All-American Top 5 Patterns Day 1
What’s working on Lake Barkley for the BFL’s best
With a couple of exceptions, the contestants currently holding down second through fifth places in the 2016 FLW Bass Fishing League All-American on Lake Barkley followed Jeremy Lawyer’s lead in the opening round of the event hosted by Cadiz-Trigg County Tourism.
Lawyer, an Ozark Division qualifier, admits he was able to amass his tournament-leading 18 pounds, 6 ounces by junk-fishing with a variety of reaction baits fished in water from 4 to 8 feet deep. Likewise, most of the leaders relied on the same approach, though with varying results.
2. Drew Boggs – Lebanon, Tenn. – 17-04 (5)
Boggs started off the day fishing close to the takeoff at Lake Barkley State Resort Park Marina, but then visited more than three dozen spots to glean a limit that averaged more than 3 pounds per fish.
“In the afternoon, I noticed on my electronics that there were some fish starting to show up where they hadn’t been in the morning, so I’m hopeful that’s going to be the case for the next couple of days,” he says. “Now if I can just figure out what they want to eat.”
3. John Vanore – Mullica Hill, N.J. – 15-14 (5)
Many anglers had written off flipping bank cover as a viable option because Barkley has been falling slowly, but steadily, for the past several days. Nobody bothered to tell Vanore that flipping wouldn’t work, however, and that’s how he spent most of his day one. The result was the third best stringer of the opening round.
“I must have caught about 20 fish all day, and I culled four times,” says the New Jersey angler. “I was using jigs, and I’m going back to the same area tomorrow [Friday]. I don’t think those fish are getting much pressure, and I think I can get at least one more good bag out of there.”
4. John Duvall – Madison, Ga. – 15-13 (5)
Duvall also ran an offshore pattern with a variety of baits. He caught five keepers all day, with the fifth one coming in the boat just after 3 p.m. He was in the second flight.
“I burned half a tank of gas, and I bet I didn’t get over eight miles from the marina,” he notes. “I’m fishing a little bit of everything. I threw topwaters, midrange baits and stuff I dragged along the bottom, and I can’t say that anything really stood out.”
5. Andre Dickneite – Freeburg, Mo. – 15-11 (5)
The fish weren’t exactly jumping in the boat for the Missouri pro, but he only lost one fish that he felt would have bumped him up a place or two in the standings. Dickneite is mum about his methodology and lure selection, but says he thinks he’s found plenty of spots that he believes hold fish, albeit scattered.
“I had nine days of practice here, and there are places I haven’t had a chance to check yet,” he says. “I think I can do it again tomorrow and, hopefully, get to Saturday.”
Top 10 Boaters
1. Jeremy Lawyer – Sarcoxie, Mo. – 18-06 (5)
2. Drew Boggs – Lebanon, Tenn. – 17-04 (5)
3. John Vanore – Mullica Hill, N.J. – 15-14 (5)
4. John Duvall – Madison, Ga. – 15-13 (5)
5. Andre Dickneite – Freeburg, Mo. – 15-11 (5)
6. Kyle Weisenburger – Ottawa, Ohio – 15-09 (5)
7. Todd Walters – Kernersville, N.C. – 15-01 (5)
8. Jim Eakin – Clarksville, Tenn. – 14-06 (5)
9. Thomas Helton – Charleston, Tenn. – 14-04 (5)
10. Mike Devere – Berea, Ky. – 14-02 (5)
Important links
Day 2 Details
Anglers take off from Lake Barkley State Resort Park Marina at 7 a.m. on Friday. The top 10 boaters and co-anglers after Friday's competition qualify to fish the final day. Friday's weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. at Lake Barkley State Resort Park Marina. It'll be broadcast live on FLWFishing.com.
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