6th: Mike Perdue of Auburn, Ky., two-day total of 24-13

7th: Kurt Evans of Hardy, Ark., two-day total of 24-8

8th: Jeff McCarnan of Henderson, Ky., two-day total of 23-8

9th: Joe Waggoner of Carthage, Mo., two-day total of 22-9

10th: Terry Chastain of Guthrie, Ky., two-day total of 22-2

Day three of the Stren Series Central Division event on Kentucky Lake will begin Friday at 5:30 a.m. from Kenlake Marina located at 888 Kenlake Marina Lane in Hardin, Ky.