Readhimer Goes One for One at Kentucky Lake

It’s easy to tell when a tournament turns into a ledge slugfest by the weight of the co-angler limits that come in. Unlike a shoreline pattern, where the pro in the front of the boat is apt to vacuum up most of the bass, a ledge tournament allows the guy in the back of the boat almost equal access to the fish.

Thus it was in the Rayovac FLW Series Central Division event presented by Evinrude that concluded Saturday, as Kentucky Lake’s famed ledges yielded some hefty bags to co-anglers. The lead changed every day, but in the end it was Kelly Readhimer of Henderson, Tenn., who emerged the victor with his second 20-pounds-plus limit of the tournament.

Readhimer, who was fishing in his first Rayovac, started slowly with a 6-pound, 8-ounce catch on day one, but then followed with 20-13 and 21-5 the next two days. He won by more than 4 pounds over Taylor Bolton of Soddy Daisy, Tenn., who had 44 pounds, 6 ounces. Readhimer’s winnings included $6,000 plus a Ranger Z117 and a 90-horsepower outboard.

His partners were Ken Golub, Frank Clark and Brandon Hunter. The latter placed third among the pros and his stretch of ledge produced the winning stringer for Readhimer.

“We were casting over ledges from deeper water and slow-rolling swimbaits. In my case, it was a 6-inch Basstrix in a shad pattern,” says the 42-year-old Readhimer, who is a systems operations specialist with a utility company in Jackson, Tenn. “Friday, I was fishing with Frank [Clark] and we really got on them good [Readhimer had 20-13]. Brandon and I bounced around, but it seemed like we caught one or two fish everywhere we stopped. God really blessed me this week with the experience I had.” 

Full results can be found here.