BENTON, Ky. – The newly formed Midwest Division of the Stren Series kicked off Wednesday morning on Kentucky Lake beneath deceptively clear skies. Much like last month’s Wal-Mart FLW Tour event held on this lake, anglers may have to contend with some stormy weather as they navigate Kentucky-Barkley.
Typically at a Kentucky Lake tournament when the temperatures are this warm, the deep cranking bite is where it’s at, and the many anglers who are certain to do that will likely appreciate the wind and clouds that accompany the stormy conditions. But pro Jack Gadlage, a Western pro who now lives on Kentucky Lake, hopes for some sunshine.
“The sunny skies make it easier for me because the fish will hug the bottom,” Gadlage said. “It depends on your strength. If you’re cranking, you’ll want the wind and clouds.”
Hugging the bottom, Gadlage says, is the difference between May’s FLW Tour event on Kentucky Lake and this week’s Stren Series event. The warmer temperatures have suspended a lot of fish, making them more difficult to catch now than they were a month ago. Tough or not, though, the fish that will keep anglers in the running this week are going to be caught deep.
“Ninety percent of the fish are pretty deep,” Gadlage said. “There are still some smaller keepers shallow, but the bigger fish are deep.”
Wind, hail and forecasted rain aside, Gadlage expects the 200-boat field to bring in a couple of limits exceeding 20 pounds today, and he predicts the top 20 will need a stringer in the 13-pound range to be in contention.
Logistics
Anglers competing in this week’s tournament, which is presented by Yamaha, will fish for a top pro award worth as much as $64,500, including a 519VX Ranger powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor, Lowrance electronics and EverStart batteries plus $10,000 cash. Pros will have the chance to earn an additional $10,000 bonus from Ranger if contingency guidelines are met. Ranger will award another $3,000 to the winner if he or she is a participant in the Ranger Cup program, or $1,500 to the highest-finishing Ranger Cup participant. Yamaha will match 50 percent of Ranger Cup earnings if the participant meets “Powered by Yamaha” guidelines.
Co-angler competitors will cast for a top award worth as much as $35,000, including a 519VX Ranger boat and trailer if contingency guidelines are met.
Anglers will take off from Moors Resort and Marina at 6 Central each morning. Wednesday and Thursday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the marina, which is located at 570 Moors Road in Gilbertsville, Ky., beginning at 2:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 310 W. 5th St. in Benton beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public. For those who cannot attend weigh-ins, FLWOutdoors.com offers FLW Live, a live online application that is the next best thing to being there.
The full field will compete for two days to determine the top 20 pros and top 20 co-anglers, who advance to day three based on their two-day accumulated weight. Weights are cleared for day three, and anglers compete for 10 spots in each division on day four. Winners are determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.
Sunrise: 5:34 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 62 degrees
Expected high temperature: 87 degrees
Wind: W at 9 mph
Maximum humidity: 60 percent
Day’s outlook: scattered strong thunderstorms