Strader storms into lead on Kentucky Lake
Greenwood grabs top spot in Co-angler Division
GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. – Believe it or not, Wesley Strader of Spring City, Tenn., has never won an EverStart Series event in his career. Although he boasts two second-place finishes (at Sam Rayburn in 2001 and Guntersville Lake in 2002), seven trips to the EverStart finals, an FLW Tour title and more than $320,000 in career earnings at FLW Outdoors events, he is still waiting for his first victory on the EverStart trail. However, after today’s performance, he just might be on the verge of that elusive title.
Using a catch of 15 pounds, 14 ounces, Strader braved horrendous weather in the early morning hours to finish in first place heading into Saturday’s final day of competition on Kentucky Lake.
“I had an exceptional day today,” said Strader. “I had a limit by 9:30 a.m. and I’m in a place where there are lots of fish. But I don’t want to get too excited because I’ve come up short before. I really want to win this time.”
However, Strader believes his luck just might be turning around at Kentucky Lake.
“Yesterday, I figured something out,” he said. “I was flipping a Lake Fork Mega Tube and I decided to switch over to a Lake Fork Jig. And that seemed to make a big difference. But the key is fishing very slowly.”
According to Strader, he is flipping toward shallow banks with a green-pumpkin jig coupled with a green-pumpkin claw trailer.
“I found a bank – it’s about 300 yards long – that has some really good fish on it,” he said. “I probably only made about 10 flips today and I’m definitely going back there tomorrow. I just hope my fish stay there. If they do, I have a real shot. If they don’t, I don’t think I have a shot. I’m not a deep-water fisherman. So, anytime you can get me next to a bank fish a jig, I’m happy.”
Millender makes some noise
(Photo by Gary Mortenson)” BORDER=”1″ ALIGN=”LEFT”>Randy Millender of Teague, Texas, netted a 15-pound, 5-ounce catch – good enough to finish the day in second place. And like Strader, Millender likes his chances in Saturday’s finals.
“So far, I’ve had a great week,” said Millender. “I’m catching about 20 to 40 fish a day. I really like to flip and this lake sets up really good for me.”
Martin on a roll
Lendell Martin Jr. of Nacogdoches, Texas, used a 14-pound, 2-ounce catch to finish the semifinal round of competition in third place.
“This week has just been fantastic,” he said. “I feel like I’m right at home here. I’m really looking forward to fishing tomorrow.”
Power surge
Craig Powers of Rockwood, Tenn., snared a 13-pound, 15-ounce catch to finish the day in fourth place and advance to the top 10. However, to hear him tell it, Powers was lucky to qualify for the finals at all.
“Basically, I was just junk fishing all day,” he said. “I caught five spotted bass early and then I went largemouth fishing after that. I caught that big fish (a 5-pound, 12-ounce largemouth) right around noon. But win, lose or draw tomorrow, this lake is just a lot of fun to fish during May.”
Sappington survives cut
John Sappington of Wyandotte, Okla., used a 13-pound, 9-ounce catch to qualify for the finals in fifth place.
“I’ve been catching a lot of fish,” said Sappington, who won the 2002 FLW Championship last September. “I’m catching between 20 and 25 fish every day and today I probably had about 10 keepers. I know I can catch a lot of little fish. But the key to this whole tournament is getting the big bites.”
Best of the rest
Rounding out the top-10 pro finalists were Jackie Davis (sixth) of Willard, Mo., with a catch of 13 pounds, 4 ounces; day-two leader David Young (seventh) of Mayfield, Ky., with a catch of 12 pounds, 13 ounces; Gary Paris (eighth) of Emory, Texas, with a catch of 12 pounds, 5 ounces; Keith Lanier (ninth) of Cabot, Ark., with a catch of 11 pounds, 3 ounces; and Troy Eakins (10th) of Nixa, Mo., with a catch of 10 pounds, 13 ounces.
Greenwood advances in splendid fashion
Mitch Greenwood of Beechmont, Ky., used a 9-pound, 13-ounce catch to finish the day in first place in the Co-angler Division heading into tomorrow’s finals. However, Greenwood acknowledged that had it not been for some early morning success, things might have turned out differently.
“It feels pretty good,” said Greenwood of his first trip to an EverStart final. “But I got lucky today. Right before that storm came in this morning, I caught that 5 1/2-pound largemouth. And not long after that, I caught another pretty good fish. But I didn’t get another bite after 9:30 a.m. I wound up only getting three bites all day.”
Greenwood – whose previous best finish in an EverStart Series event was 17th place on this same lake – said he could hardly wait for the finals to begin.
“This is the best tournament of my career,” he said. “I’m very excited. And I’m getting more nervous by the minute.”
Although Greenwood wouldn’t divulge his bait or technique of choice, he said that he is going to employ the same strategy Saturday.
“I’m going to continue to do what got me here,” he said.
Best of the rest
(Photo by Gary Mortenson)” BORDER=”1″ ALIGN=”RIGHT”>Ken Keys of Evansville, Ind., and Mark King of Gurdon, Ark., tied for second place in the Co-angler Division after turning in identical catches of 8 pounds, 10 ounces.
Larry Regina of South Bend, Ind., grabbed fourth place with a catch of 8 pounds, 8 ounces, while Ron Bricker of Indianapolis, Ind., snared fifth place with a catch of 6 pounds, 4 ounces.
Rounding out the top 10 co-angler finalists were Daniel Cramer (sixth) of Van Wert, Ohio, with a catch of 5 pounds, 12 ounces; Dean Morgan (seventh) of Port Arthur, Texas, with a catch of 5 pounds, 4 ounces; Richard Wyrick (eighth) of Frankfort, Ill., with a catch of 5 pounds, 3 ounces; Greg Pugh (ninth) of Cullman, Ala., with a catch of 5 pounds and Jim Miller (10th) of Dayton, Ohio, with a catch of 4 pounds, 3 ounces.
Tomorrow’s takeoff is scheduled to take place at 5:45 a.m. at Moors Resort located at 570 Moors Road in Gilbertsville, Ky.