Beating the bushes

McGuire sacks 24-pound, 11-ounce limit for opening-day lead in AFS event on Kentucky Lake

GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. – It’s no secret that Kentucky Lake is a phenomenal bass fishery. It’s particularly good this time of year most years, as good numbers of big female bass are likely to be holding in shallow bushes guarding freshly hatched fry. Other, earlier spawning bass have typically moved offshore to Kentucky Lake’s many submerged ledges by now as well, and ledge-fishing fans know this early bite is usually the best one of the year.

This year hasn’t been like most years, though, because it’s also no secret that Kentucky and Barkley lakes have experienced near record-high water levels over the past two weeks. Now, the Tennessee Valley Authority is pulling water through both dams at a rapid pace to bring the lake, which was more than 10 feet high, back down to normal summer pool. Cover that was flooded only a few days ago is now dry, and more cover that’s flooded now will be dry by next week. Obviously, the thought of flopping around in the mud if they don’t move can put bass in an antsy frame of mind – but that didn’t stop anglers in the FLW American Fishing Series from weighing well over a ton of fish on day one of the Central Division event on Kentucky Lake.

Tennessee pro takes the lead

The pro field was dominated by Kentucky Lake stick Curt McGuire of Lawrenceburg, Tenn. McGuire weighed five bass for 24 pounds, 11 ounces and secured a solid lead over Randy Haynes of Counce, Tenn., who sits in second place with a limit weighing 20 pounds, 7 ounces.

McGuire, who has two second-place finishes on Kentucky Lake and two more top-10s on other Tennessee River impoundments (Pickwick and Guntersville), ran south from the Buckhorn Bay launch site this morning and hit a variety of areas, both up in creeks and on the main lake. Fishing the outside edge of what is normally the shoreline brush with reaction baits was the key to his success today. Beyond that, McGuire chose to keep the details of his pattern to himself – at least until the end of the tournament. The falling water didn’t hurt his fishing at all.

“I’ve been practicing for a while, but the fish are biting better now than they have all week,” the pro said.

Bushes dominate top-five bite

Brien Vaughn of Kinmundy, Ill., is in third place on the pro side with a limit weighing 18 pounds, 15 ounces. On his heels in fourth and fifth place are Travis Fox of Springdale, Ark., with 18-3 and Roger D. Harp of Huntsville, Ark., with 18-1, respectively.

Fox didn’t make a long run to find his fish.

“I know there are a lot of fish in this immediate area, so I tried to stay pretty close during practice,” Fox said. “I wanted to ledge-fish, but I like the flooded conditions, too. I really enjoy power-fishing in that situation, and I caught almost all my fish on a 1/2-ounce white War Eagle spinnerbait. The falling water really hasn’t affected the bite a whole lot, I don’t think. I believe many of those big females are up guarding their fry, and they’re not going to move far from them regardless.”

Harp also fished nearby and caught the majority of his bass on a spinnerbait, although his two largest fish fell for a swimbait. Like the other pros, Harp focused his efforts just outside of the bushes.

Some big bass crossed the stage, too, including an 8-pound, 12-ounce bucketmouth caught by Michael Wooley of Collierville, Tenn., which took the day-one Big Bass award in the Pro Division.

Paul Strege of Deerfield, Wis., caught the biggest bass on the co-angler side with a Rapala DT-14. That fish weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces.

Keller leads Co-angler Division

The second-largest catch of the tournament was actually on the co-angler side as well. James Keller of Bettendorf, Iowa, made a long drive to Kentucky for this event. It was not only his first time fishing Kentucky Lake – it was his first FLW Outdoors tournament. His five-bass limit, which he caught casting main-lake points with a soft swimbait, weighed 23 pounds, 4 ounces.

“I fished that swimbait all day and probably had 70 bites on it,” he said. “I caught most of my fish before 10 a.m.”

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Strege with five bass weighing 18 pounds, 8 ounces; Andrew Luxon of Richmond, Ky., with five bass weighing 18 pounds, 6 ounces; Brian Brecka of Alma, Wis., with five bass weighing 17 pounds, 11 ounces; and Brian Futch of Marion, Ill., with five bass weighing 16 pounds, 13 ounces.

Portions of both Kentucky and Barkley lakes remain off limits during this tournament due to the high-water conditions. Daily takeoffs and weigh-ins will be held at Buckhorn Park launch ramp, which is located off Moors Camp Highway in Gilbertsville, Ky. Anglers will take off at 6:30 each morning, and weigh-ins will begin at 2 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.